Kevin McClure Authors Book on Higher Education

Kevin McClure is the author of a new book, The Caring University: Reimagining the Higher Education Workplace after the Great Resignation. It will be published by John Hopkins University Press in July.

Dr. McClure is an associate professor of Higher Education at UNCW’s Watson College of Education. As WCE’s Murphy Distinguished Scholar of Education from 2022 to 2025, he focused his work on examining pandemic-era workplace conditions at public higher education institutions, and developing recommendations to enhance the academic workplace. In addition to studying organizational change theories and reviewing scholarship in higher education and social science, he conducted more than 100 original interviews with staff, faculty, and administrators.

The Caring University is the culmination of his research.

In the book, Dr. McClure diagnoses problems and provides a research-backed roadmap for transforming campus workplaces. Specifically, he explains ways colleges can move beyond surface-level fixes to create lasting change, and provides actionable steps that higher education leaders can take to create institutions where faculty and staff can thrive—and, in turn, better serve students.

“Higher education workplaces are at a crossroads,” McClure said. “Many colleges and universities are struggling with high turnover, disengaged employees and burnout. Leaders want to foster supportive environments, but outdated policies and cultural norms make it difficult to implement lasting change. This book is designed to help institutions reimagine what it means to create people-first campuses.”

Dr. McClure’s research on college leadership, workplace culture, and organizational care has been featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education and national conferences. Over the past year, he has delivered several keynotes and workshops to help leaders create a healthier, more effective campus culture.

For more information on Dr. McClure’s work and his new book visit his website: Dr. Kevin R. McClure.

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Inside Higher Ed, August 23, 2023 3 Questions for Kevin McClure on ‘The Caring University’