Texas State says farewell to Common Experience

By Bella Vogiatzis Life and Arts Contributor

After nearly two decades of impressive accomplishments and unwavering commitment to the Texas State community, the Common Experience is coming to an end.

“Sadly, beginning this June, the Common Experience and Common Reading programs will no longer be happening at Texas State,” Erika Nielson, Ph.D., director of the Common Experience, said.

The Common Experience Committee has not yet been told what prompted this decision, but its members hope to get answers soon.

The program, which has been recognized both statewide and nationally, has just under a month left to carry out its legacy, and Nielson is reflecting on its accomplishments and dedicated mission throughout the years.

The program was recently named the number one academic support program in Texas, a feat it was able to accomplish despite a low budget.

The Common Experience's low budget has not held it back from success. The program has labored to serve its community while executing a lot with a little.

Since its creation in 2004, the Common Experience has always kept one idea at the forefront of its operation.

“We hope to welcome first-year students," Nielson said. "That’s our primary goal. Events are for everyone, but we really want to focus on creating a community for our newest students.”

The program has consistently offered students, faculty, staff and community members 200-300 events per year, according to Nielson. She said those events are thoughtfully geared toward a common theme, and they all have a shared goal of support and conversation. The theme for the 20222023 school year is Systems Thinking.

As rewarding and uplifting as a good turnout can be, the committee's biggest priority lies in what attendees take away from the events.

The Common Experience has done much more than host events. The mandatory university seminar course, US1100, is part of the program, and Nielson has strived in her time as the director to make it resourceful and enjoyable for students.

When planning past US1100 courses, Nielson asked students directly how they want to learn. Whether it was through traditional lectures and textbooks, podcasts, blogs or documentaries, Nielson wanted students to be engaged and interested so they could learn to the best of their abilities.