The primary purpose of the Indiana University Southeast Common Experience Program is to develop a common dialogue among students, faculty, staff, and members of the local communities.
The goals of the IU Southeast Common Experience are as follows:
To cultivate critical thinking and ethical reasoning through a common intellectual conversation.
To engage first-year students in a common intellectual experience.
To enhance student participation in the intellectual life of the campus by encouraging open discussion, civil discourse, and critical thinking about a common theme and text.
To strengthen the sense of community among the faculty, staff, and students at IU Southeast and with people from the local communities in the region.
There are many ways to participate in the Common Experience. One may attend some or all of our numerous programs and events scheduled over the course of the academic year. One may also read our common text and engage in book discussions in either the fall or spring semesters. Students can register in almost 40 courses that have assigned the common reading as part of the class.
Faculty members, staff members, and members of the community are invited and encouraged to purchase the book, read it, and participate in one of the book discussions.