intellectuallearning Cal Maritime Introduces Shared Literary Experience Program For New Students THE DIVISION OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS, in conjunction with Cal Maritime’s New Student Shared Literary Experience Committee, initiated a program this summer to introduce students to Cal Maritime’s academic environment. The Shared Literacy Experience Program kicked off for all new students with its inaugural title, Caroline Alexander’s “The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition.” Prior to arriving on campus for New Student Orientation, all incoming students were required to read “The Endurance,” which is a fascinating and comprehensive account of legendary explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 trip to the South Pole. The gripping tale of leadership, hardship and survival resonated with the new cadets, who anonymously provided feedback on the shared literary experience program during Orientation Week. “I think this reading selection was a great choice for new students because it shows perspective and teaches qualities one should have, especially at CMA where leadership is a huge part of the school,” said one Global Studies and Maritime Affairs freshman. Another student had trouble believing what he read, but was nonetheless inspired. “It was a great book and such an epic tale of survival; it’s almost hard to believe it’s true,” he said. More than 250 students participated in the program, which was designed to help acquaint new students with Cal Maritime’s academic environment, initiate relationships between the students and the campus community, and inspire a lifelong love of intellectual learning. “We were thrilled to introduce this new reading program to all of our incoming students,” said Dr. Gerald Jakubowski, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “We selected this particular book because it ties so well to Cal Maritime’s mission, values, and standards — and, in particular, to our leadership development program.” Dr. Donna Nincic, director of the ABS School of Maritime Policy and Management, gave a multimedia lecture on the book to new students during Orientation, which was followed by 12 leadership-oriented breakout sessions led by faculty and staff. Faculty will also incorporate the book in their classroom discussions and assignments throughout the academic year. In addition, later in the fall semester, a documentary based on the expedition will be shown, and Scott Shackleton, a Cal Maritime alumnus and distant relative of the explorer, will give a talk on leadership, the Antarctic, and the Shackleton legacy. “Alexander’s book is appealing because it tells how Shackleton had to make difficult decisions under extreme adversity,” added Jakubowski. “It’s perfect for anyone interested in leadership development.”
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Cal Maritime
FALL 2011
Alumnus PERHAPS NO ONE WAS MORE EXCITED to learn that “The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition” was selected as the inaugural title of the Shared Literacy Experience Program than Class of 1987 alumnus Scott Shackleton. Scott, who is a fifth cousin to famed Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, grew up listening to the adventures his grandfather would tell about his famous relative. While Sir Ernest actually made three heroic — yet unsuccessful — attempts at reaching the South Pole, he is most remembered for his famous Endurance Expedition of 1914-1916, which left him and his crew of 27 stranded on the ice for nearly 15 months. Remarkably, all of them survived, due in no small part to Sir Ernest’s leadership. “He had real foresight into how to lead people, and he never gave up,” said Scott Shackleton, who is assistant dean for facilities and capital projects with the College of Engineering at UC Berkeley. “He had bad apples on his team, as you always do. He always moved bad apples into his tent so he didn’t take the guys down with him. So, he looked after that emotional side of his crew too. He was totally respected by all his guys, and nobody ever questioned if he was going to come back and rescue them.” As a child, Scott dreamt that someday he might have an opportunity to follow in Sir Ernest’s snow-packed footsteps, and take his own journey to Antarctica — perhaps even to become the first Shackleton to ever reach the South Pole.