The Best New Higher Education eBooks To Read In 2025

“Our problem in Catholic higher education is bigger than the collapse of ecclesial credibility, bigger than the behavior of the bishops, bigger than the waning interest in theological studies, and bigger than politics.”―Massimo Faggioli. Many Catholic universities in the United States have put their Catholic mission at risk―by either ceding to secular neoliberal values or by doubling down on reactionary Catholic tribalism. Student enrollment declines as some schools market themselves no differently than secular colleges. Other, conversely, neo-traditionalist Catholic colleges ally themselves with regressive elements of the Church.

Both trends, Faggioli says, reflect a dismantling of Vatican II’s vision for Catholic education. Scrutinizing this crisis in detail, Massimo Faggioli reviews the snowballing changes in Catholic higher education, advocating for a renewed incarnational and sacramental Catholic educational philosophy that rejects accommodation to secular technocracy as well as Catholic tribalism in order to embody the inclusive, socially conscious values of the Catholic tradition as expressed in the theology of Vatican II.

The contributors to this volume – educators, student affairs practitioners, and higher education staff – heartfully share a broad range of contemplative practices and acts of resistance used within the confines of shattered systems and institutions for themselves, their colleagues, and their students. The narratives in this volume broadly imagine, inspire, recount, and guide readers toward the fullness of their humanity and wholeness within institutions of higher education.

At the same time, these accounts navigate the operational realities of daunting demands on the mind, body, and spirit, the growing turbulence of working on higher education campuses across the country, and a sense of urgency toward collective life affirmation within modern higher education institutions. Each chapter features critical framing of a concept, personal stories of this concept in action, and descriptions of contemplative practices for readers to use in their own contexts. Together, chapter authors demonstrate what it means to be a contemplative practitioner attentive to issues of power, racism, and marginalization in higher education today. With a deep breath and mindful awareness, this book invites faculty and staff at colleges and universities on a transformational journey with the contributors toward fullness in pursuit of becoming whole and inspiring change.

Assessment 101 is your all-in-one guide to conducting and facilitating assessment in specific programs, as well as coordinating institution-wide assessment processes. This book covers all fundamental elements of the assessment cycle: Student learning outcomes, curriculum mapping, instruments, data collection, results and interpretation, and most importantly, use of results for improvement. Complete with pro tips designed for busy professionals, this text offers practical guidance on how the assessment process can be implemented and managed at various altitudes within an institution.

This foundational, timely resource is for anyone involved in student learning outcomes assessment at the program or institutional level.