As a leader in a higher education institution, staying ahead of the curve is essential for success. In 2023, staying informed and learning new strategies and techniques will be increasingly important as the educational landscape continues to evolve.
The following selection explores some of the latest high-impact leadership books available for higher education leadership looking to enhance their effectiveness within the educational sector.
- Engaging Virtual Environments: Creative Ideas and Online Tools to Promote Student Interaction, Participation, and Active Learning by Dr. Joanne Ricevuto, Laura McLaughline and Lillian Nave (2022)
- In a classroom setting interaction among students is the norm. How do you replicate that informality, spontaneity, and focus online? This book provides you with a framework to think about the different kinds of engagement you want to foster -- whether participation, collaboration, or quick feedback -- and then introduces you to available online tools, some of which may be in your LMS, offers practical tips, and guides you to how make the most of commonly available technologies to achieve your goals.
- Commencement: The Beginning of a New Era in Higher Education” by Kate Colbert and Dr. Joe Sallustio (2022)
- Colleges and universities that provide millions of degree and non-degree credentials each year are a vital backbone of communities and economies. These institutions elevate the critical-thinking capacities of students and learners, and they provide crucial job skills and life skills to emerging workforces.But the skills we need, the ways in which we collaborate, and the very jobs available to graduates are changing. It’s time for higher education to start anew.
- Leadership Matters: Confronting the Hard Choices Facing Higher Education by W. Joseph King and Brian C. Mitchell (2022)
- When leadership matters more than ever, “the success of higher education institutions depends on strategic leaders who can utilize the strength of their institutions and leaders to balance internal pressures, shifting demographics, global education needs, and workforce preparation demands beyond the college gates,” argue the authors of this book which begins with the fundamental premise that colleges and universities must evolve and adapt by modernizing their practices, monetizing their assets, focusing on core educational strategies, and linking explicitly to the modern world.
- Becoming Great Universities: Small Steps for Sustained Excellence by Richard J. Light and Allison Jegla (2022)
- This book covers challenges such as how to build a culture of innovation on campus, how to improve learning outcomes through experimentation, how to help students from under-resourced high schools succeed in college, and how to attract students from rural areas who may not be considering colleges far from their communities. The authors offer concrete ways to facilitate constructive interaction among students from different backgrounds, create opportunities for life-long learning and engagement, and inspire students to think globally.
- Breaking Ranks: How the Rankings Industry Rules Higher Education and What to Do about It by Colin Diver (2022)
- In the knowledge that some colleges will do anything to improve their national ranking, the rankings industry has become a self-appointed judge, declaring winners and losers among America’s colleges and universities. Colin Diver, a former university administrator, shows how to break ranks with a ranking industry that misleads consumers, undermines academic values, and perpetuates social inequality.
- The New College Classroom by Cathy Davidson and Christina Katopodis (2022)
- Extensive research shows that active-learning tools are more effective than conventional methods of instruction. Through detailed case studies, the authors explain how educators can successfully apply active-learning techniques in their courses, ensuring that their students are better prepared for the world that awaits them after college. The ready-to-use strategies can be incorporated into any course from community colleges to research universities, on campus, online, or in hybrid settings. Davidson and Katopodis, two of the world’s foremost innovators in higher education, show how teachers can help students become independent, creative, and active learners.
- The Secret Syllabus: A Guide to the Unwritten Rules of College Success by Jay Phelan and Terry Burnham (2022) (Skills for Scholars Series)
- Through storytelling and practical advice The Secret Syllabus illustrates both productive and counterproductive approaches to achieving academic excellence. It highlights the importance of setting and attaining goals, nurturing strong relationships, and developing resilience. The authors share essential lessons from struggling, unfocused students as well as award-winning college instructors and researchers.