Campus Read Marketing Brief

Purpose

The Campus Read is an initiative in the Provost’s office to

• Introduce students to the intellectual climate of the campus,
• Facilitate discussion, stimulate curiosity and provide a platform for deeper learning across disciplines,
• Further WVU’s commitment to social justice.

In this year’s selection, “Just Mercy, A Story of Justice and Redemption,” author Bryan Stevenson recounts his time in the American South working with inmates on death row. It was an internship he had when he was unsure of what to do with his life that led him to work for justice within a flawed legal system.  The book allows students to explore themes of

• Racial and economic inequality especially in the justice system
• Mass incarceration
• Capital punishment
• Redemption
• Finding your purpose in life
• Changing the world
• Being a first generation college student
• Declaring a major and/or figuring out how to get a job
• The value of an internship
• Starting a business or non-profit organization.

Points of Contact

Susan Lantz, chair of the Campus Read Committee

Sue Day-Perroots, associate provost for Undergraduate Education

Lynn Reinke, communications

Background

Previously called the Common Read, this year the committee has taken a different approach for 2016--it is not required reading for all freshmen. The associate provost has highly recommended the book be adapted for First Year Seminar classes but the emphasis this year is to encourage adaptation across disciplines in all levels of instruction. As of June, the book has been adopted by the following classes and groups:

• Honors First Year Seminar
• NSO Leaders
• College of Business and Economics Freshmen
• CLASS First Year Seminar
• Reed College of Media First Year Seminar
• Center for Black Culture STARS Students
• Intro to Gender and Women Studies
• College of Law Externship Program
• Sociology 101
• Forensics
• WVU Innocence Project
• Honors Intro to Philosophy
• First Year Law Students
• Contemporary Literature in English Department
• Economics
• College of Creative Arts First Year Seminar
• WVU Parents Club

Audience/Messaging

Faculty—to encourage them to adopt in class and participate in a series of events scheduled for next year.

Students—to read the book and attend one of the many events scheduled as part of their Project 168 plan.

Community—to read the book and attend one of the events that explore important themes in the book (race, justice, death penalty, prison reform, finding your purpose).

Timeline