Honors College Common Reading

The Honors College Common Reading is a selection for all Honors College students that is used to foster a community-wide discussion focused on a contemporary social issue or theme that is deeply intertwined with social impact and inclusive excellence.

The Common Reading is a longstanding program that for the first time will include all incoming and returning Honors students. This year's book choice draws upon the College’s 2024-2026 two-year thematic focus on the environment.

Through reading and related discussion and exploration through Honors coursework, students develop traits and non-cognitive skills, such as critical thinking, empathy, collaboration, respect, problem solving, persistence, understanding, and introspection—skills that will help students learn how to transform their ideas into action so they may contribute meaningfully to society and succeed in life.

2025-2026 Common Reading

Photo of Dr. Bittle and his book The Great Displacement

We are pleased to announce that Jake Bittle’s The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration has been chosen as the Honors College’s 2025-2026 AY common reading by a committee of Honors College faculty members and students. 

Mr. Bittle is a staff writer for The Grist (25 Years on the Climate Beat) and published the book in 2023. The premise: “[W]e imagine that as global warming gets worse over the coming decades, millions of people will scatter around the world fleeing famine and rising seas. What we often don’t realize is that the consequences of climate change are already visible, right here in the United States. In communities across the country, climate disasters are pushing thousands of people away from their homes.” And as we can attest, these changes and consequences are happening right here in NJ and throughout the many other states from which our students hail.

First-year students will begin engaging with The Great Displacement this summer through online conversation and during Welcome Week. Their reading of the monograph will be accompanied by discussion groups and prompts derived from the book’s thesis and topical issues. Mr. Bittle will be on campus on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, during Welcome Week to interact with our students and share his reactions to the book’s reception and influence. Themes from the book will be incorporated into all Honors College mission courses this fall and spring.  
Returning students will also find that the work will be used in Honors Colloquium and many of our Interdisciplinary Honors Seminars throughout the year and serve as a focal point for numerous co-curricular and extra-curricular events and programs that are open to all and will explore the environmental theme across fields and disciplines. Any returning student on campus who wishes to attend is invited to hear Mr. Bittle speak on Wednesday, August 27.
We are excited to read and engage in The Great Displacement  as part of our community conversations and knowledge growth and to share in the conversations with Mr. Bittle and each other as we finish our second of two years focused on climate.

All students are expected to acquire the book (see below for sources).
Students are invited to visit the Honors College Common Reading Canvas page to join the conversation in mid-July in preparation for the author’s visit during Welcome Week.

Where to find Jake Bittle's The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration

There are many ways you can access the book at a low cost (or free). A few options include:

Libraries
Find a copy at your local library

Download the Libby App or visit LibbyApp.com to find The Great Displacement at your local library as an e-book or audiobook
Bookstores
Better World Books
Amazon
Biblio
The Strand
Audible
You can find the book on Audible, available with an Audible subscription. If you don't already have a subscription, there is a 30-day free trial!