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THE BOOKS, 2002-12

2011-12: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian — Sherman Alexie’s award-winning, semiautobiographical novel.  and keep reading Dateline UC Davis and Friday Update to learn about the 2011-12 program of activities.

The Campus Community Book Project, sponsored by the Office of Campus Community Relations, originated at UC Davis in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

In asking the university's diverse population to read the same book at the same time, the organizers encourage respectful discussion about the theme for the year and the selected book. Faculty members are encouraged to incorporate the books into the curriculum, and the book project also organizes a variety of activities, including lectures, panel discussions, workshops, art exhibitions, film screenings and more. Each year's project culminates with a visit and talk by the author.

The project aims to enhance diversity, promote equity and inclusiveness — and by so doing, improve the campus climate and campus community relations.

The Campus Council on Community and Diversity has announced the theme for the 2012-13 Campus Community Book Project: civility-civil rights.

Note: This is not the theme for 2011-12 . Civility-civil rights is the theme for the year after next — and book nominations are now being accepted. The organizers work so far ahead to allow time for reading the books, making a selection and planning a long list of activities to complement the book and the year's overall theme.

Mikael Villalobos, who chairs the book project, said the 2012-13 theme encompasses a number of issues, including civil rights, civility or acts of incivility, and the practice of civil discourse in the midst of diverging points of view.

“The bias and hate incidents that have happened in the last year throughout the UC system were among the reasons why the Campus Council on Community and Diversity felt that civility/civil rights was a worthwhile topic,” he said.

Nominations must fit the following criteria:

• Compelling and thought provoking, to engage the campus community in dialogue about contemporary controversial issues and to raise questions that have many possible answers.
• Well-written, accessible and engaging to a general audience.
• Short enough to be read within the time frame usually allotted for coursework.
• Provocative and intriguing to as many members of the community as possible, to invite diverse participation and integration into discussion groups and courses across the sciences, social sciences and humanities.
• Available in paperback (by spring of the year before the project) and affordable.
• Written by an author who is an engaging public speaker and aavailable to give a talk during the span of the project.

Villalobos said nominations are welcome from anyone in the campus community or the greater Davis community. Each nomination should include the title, author(s) and a short description of the book, and a statement of why the book would be a worthy selection. Nominations are due by July 15, via e-mail to mbvillalobos@ucdavis.edu.