Fall Faculty Book Club
Since 2007, the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development has hosted the Fall Faculty Book Club, an annual initiative designed to foster collaborative dialogue around higher education pedagogy. The program convenes a small, dedicated cohort of faculty to read and discuss carefully selected literature focusing on the art and science of teaching.
To ensure intimate and substantive conversations, participation is capped at ten faculty members per cohort. The group meets monthly from September through November, gathering on Monday evenings. To alleviate logistical hurdles, all selected texts are provided and delivered to participants at no cost. Because the discussions are paced—with faculty reading designated sections prior to each meeting—participants are expected to commit to attending all two to three sessions throughout the semester.
The book club maintains a strong tradition of selecting timely, research-based texts that address contemporary academic challenges. Past selections have consistently emphasized evidence-based practices and the cultivation of equitable educational experiences, tackling subjects such as inclusive teaching, digital literacy, student learning strategies, and social justice. Ultimately, the initiative provides a structured, supportive, and safe space for faculty to critically examine and evolve their teaching strategies.
Book Club Timeline
2026
Distracted: Why Students Can't Focus and What You Can Do About It by James M. Lang
Although the book was written before the COVID-19 pandemic caused much of the world to go into lockdown, it's focus on the challenges students struggle with in the traditional classroom are more relevant than ever.
Themes: Classroom management · Student engagement · Self-regulated Learning
Sessions: 3
2025
The Opposite of Cheating: Teaching for Integrity in the Age of AI by Tricia Bertram Gallant and David A. Rettinger
Almost three years after the public release of ChatGPT, we decided to shift the focus from how students might be using generative AI to cheat to how we can teach ethics and integrity despite the ease and convenience provided by generative AI.
Theme: Generative AI · Academic integrity · Ethics
2024
A Pedagogy of Kindness by Catherine J. Denial
This year's selection was simple enough given the timing of this new book, which aligns so well with the mission and culture at Xavier.
Themes: Kindness · Belonging · Compassionate assessment
2023
Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom by Kelly A. Hogan & Viji Sathy
16th Annual · 3 sessions
2022
Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies You Can Incorporate Into Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, and Motivation by Saundra Yancy McGuire
15th Annual · 3 sessions
2021
Skim, Dive, Surface: Teaching Digital Reading by Jenae Cohn
14th Annual · 3 sessions
2019
Lives on the Boundary: A Moving Account of the Struggles and Achievements of America's Educationally Underprepared by Mike Rose
13th Annual
2018
Backlash: What Happens When We Talk Honestly about Racism in America by George Yancy
12th Annual
2017
The Slow Professor: Challenging the Culture of Speed in the Academy by Maggie Berg and Barbara Seeber
11th Annual
2016
Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning by James M. Lang
10th Annual
2015
How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching by Susan A. Ambrose, Michael W. Bridges, Michele DiPietro, Marsha C. Lovett, and Marie K. Norman
9th Annual
2014
Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect by David W. Orr
Co-sponsored with Read Today, Lead Tomorrow: Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf
8th Annual
2013
Sentipensante (Sensing/Thinking) Pedagogy: Educating for Wholeness, Social Justice and Liberation by Laura I. Rendón
7th Annual
2012
What the Best College Students Do by Ken Bain
6th Annual
2011
How Black Colleges Empower Black Students: Lessons for Higher Education by Frank W. Hale Jr.
5th Annual
2010
The Heart of Higher Education: A Call to Renewal by Parker J. Palmer and Arthur Zajonc
4th Annual
2009
The Skillful Teacher: On Technique, Trust, and Responsiveness in the Classroom by Stephen D. Brookfield
3rd Annual
2008
A Will to Learn: Being a Student in an Age of Uncertainty by Ronald Barnett
2nd Annual
2007
What the Best College Teachers Do by Ken Bain
1st Annual