University of Iowa
ER-T2-8: Themed Semester or Year

On Iowa! is a required immersion experience for all new first-year students focused on building citizenship and reaching the Iowa Challege goals of: Excel Stretch Engage Choose Serve On Iowa! is not only comprehensive introduction to University life, it includes building skills necessary to be a successful University of Iowa student within and beyond the classroom. Students learn about what to expect academically, the differences between high school and college, and how to be successful at Iowa. Setting goals, staying safe and healthy, and getting engaged on campus are also emphasized. On Iowa! is for all new students. Some events are designed for first-year students who have never attended a college before, but others are open to—or created especially for—transfer students. During Orientation, students meet with an academic advisor, register for first semester classes, and get introduced to campus resources. On Iowa! is a student support system that focuses on getting to know and becoming a part of the campus community. It also introduces important academic success skills, teaches Iowa traditions, and connects students with opportunities to get involved on campus. Both programs are mandatory for all incoming first-year students. The On Iowa! program, coupled with the campus living/learning community experience, gives students the skills and connections to develop into responsible citizens. During On Iowa!, students are offered volunteer opportunities in the area of recycling, community service and other sustainability-related areas. They are also provided information on sustainability living on campus and how to participate in the campus recycling program. Iowa City, a UNESCO City of Literature, celebrates the written word. The Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa pioneered the teaching of creative writing at the university level. Dozens of creative programs within the university and the city followed. One such program is the Community Reading Project, below: One Community-One Book: All Johnson County Reads is a community-wide reading project that annually runs from the middle of September through the middle of November. The book is selected by a committee and announced in the Spring preceding the reading project. The 2013 selection is The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba. Past selections have included: 2012 - The Latehomecomer: a Hmong Family Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang 2011 - Zeitoun by Dave Eggers 2010 - Gardens of Water by Alan Drew 2009 - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver