17 Higher Education Books That Shape Academic Leadership and Equity

Arthur Levine's decades of leadership in educational institutions set the stage for this incisive look at higher education's evolution amid today's rapid societal shifts. Joined by Scott Van Pelt's academic research expertise, they dissect how technological innovation, globalization, and demographic changes challenge the traditional industrial model of colleges and universities. You'll gain a nuanced understanding of higher education's past transformations and the complex dynamics shaping its uncertain future, including detailed analysis of institutional adaptations and potential disruptions. This book suits policymakers, administrators, and anyone invested in the future of postsecondary education, offering both historical perspective and strategic foresight without pushing a specific agenda.

Adam Harris draws on his extensive experience covering education and national politics to expose the persistent racial inequities embedded in America's higher education system. You learn how legal decisions, government policies, and funding disparities have systematically disadvantaged Black students and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Chapters detail landmark Supreme Court cases and Civil War–era legislation that shaped educational access, offering you a nuanced understanding of how segregation and inequality remain entrenched. This book benefits anyone seeking to grasp the historical roots of educational disparities and consider pathways to equitable reform.

This tailored book explores leadership and innovation within higher education, focusing deeply on your unique academic context and goals. It examines the complexities of academic leadership, institutional change, and innovative practices that drive progress in universities and colleges. By synthesizing diverse expert knowledge, this book offers a rich, personalized learning experience that matches your background and desired areas of growth. It reveals how leadership principles intersect with innovation to address challenges like equity, governance, and digital transformation in higher education. This tailored guide is designed to help you develop nuanced understanding and actionable insights aligned with your specific ambitions and institutional environment.

Drawing from extensive research involving senior leaders at major U.S. research universities, Ralph A. Gigliotti explores how crisis leadership has fundamentally reshaped responsibilities across higher education institutions. You’ll gain a nuanced framework grounded in theory and real interviews, detailing how leaders at various levels can effectively respond to the rapid proliferation of campus crises. The book examines institutional and environmental challenges with practical insights on leadership visibility when uncertainty strikes, making it particularly useful for academic administrators, communication professionals, and university personnel seeking to navigate complex emergencies.

After analyzing decades of leadership research, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner distilled a set of five practices that define exemplary leadership specifically for higher education. Drawing on their extensive backgrounds as leadership scholars and university administrators, they explain how these behaviors help leaders across faculty, administration, and campus services turn vision into action and foster collaboration. For example, the book breaks down how leaders can mobilize others to innovate and build solidarity, illustrated through case studies from colleges and universities. If you’re involved in any leadership role within higher education, this book offers a clear framework for inspiring and sustaining meaningful change.

Barbara W. Sarnecka, a Professor of Cognitive Sciences at UC Irvine, wrote this book to fill a glaring gap in academic training: how to write effectively and happily within the rigors of academia. You’ll discover how to create and sustain writing groups, develop a writing schedule attuned to your long-, medium-, and short-term goals, and improve clarity at every level of your prose. The book’s chapters walk you through crafting everything from literature reviews to grant proposals, with practical templates and exercises to boost your writing confidence. If you’re an early-career researcher navigating the isolating pressures of academic writing, this guide offers a supportive, structured approach that integrates well-being and productivity.

This tailored book explores practical leadership development specifically designed for higher education administrators. It covers essential leadership concepts, campus management techniques, and strategies to enhance your influence in academic environments. By focusing on your background and goals, it crafts a personalized pathway through complex leadership challenges faced in universities and colleges. The book examines real-world scenarios and leadership practices that resonate with your unique institutional context, delivering content that matches your interests and skill level. This personalized approach ensures you engage deeply with material that drives your growth and effectiveness as a campus leader, making the learning experience both relevant and inspiring.

While working as an associate professor specializing in higher education, Anthony Abraham Jack noticed that admission alone doesn't guarantee success for disadvantaged students at elite institutions. His research reveals how university policies and campus cultures often exacerbate inequalities, particularly for students from troubled public schools versus elite private high schools. You’ll gain insights into the social dynamics and institutional structures that shape these students’ experiences, alongside concrete recommendations for fostering genuine inclusion beyond admission. This book suits educators, policymakers, and anyone invested in equity within higher education, offering a grounded look at what it truly takes for less privileged students to thrive.

John R. Thelin's decades of scholarly research led to this detailed exploration of American higher education's evolution from the seventeenth century through the twenty-first. You gain a nuanced understanding of how colleges have shaped social class, race, gender, and ethnicity dynamics over generations. Thelin doesn’t shy away from controversial topics like the adjunct crisis and culture wars, presenting them with balanced context and archival depth. If you're looking to grasp the historical forces behind today's academic landscape and its ongoing challenges, this book delivers a rich, informed perspective without oversimplification.

After sixteen years navigating top leadership roles in academia, Marjorie Hass developed this guide to address the specific challenges women face in higher education leadership. Drawing from her experience as a college president and mentor, she offers candid advice on crafting a leadership style, handling power dynamics, and mastering essential administrative skills like budget and personnel management. The book walks you through critical career decisions, from embracing ambition to managing conflict, with an emphasis on aligning your values with your professional path. This is a pragmatic resource if you're a woman aiming to lead effectively in colleges or universities, or if you support gender diversity in academic leadership.

Drawing from his extensive background as a professor of organisation studies, Peter Fleming traces the corrosive impact of neoliberalism on universities over the past two decades. You’ll discover how the shift toward market-driven metrics has transformed academic life into a battleground of managerialism, competition, and psychological strain, with chapters detailing the rise of students as consumers and the mental health crises among staff. This book is particularly insightful if you’re involved in academia or education policy and want to understand the forces undermining institutional autonomy and intellectual freedom. Fleming doesn’t offer simple fixes but presents a clear-eyed diagnosis that challenges you to reconsider what a university should be.

Drawing from his extensive experience as a futurist and senior scholar at Georgetown University, Bryan Alexander developed Academia Next to explore the evolving landscape of American higher education over the next two decades. You’ll gain a nuanced understanding of economic, demographic, and technological trends reshaping colleges, along with insights into internal institutional changes like enrollment shifts and alternative credentialing. The book offers detailed scenarios and responses that can help institutions and stakeholders navigate challenges such as shrinking enrollments and public funding cuts. If you’re invested in the future of postsecondary education, this book provides a clear-eyed, data-driven perspective on what lies ahead.

Simone C. O. Conceição and Les Howles bring decades of combined expertise in adult education and instructional design to explore a learner-centered approach in online course creation. Rather than focusing solely on instruction, they emphasize designing the entire online learning journey, integrating interactions between content, instructors, and peers. You’ll discover concrete strategies for making online courses more engaging and meaningful, including evidence-based principles to boost learner motivation and deeper understanding. The book also highlights a practical example of applying Design Thinking to course design, making it a useful guide for both newcomers and experienced educators aiming to transform their online teaching practices.

This guide emerges from the combined expertise of University of California, Davis lecturers deeply engaged in professional writing education. It focuses on preparing educators to navigate various writing contexts they encounter, from classroom reflections to formal research and stakeholder communications. You’ll learn how to tailor your writing for different audiences and purposes, supported by examples and exercises that sharpen your skills through practice. The book’s emphasis on writing as a critical intellectual responsibility makes it especially useful for preservice and practicing teachers aiming to influence educational practices and policies through clear, purposeful communication.

What started as a collaboration between a statistics teacher and an award-winning film editor became a refreshingly straightforward guide to navigating the health pitfalls of college life. Jill and Dave Henry focus on teaching you how to manage stress, nutrition, sleep, exercise, and mental health during those formative undergraduate years, grounding their advice in both research and relatable student experiences. You’ll find practical insights on overcoming common challenges like the Freshman Fifteen, anxiety, and time management, with chapters dedicated to topics such as balancing social life with self-care. This book suits anyone entering college or supporting students, offering a realistic roadmap for maintaining wellness amid campus pressures.

Drawing from his extensive experience teaching at multiple universities, John Warner critiques the current public higher education system, emphasizing how competition and privatization have shifted priorities away from genuine learning. You’ll gain insight into the historical forces that made tuition unaffordable and adjunct faculty precarious, as well as practical ideas for reorienting colleges toward intellectual and social growth rather than mere enrollment numbers. Warner challenges you to reconsider what values truly drive education, making this a thoughtful exploration for anyone invested in reshaping public academia. Chapters discuss concrete shifts needed to build a system that benefits students and communities alike.

Alex Rockey draws from over a decade of experience in education technology to tackle the growing necessity of mobile-friendly courses in higher education. In this book, you’ll find a practical rubric to evaluate how well your course content adapts to mobile devices and a toolkit for leading workshops that demystify mobile learning. Rockey's focus is on leveraging students’ existing mobile literacies to improve access and engagement, not simply adding technology for its own sake. Whether you’re an instructor or faculty support professional, you’ll gain insight into creating courses that meet students where they are, with chapters dedicated to equity-minded pedagogy and gradual implementation strategies.

What started as the need to close the gap between higher education practice and advances in measurement drove Charles Secolsky and D. Brian Denison to assemble this handbook. You’ll find a detailed exploration of theories, terminology, and methods that shape assessment and evaluation in colleges and universities. This book equips you with insights into integrating technical measurement tools with institutional decision-making, supported by contributions from respected scholars. It’s especially useful if you’re involved in faculty development, student affairs, or institutional research, providing a clear bridge between scholarly concepts and campus practice.

Paul Tough, known for his deep dive into educational equity and child development, challenges conventional views on college in this book. You explore how higher education today often perpetuates social inequality, revealing how admissions, standardized testing, and institutional pressures shape who benefits most. Through chapters that transition from elite Ivy League settings to community colleges, you gain nuanced insights into the systemic forces at play and the real experiences of students navigating this landscape. This book suits anyone interested in the mechanics of social mobility and the true impact of college beyond traditional narratives.