The DU Undergraduate Student Government has launched its College Readership Program, which provides DU undergraduates with complimentary digital access to The New York Times.

This program replaces a previous student government-backed initiative that provided print copies of the publication to students on campus. While the print editions were only available to students while school was in session, the switch to a digital platform will allow enrolled undergraduate students to access the Times year-round.

Eligible students can sign up for the program by submitting their DU email address to the university’s New York Times access site. Once a student has registered and verified their email, they can receive full access to The New York Times and its affiliated content.

Owin Orr, a USG senator representing the Daniels College of Business, worked on securing funding for the project and said that he hopes to open up the program to all DU students, faculty and administrators in the future.

“We are hoping to obtain institutional access, which means not only undergraduate students but graduate students, which are a likewise number here at DU,” said Orr. “Institutional access will help these credible publications be able to fully become a part of those classroom conversations and our campus community when the graduate population is still so prevalent here.”

Orr noted that student’s user information will be kept confidential, but that USG will be able to gauge the number of students accessing the Times. This figure could be vital in securing the program’s funding in the future.

Furthermore, Orr postulated that the myriad of recent changes across DU’s campus might usher in an evolving student body eager to take advantage of an academically-minded initiative.

“We believe that our campus is evolving, and this is a great transition period where the readership program can help contribute to the evolution of DU and a more informed campus community,” said Orr. “This is not just a one-year thing; we believe that this can contribute to our campus community as Impact 2025 and other initiatives take place on campus.”

Lynn Schofield, a DU professor and director of the Estlow International Center for Journalism & New Media, added that the program allows students to access a well-regarded publication at a time when they are likely forming lifelong media consumption habits.

“Research for years has told us that during the years of college is when most people start to form their habits of how they will learn about the communities in which they live,” said Schofield. “The New York times is a venerated news organization that is largely recognized around the world as the paper of record for the United States, and I think that is the reason why DU has decided to subsidize that particular venue as opposed to perhaps others.”

“We want to prepare students to be global citizens, and we recognize that in order to do that we need to be providing students with sources of information that are on par with the way the rest of world also views and values information.”

Undergraduate students can enroll in the College Readership Program by going to DU’s New York Times access page.