We are thrilled to introduce a virtual book club exclusively for the UMGC community, dedicated to personal and professional growth. Our club focuses on empowering individuals to enhance their careers while improving themselves. Together, we will delve into a wide array of enlightening books covering topics such as business thinking, leadership, effective communication skills, unlocking creativity, team-building, personal growth, lifelong learning, and much more. Engage in vibrant discussions and expand your network through our private forum, specially designed for book club members. Joining this enriching experience is completely free for the UMGC community, and all you need is a copy of the selected book to enjoy. We will leisurely read one book every two months, allowing ample time to delve into each captivating read. Rest assured, there's no pressure to commit to every book—we welcome your participation based on your interests and schedule.

1. Embrace Lifelong Learning: The facilitated book club will broaden your career and provide new insights to get results in making you more effective in areas including leadership, communications skills, and achieving a fulfilling life.
2. Reading is Good for You: Reading can reduce stress, help you sleep better, and improve your relationships [1]. Did we mention it also makes you smarter? Reading increases your verbal intelligence, your emotional intelligence, and your creativity [2].
3. Connect with your Fellow UMGC community: Our book club will introduce you to your fellow UMGC community across industries, generations, and geographies all while gaining different perspectives while reading the book. The network you'll be building may help you with career advice, introduce you to new people, and find your next opportunity.

How often will books be read, what is the time commitment and what are the expectations?

We plan to start the book club by reading one book every two months. The texts selected will be lifelong learning, personal growth, novels and other books and take an average of nine hours to read cover to cover. If you have between 1 and 2 hours a week to read you should be fine.

Will there be any in-person meetings of the book club?

No, the book club will be entirely online. You can participate anywhere you have Internet access and on days and times that are convenient to you.

Is there any cost to participate?

Participation is free for the UMGC community!

How do I get the books?

Participants can get books for free at their local library or purchase them.

How do book club discussions work?

The book club will have a moderator from PBC Guru who manages the forum where discussions occur online. The moderator will pose questions to the book club, share relevant articles and facilitate conversation about topics in the book. Members will be encouraged to post and share as well. This format allows for ongoing conversation and makes it easy for readers to connect with each other through the forum.

How do I make a forum profile?

We're using a private forum to host the virtual book club so it's easy to connect with fellow alumni. During our sign up process, you will enter the information to auto-generate your free profile. After you complete the sign up, we'll send you a link to the forum and you can begin to post right away!

What exactly is PBC Guru and what do they have to do with the book club?

Professional Book Club (PBC) Guru is a book club management company that works with businesses, alumni associations and professional societies. We are teaming up with PBC to put this program in place for the UMGC community. You can check out their website at www.pbc.guru if you want to see more of what they do.

I've already signed up. How do I log in?

If you are already a member, you can click the log in button above.

What if my question isn't answered?

Feel free to send an email to info@pbc.guru and we'll be happy to help.