Chapter 1: Reading the Globe

This retrospective on Texas A&M International University’s Reading the Globe freshman common read describes program components of a 12-year initiative to introduce students to important international issues. The chapter focuses on the impact the chosen international memoirs and associated student travel to those countries or regions has had on student learning, global leadership, and cultural tolerance development. Political and historical events related to catastrophic human suffering are connected to travel itineraries that include academic lectures, exposure to different cultures, and visits to sites of historical and political significance. Student reflections on these experiences are integrated into this retrospective.