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Seton Hall University

Nominate a Text for our SHU Reads! Program  

girl reading Since 2003, all incoming first-year students have read a common book over the summer to introduce them to academic and student life at Seton Hall. Formerly called the Summer Reading Program and now called SHU Reads!, the nominated text presents a shared experience intended to foster thoughtful discussion and engagement in University Life, the first-year English classes, and throughout the academic year.

As part of the University's strategic plan to build a culture of “One Seton Hall,” the SHU Reads! Selection Committee is calling upon our community to assist us in determining the next first-year text. Members of the Selection Committee include Dr. Monica Burnette (Assoc. Vice President & Chief of Staff, Student Services), Dr. Shawna Cooper-Gibson (Vice President, Student Services), Dr. Nancy Enright (Professor, English), Ms. Colleen Dallavalle (Assoc. Dean, Student Engagement), Ms. Bernadette McVey (Director, Office of the Provost), Ms. Hezal Patel (Asst. Dean, Center for Academic Success), Ms. Jeel Patel (Sophomore, College of Arts & Sciences), Dr. Kelly Shea (Assoc. Professor, English), and Mr. Majid Whitney (Asst. Vice President, Sr. Assoc. Dean, Student Services). Previously nominated texts have been mindful of the Catholic values and mission, thought-provoking, accessible, and relevant to current events and societal themes.

All genres, including fiction, non-fiction, dramas/plays, and poetry, are welcome and encouraged. We hope to invite the author of the text as a guest speaker during the 2021-2022 academic year. All first-year students will also be encouraged to enter our SHU Reads! contest (more details to come!) to win a prize.

To nominate a text, please fill out the form here no later than November 20, 2020. Please note that you may nominate as many texts as you would like, but we kindly ask you to use one form per nomination submission.

We plan to announce our SHU Reads! Text and Contest at the beginning of the Spring 2021 semester.
For questions, please contact studentservices@shu.edu. Thank you and we look forward to reviewing your submissions!

Categories: Arts and Culture, Education

For more information, please contact:

  • Monica Burnette
  • (973) 761-9147