Students at the University of Indianapolis and community members alike can enjoy an annual, online, book-club-style course titled Communiversity, according to UIndy’s Communiversity website. The course, in its ninth year, has a new book every year, Professor and Associate Chair of English Jennifer Camden said. While students can receive one credit for the course, community members can join for $10 with the intent to join people within and around the UIndy community which enables a collaborative process, Camden said.
The Communiversity course began with Camden and previous Co-Chair of the English Department Kyoko Amano after finding that people in their circles would often ask them for literature recommendations outside of work, Camden said. Within the college sphere, Camden said she heard students say they did not have the time, ability to commit or had a distaste of reading that prevented them from joining. Communiversity was created, Camden said with the hope of bringing interest and fun back into the classroom along with providing the college experience people are longing for.
“What I think sets us apart from other kinds of big read programs is this very intentional bringing together of UIndy students with members of the community so that we can learn from each other,” Camden said. “And then another innovation that we brought to it was we decided another sort of thing that happens is that people think of literature as something that only English majors can read, and we wanted to show how all disciplines can bring new perspectives to a novel.”
Bleak House by Charles Dickens is the book choice this semester that, while it may be daunting to some, said Camden, can hopefully be attainable. Additionally, for students taking the course who are not honors students, it is pass/fail without a letter grade, according to the Communiversity website. However, honors students interested in taking the course have additional coursework along with a letter grade at the end of the semester.
“My hope is that people who might otherwise be intimidated by reading a novel that’s that long and that old will know that we’re gonna do it in really manageable weekly reading, five chapters a week,” Camden said. “And the assignment sequence is very simple … for most participants. At the start of the week you post your thoughts over the reading. …And then by the end of the week, you respond to two of your peers’ posts in the online forum.”
For some participants, Camden said, they respond to more discussion posts — like her 90-year-old neighbor that responds to every single discussion post. For others, it is at their own pace with no meeting times and optional lectures. While this course is mostly a fun opportunity for people to take part in a book-club-style discussion, there is also an opportunity to attend lectures by faculty, according to the website.
Highlighted on the website are Associate Professor of History Chad Martin, Professor of Philosophy and Religion Johnathan Evans and Assistant Professor of Communication (Theatre) Grant Williams who will be hosting various lectures that those in the class and interested students outside of the course may also attend for L/P credit. The book is free of charge and on the Communiversity website, along with the registration link and . Anyone with questions is encouraged to email Camden at jcamden@uindy.edu.
