In the 2024-2025 academic year, the Office of General Education launched the Common Curriculum Reading (CCR). The CCR is a pre-approved activity done in the co-curricular that allows students to obtain their Civic & Individual Ethics (CIE) Proficiency and Experience (P&E), a Common Curriculum (CC) requirement.
Students who join the CCR are required to attend seven reading group meetings, during which they discuss assigned readings with SMU staff/faculty facilitators and complete two assessments. This year, students read Meredith Broussard’s Artificial Unintelligence, in which she discusses the ethics of AI and the growing belief that it can solve societal issues.
77 students completed the program in the 2024-2025 academic year and received their CIE P&E. Students provided positive feedback about the program, stating they appreciated the following:
- That it was a program offered at no cost to students
- The flexibility of meeting bi-weekly as opposed to weekly
- Building friendships with peers they wouldn’t have met otherwise
The Office of General Education will continue the CCR in the 2025-2026 academic year. The book selection is Chris Anderson’s Infectious Generosity, which encourages society to engage in their community and discusses the ethics behind being selfless.
The CCR has also built partnerships with the following:
- The University Honors Program and Turner Scholars (formerly known as the Rotunda Scholars), which will offer sections of the CCR to their students
- Engage Dallas, which will allow students to also obtain their Community Engagement (CE) P&E
Students can sign-up for the program via Qualtrics. The Office of General Education is also seeking SAES staff or faculty facilitators for the upcoming Fall 2025 semester.
Facilitators who complete their commitment will be offered two days of extra comp time, which they will be responsible for coordinating with their direct supervisor. Prospective facilitators can learn more about the commitment and sign-up via Qualtrics.
The Office of General Education is excited to expand and continue the CCR as we move into the 2025-2025 academic year.