08/31/2026
The new school year is already heating up thanks to SUNY Cortland’s common read.
“Fire” is the latest theme for the annual interdisciplinary program that invites students, faculty, staff and the wider Cortland community to share their thoughts on a select group of texts during a free series of lectures, discussions, film screenings, guest speakers and art exhibitions.
All events are presented by the Cultural and Intellectual Climate Committee (CICC) in collaboration with the Student Government Association, Sustainability Office and Cornerstone Champions.
Each academic year the CICC and its partners choose a central idea and texts to focus on. The program seeks to promote cultural life on campus and help the Cortland community engage in discussions connected to the environmental, cultural and social issues relevant to today's world.
The three books for this year’s common read are Bendra Hillman’s shortform Seasonal Works with Letters on Fire, Rebecca Nagle’s nonfiction By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land and Ray Bradbury’s fiction selection of Fahrenheit 451.
All the texts were chosen based on their power to “kindle” talk across campus on themes such as sovereignty and freedom, censorship, identity, happiness, social and environmental justice, and more.
Events are free, open to the public and will be announced as details are finalized.
- Greenflix movies nights hosted by the Sustainability Office from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sept. 30, Oct. 28 and Dec. 9 in Sperry Center, Room 204. Films to be announced.
- The 15th Annual Student Conference on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice, with this year’s focus of “Many Sparks, One Flame.” The conference takes place on Nov. 7 and “seeks to ignite a sense of community by celebrating our differences, recognizing passion for change and encouraging collaboration in a world on fire. While fire can create rifts and result in destruction, it also symbolizes rebirth, growth and warmth.”
Sigma Tau Delta will also host a book club on dates to be announced.
The CICC encourages faculty to consider use of the common read texts in their Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 classes.
To take part as a faculty or staff member in the CICC, submit an event, volunteer for common read or to get more information, visit the CICC website or contact Benjamin Wilson, professor of economics and committee chair.
Students and the wider Cortland community are also encouraged to contact Wilson with suggestions for speakers or activities.