Professional Development

What if the syllabus were a menu? What if learning began with a bite? Edible Tales: Folklore, Myths, and Food Narratives in Higher Learning invites readers to the table, literally and intellectually, to explore how food stories shape knowledge, identity, ethics, and pedagogy. Structured as a twelve-course banquet, the book moves from forbidden fruits and mythic punishments to kitchen-table dialogues, classroom rituals, and contemporary visual art. Across chapters, contributors examine how food functions as law and transgression, nourishment and discipline, inheritance and invention. Eve’s bite, Persephone’s seeds, and Gretel’s breadcrumbs are reread as moments where appetite becomes agency. Thanksgiving disasters become narrative laboratories. Off-calendar feasts and midnight breakfasts reveal how everyday rituals sustain resilience in academic and communal life. Olive oil tastings, medieval banquets, pupusa-making, and jollof debates demonstrate how foodways encode histories of gender, class, colonialism, migration, and belonging. Methodologically, Edible Tales blends scholarly analysis with creative forms: scripts, recipes, stage directions, audio guides, almanacs, and lesson “potions.” The volume models how folklore and food narratives can be mobilized in higher education classrooms as rigorous, embodied ways of knowing. Contributors show how storytelling, shared snacks, sensory memory, and digital food archives can foster trust, critical reflection, and ethical engagement, particularly in interdisciplinary, humanities-based, and social justice-oriented pedagogy. Designed for scholars and educators in education, folklore, cultural studies, food studies, and the humanities, Edible Tales is also an invitation to instructors seeking innovative pedagogy, to students hungry for meaning, and to readers who believe that stories travel best when passed hand to hand. Come hungry. Leave with stories. Pack the leftovers as questions, and carry them into tomorrow.Perfect for courses such as: Food Studies; Folklore and Mythology; Cultural Studies; Narrative Inquiry / Qualitative Research Methods; Curriculum Studies; Interdisciplinary Humanities; Anthropology of Food; Education and Social Justice; Gender, Culture, and Society; Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

More than a century after William James published his provocative critique The PhD Octopus in 1903, his warnings about the corrupting entanglements between institutions and graduate students remain strikingly relevant. Doctoral Studies as Educational Industrial Complex revisits James’ concerns through a contemporary lens, offering a critical examination of doctoral education in the field of education in what feels like perennial crisis. Throughout the volume, contributors grapple with the tensions James identified: the obsession with credentials over genuine intellectual work, the “tyrannical machine” of institutional demands, and the misalignment between doctoral preparation and actual career paths. These tensions are particularly acute in practitioner-oriented EdD programs designed to produce scholar-practitioners who often remain in their local communities rather than entering the academy. Yet research-oriented PhD programs face their own crisis, as they continue to prepare scholars for a tenure-track job market that has dramatically contracted. With only 32% of faculty holding tenured or tenure-track positions in 2023—down from 53% in 1987—the traditional pathway to academic careers has fundamentally eroded. The book speaks to multiple audiences: faculty who supervise doctoral students and seek to understand the challenges they face; doctoral students navigating alternative program formats and uncertain career prospects; administrators responsible for program design and accreditation; and scholars interested in the future of higher education and professional preparation. By centering faculty expertise and critical analysis rather than external market demands, this volume offers a necessary counter-narrative to prevailing trends in doctoral education reform. Ultimately, this book argues for a reconsideration of what doctoral education should accomplish and for whom, grounding these questions in both historical perspective and contemporary realities.

This new and innovative book, Improving Your College Courses: A Guide for Engaging in Digital Learning, provides instructors from any discipline with a guide for improving course quality and engaging learners in digital learning environments. It inspires professional development and learning (PDL) by making available an indispensable resource for higher education faculty seeking to enhance their teaching practices, propel meaningful experiences, and improve student outcomes. Instructors and administrators will want to read this research-informed, practical book authored by faculty with expertise in digital learning environments. All of them have published on this topic, some earning digital certifications and online teaching awards. Faculty and administrators attracted to a blend of theoretical insights and practical applications will welcome a solid resource for instructors engaged in continuous course improvement and PDL. At the same time, administrators overseeing faculty development as well as mentoring coordinators who sponsor PDL around instructional effectiveness and ethics will benefit from the use of the volume. Professors will find strategies that can be immediately implemented in their courses, making them a valuable tool for PDL. It will be a “must have” for new instructors and faculty who are adapting their teaching for a digital world. The book covers essential topics including course introduction; content and materials; engagement activities; accessibility and usability; and support strategies; as well as practical methods such as case studies, glossary, and appendix and supplementary materials with web content. Improving Your College Courses features pictures, figures, drawings, charts, and graphs designed to clearly illustrate the steps and concepts narrated. This book is designed to be an indispensable resource for educators seeking to enhance their teaching practices and improve student outcomes.Carol A. Mullen is the recipient of the 2026 Excellence in Research Award, AERA Division A: Administration, Organization, and Leadership. Watch a clip of her acceptance speech at: https://youtu.be/W5Ao9bGZrF0

“If you want to achieve tenure, you should know a bit more about what it means and why it exists, and its benefits. All too often, even faculty don’t understand why tenure is important."Thus begins the Preface of the first edition of Candid Advice for New Faculty Members, the most comprehensive “how to” guide for graduate students, post-docs, and junior faculty across a variety of academic disciplines. Now, in the Second Edition of this award-winning volume, Marybeth Gasman has added a variety of new topics, including teaching in a post-COVID environment, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in writing and research, new views of DEI, navigating our new politic world, managing your social media and many other important and timely topics. Drawing upon her own extensive experiences and that of many colleagues, Gasman provides you with an incredibly valuable tool for attaining tenure and for the things that you should do to advance your academic career. She provides practical (and sometimes humorous) advice about a range of topics, including:negotiating job offersplanning a research agendaimproving your teaching skillsmanaging serviceadvising studentsapplying for research grantsachieving life/work balancemanaging academic politicsIn addition to this valuable career advice, Gasman provides a peek behind the academy’s curtain by painting a vivid picture of the inner workings of the academy and all of its players. Candid Advice for New Faculty Members is required reading for every newly-minted faculty member, regardless of academic discipline. The wisdom provided in this volume will prove to be invaluable to your future career.Perfect for courses such as: Faculty and Academic Affairs, Seminar on Faculty Life, Doctoral seminars across various disciplines, College and University Teaching, Graduate Student Research Seminars, Professional Development Seminars

In the challenging world of doctoral studies, where less than 5% of the U.S. population holds a doctorate degree, support and guidance are crucial for success. From ABD to PhD and EdD: Navigating the Final Stretch of Your Doctoral Journey offers a unique and powerful approach to completing your doctoral degree through the often-overlooked strategy of peer mentoring/coaching groups. Drawing from years of experience mentoring doctoral students at prestigious institutions, Dr. Vickie E. Lake presents a comprehensive guide for both faculty and students. This book addresses the critical gap in support that many doctoral candidates face after completing their coursework, a period when guidance is most needed but often least available. From ABD to PhD and EdD is divided into three essential chapters:Doctoral Group Mentoring/Coaching: Learn the fundamentals of establishing and maintaining effective peer support groups. Understand the difference between mentoring and coaching, and how to leverage both for maximum benefit. Strategies for Success: Discover proven techniques for tackling each milestone of your doctoral journey, from comprehensive exams to the dissertation defense. This chapter offers practical advice on pre-writing strategies, time management, and overcoming common obstacles. Resources for Completion: Navigate the often-confusing world of university resources. Learn how to effectively utilize writing centers, librarians, graduate colleges, and professional organizations to support your research and writing process. This book is unique in its dual focus on both faculty and student perspectives. For faculty, it provides a roadmap for establishing and guiding doctoral support groups, addressing the challenges of workload balance and institutional recognition. For students, it offers a lifeline of peer support and practical strategies, especially valuable in an era of declining tenure-track positions and increasing pressure on completion times. From ABD to PhD and EdD doesn't shy away from addressing the current challenges in higher education, including the looming "enrollment cliff" and the decrease in tenure-earning faculty. Instead, it equips readers with the tools to navigate these changing landscapes successfully. Whether you're a doctoral student feeling isolated in your research, a faculty member looking to better support your advisees, or a university administrator aiming to improve completion rates, this book offers invaluable insights. It emphasizes the power of collaboration over competition, showing how peer support can transform the often solitary doctoral journey into a shared path to success. With its blend of personal anecdotes, research-based strategies, and practical advice, From ABD to PhD and EdD is more than just a guide—it's a call to action for a more supportive and effective doctoral education system. By fostering a culture of peer mentoring/coaching, this book aims to not only increase doctoral completion rates but also to cultivate a new generation of scholars equipped to support and guide others. Don't let the challenges of doctoral studies overwhelm you. Discover the power of peer support and expert guidance with From ABD to PhD and EdD – your roadmap to achieving your doctorate and beyond.

Food Stories: Navigating the Academy with Cultural Lessons from the Kitchen is the first volume in the series Culinary Canvas: A Series on Integrating the Arts and Food into Higher Education. The purpose of the series is to explore the innovative integration of arts and food into higher education. Each volume aims to inspire a paradigm shift in academia, advocating for a more holistic, creative, and inclusive approach to learning, teaching, researching, serving, and existing in the academy. In the present volume, Food Stories makes the case that food, and the culture surrounding food, is a closely held--and powerful--reality that shapes who we are as individuals, as members of varied communities, and invariably, informs who we are as educators and researchers. This book gives space for the authors to explore not only the impact that food and culture have had, and continue to have, on them as individuals, how that culture and experiences impact them as members of the academy (in teaching, research, and service), but also in providing some guidance to graduate students and junior faculty. In effect, chapters explore navigating academic work (teaching, research, and service) through the lens of food and the transferable lessons that can be gleaned from our grandmothers’, mothers’, fathers’, and our own kitchens. It is often the case that higher education fosters both imposter syndrome and a workaholic disposition that can be detrimental to teaching and research. What this book does, then, is to not only explore the ways in which what may seem as non-academic work such as cooking a meal can have on our work/life balance but, also, how to incorporate the very lessons of food into who we are as educators, how we teach, and how we can approach the work we do more broadly. Through carefully curated chapters, this text presents a wide array of perspectives across food and cultural regions, as well as imparting insights from the academy from authors spanning the spectrum of the career. It is an important book full of valuable lessons for graduate students, faculty and teachers who wish to use its content in their classrooms.Perfect for courses such as: Cultural Studies; Culturally-Responsive Pedagogy

Case studies serve as powerful tools because they bridge theory and practice, enhance decision-making skills, and prepare individuals for real-world challenges. There is a shortage of case study resources specifically focused on the ongoing development of leaders for positions in higher education. Sticky Cases in Higher Education Leadership provides invaluable insights and lessons to help aspiring higher education leaders and experienced administrators navigate the complex landscape of academic leadership. Authored by faculty and administrators in various roles, the cases represent real-world incidents and situations that are faced by higher education leaders. Each case discusses a real-world conflict or challenge presented in an open-ended format to encourage thoughtful, independent, or collaborative analysis. Readers, individually or collaboratively, consider the situation or incident and propose solutions or alternative approaches. The primary purpose of the book is to serve as a valuable teaching tool for universities offering programs in higher education leadership development. It can be used in doctoral and master's degree programs focused on higher education leadership and management. It will also benefit colleges and universities that have or are planning to initiate leadership development programs to prepare faculty for advancement into administrative roles. Additionally, the book will have utility for institutions engaged in succession planning. The cases enrich the experience of program participants and are easily aligned with desired learning outcomes. With a focus on planning and institutional renewal by national accreditors, such as the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, this book fills a critical need for case-based resources to support the development of higher education leaders.Perfect for courses such as: Leading Across Cultures; Leadership in Educational Contexts and Systems; Contemporary Issues in Higher Education; Leadership, Management, and Supervision in Higher Education; Leading Change; and Education Policy and Planning

The Activist Academic serves as a guide for merging activism into academia. Following the journey of two academics, the book offers stories, frameworks and methods for how scholars can marry their academic selves, involved in scholarship, teaching and service, with their activist commitments to justice, while navigating the lived realities of raising families and navigating office politics. This volume invites academics across disciplines to enter into a dialogue about how to take knowledge to the streets. Click HERE to listen to the New Books Network podcast with the authors, hosted by Jane Richards. Click HERE to see a video of the book launch. Additional author interviews and podcasts can be found on this book's product detail page.

More than 3,400 colleges and universities in the United States serve 20.5 million students. While each campus is unique, most campuses and institutions face common issues, including tenure and promotion; budgeting; competition among disciplines for space and funding; academic bullying; and issues of identity. These are just a few of the topics among the many vital areas of concern at schools across the country. In Bridges not Blockades, personal essays related to these cultural and political matters will allow faculty and administrators in higher education to see, hear, and better understand the inner workings of our institutions. Perhaps more importantly, this book demonstrates that faculty and staff at colleges and universities need to embrace our commonalities so that we can meet the challenges of higher education throughout the 21st century. Indeed, some of these essays may suggest ways in which faculty, staff, and administrators have moved from differences to commitment to shared goals to tackle new and existing challenges and opportunities.