Professor Peter McPhee outlines the University of Melbourne's 'Melbourne Summer Reading' ('MSR') project, a 2011 initiative for first-year students. All first-year students will read Nam Le's The Boat before the start of Semester I. Professor McPhee writes: 'The purpose of the MSR project is to welcome new undergraduate students to the academic life of the University, and our values of engagement with big ideas, reflection and discussion'.