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Why do we have a book club?

As an institution committed to providing our students the pathways for future success through educational growth and personal enrichment, we all must continually strive to learn, grow, and inspire one another to fulfill this dream. Reading books together can help us combat the human tendency to get stuck in a certain way of thinking and doing, and help us develop a common language that can make it easier to discuss new ideas or think creatively about our work. A book club can also provide a significant opportunity for the building of friendships across our campus!

How does the ENMU-R book club work?

Book club groups are for any interested ENMU-R employee who would like to participate. Groups meet at various times each week during each semester. Cycles normally last nine weeks. Once interest level is determined, the number of groups will be decided, and participants can then select a group that best fits their schedule, or travel among the groups from week to week. A schedule will be emailed to all participants as soon as it is finalized.

The goal is to be very intentional about facilitating a productive discourse around each selected book, but the guided group discussions are just the beginning. The real value comes from the informal conversations that happen across our campus. So we highly encourage you to talk about the book every chance you get, and to allow it to impact the way we think about our work and interactions with students on every level.

What will we be reading during the Fall 2021 semester?

Redesigning America’s Community Colleges: A Clearer Path to Student Success by Thomas Bailey, Shanna Smith Jaggars, and Davis Jenkins

Our nation is urgently trying to increase the number of college graduates it produces, and community colleges are under enormous pressure to contribute to this growth. In Redesigning America’s Community Colleges: A Clearer Path to Student Success, Thomas Bailey, Shanna Smith Jaggars, and Davis Jenkins argue that to substantially increase student completion, community colleges must engage in fundamental redesign.

Synthesizing findings from CCRC’s intensive study of community colleges over the past eight years, Bailey, Jaggars, and Jenkins argue that improving developmental education, instruction, student supports, and the overall student experience is necessary but not sufficient; targeted reforms must be implemented as part of a broader institutional restructuring. The authors delineate a set of research-based design principles and strategies to help colleges achieve this challenging goal, and lay out a path for community colleges working to achieve greater success for their students, and for our nation as a whole.

How can I sign up and where can I get a copy of the book?

There are a limited number of free copies of each book for those who sign up early! If you miss this opportunity, you can make a wise investment and order a copy through your favorite online bookstore. Please contact Robert Moore at [email protected] to sign up to participate in the Fall semester, or with any other questions you may have.