ANCHOR BOOK CLUB
Stay tuned for more information on the 2027 Anchor Book Club!
In the CUMU Anchor Book Club, CUMU members come together to read best-selling higher education books and focus on three key questions:
- How do we prepare students for meaningful work in the world?
- How do we hire and retain employees with an eye on community well-being?
- Where are the connections between our institutional roles of educator and employer?
Whether you are an administrator, faculty, staff member, student or community partner at a CUMU member institution, all are welcome!
2026 Book Club Selections
The Caring University
Reimagining the Higher Education Workplace after the Great Resignation
Kevin R. McClure
Colleges and universities rarely establish working conditions and cultures that prioritize employee well-being. During the pandemic, many staff and faculty members questioned their careers in higher education. Because of this mindset, leaders in higher education must rethink their approaches to attracting, growing, and retaining talent. In The Caring University, Kevin R. McClure describes six organizational changes to create a university dedicated to creating working conditions and cultures in which all employees can flourish.
Book Club Meetings
- Wednesday, July 22, 2 p.m. ET
Discuss this book with CUMU peers - Wednesday, July 29, 2 p.m. ET
Discuss this book with CUMU peers - Wednesday, August 5, 2 p.m. ET
Chat with the author
Don’t have your own copy of The Caring University yet?
Purchase a copy through Johns Hopkins University Press and use the code HCUMU26 at checkout to get 30% off the regular price! (Promo code HCUMU26 valid now – 12/31/27. Offer cannot be combined with any other offer. Excludes sale books. All sales are final.)
And don’t forget to contact your campus library and ask them to stock physical or digital copies so everyone at your institution can read along!
Hacking College
Why the Major Doesn’t Matter—and What Really Does
Ned Scott Laff and Scott Carlson
College is a complex, high-stakes game, according to authors Ned Scott Laff and Scott Carlson, but students can learn how to win it. Hacking College offers college advisors, faculty, and staff in student and academic affairs a groundbreaking guide to rethinking higher education so that students can succeed in an increasingly complex world. Drawing from extensive research and real student experiences, this essential book exposes the hidden challenges and bureaucratic traps that undermine student success, from convoluted transfer processes to a single-minded emphasis on majors.
Register now to get access to reading guides, an asynchronous online discussion group where we can exchange ideas and reactions, followed by a live Zoom discussion and guest appearances from the authors!
Book Club Meetings
- February 23 through March 30
Asynchronous online discussion group - Wednesday, April 1, 2 p.m. ET
Live Zoom meeting to discuss the book with CUMU peers - Wednesday, April 8, 2 p.m. ET
Live Zoom chat with the authors
