Each year, a group of faculty and staff select a summer common book for new students.  Students receive the book during the summer and complete a pre-assignment. The book is then discussed in their IDS 100 class. In October, the author of the text visits the Mount and gives a series of presentations, one of which is specifically for first year students.

The summer common book serves a number of goals for our students, the most important of which is creating a common experience for all new students. All first year students, no matter where they come from, enter their first semester with at least one common experience–having read the common book– to share and discuss with other students.