What is the Summer Reading Assignment?

It has been a tradition at Bloomsburg University to incorporate a Summer Reading Assignment into the orientation events prior to the start of the fall semester. The purpose of the Summer Reading Assignment is to orient new students to our academic community by having a common literacy experience with fellow classmates, faculty, staff, and upper-level students who serve as peer leaders. During the Preview Days, you will learn about the Summer Reading Assignment. Participation in the Summer Reading Assignment is your first assignment as a Bloomsburg University student!

What is the purpose of this year’s Summer Reading Assignment?

This year’s Summer Reading Assignment has been designed to encourage you to reflect upon what it means to do good work as an undergraduate student. In other words, what thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors are you bringing with you to Bloomsburg University that will allow you to achieve success while you are here?

During Freshmen Orientation in late August, you and a small group of your peers will meet with a faculty or staff member to discuss your views on achieving success as an undergraduate at Bloomsburg University. Your responses to this Summer Reading Assignment will provide the basis for discussion at this meeting.

What are the requirements for this year’s Summer Reading Assignment?

ALL incoming first-year students, including those who took courses at Bloomsburg University during the Summer 2012, will do the following:

• complete a 5-minute survey
• watch a short video
• read a couple of news articles
• write two single-page papers

When will the Summer Reading Assignment be available online?

When the Summer Reading Assignment is available on BOLT in early July, an email will be sent to your Bloomsburg University email account (@huskies.bloomu.edu).

What is BOLT and how do I access BOLT?

BOLT (Bloomsburg Online Learning and Technology) is an online course management system (similar to Blackboard or WebCT) that is used heavily by the faculty and students at Bloomsburg University. The Summer Reading Assignment will be posted to BOLT as a way to orient you to this technology, as you will likely use the BOLT system in most, if not all, of your courses.

Follow this link to access BOLT: https://bolt.bloomu.edu. You will need the following student login information to access BOLT:

• Your HuskyID which is your complete BU email address (ex: abc12345@huskies.bloomu.edu).
• Your PASSWORD is your HuskyID password.
Help is available on the website or you may call 570-389-2888 during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

When is the Summer Reading Assignment due?

All parts of the assignment (as posted on BOLT) must be submitted through BOLT on Friday, Aug. 10, 2012 by 4 p.m.

What will happen if I do not complete the Summer Reading Assignment?

If you fail to submit the Summer Reading Assignment by Friday, Aug. 10 at 4 p.m., a hold placed will be placed on your record which will prevent course registration and may interrupt your financial support.

Who will see my completed Summer Reading Assignment?

Responses that you provide will be accessible to only four people: the Coordinator of New Freshmen Orientation (Ms. Kristin Austin) and the Bloomsburg University Good Work Coordinators (Drs. Jennifer Johnson, Mary Katherine Duncan, and Joan Miller). Your individual responses will not be shared with other students, faculty, staff, or administrators.

If I cannot find the answer to my question here, to whom should I direct my inquiry?

Kindly email Ms. Kristin Austin, Coordinator of New Student Orientation, at kaustin@bloomu.edu or call Ms. Austin at (570) 389-4659.

— Created by the Bloomsburg University Good Work Team