WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (Nov. 25, 2015) — Monmouth University Professor Pietro Sasso, Ph.D. has co-authored a new textbook, “Higher Education & Society,” with retired education professor, Joseph L. DeVitis, Ph.D. A contemporary hip-hop aficionado, zealous D.C. sports fan and tireless, vigilant motivator, Sasso is assistant professor of student affairs and college counseling in the Department of Speech Pathology, Educational Counseling and Leadership at Monmouth University.
“Higher Education & Society” is the second in a series of three textbooks designed to highlight contemporary issues in higher education by these two professors steeped in educational research. Their first book, “Today’s College Students: A Reader,” released in January 2015, explored a broad spectrum of student groups and identities and emphasized the vital importance of both social interaction and individual critical reflection. It was reviewed positively by the Columbia University Teacher’s College “TC Review.”
Also dissected through multiple lenses, “Higher Education & Society” looks at the symbiotic relationship between higher education and the community.
“We’re hoping that through exploration of the true ethos of higher education and examining its core purpose, both society and higher education will rediscover the ideal that once drove its inception as a public good,” said Sasso.
Sasso and DeVitis are hoping to redefine the paradigm of student development through outlining the complexity of the contemporary college student body within the United States. This parallel theme will be carried into their third book of the series, “Crucial Controversies in Higher Education,” which is due out in spring 2017. This book will explore “academic capitalism” and how it is changing the landscape of higher education.
Sasso teaches courses in the Educational Counseling programs and has shared responsibility for the Student Affairs and College Counseling program, which prepares its graduates to assume student support positions at colleges and universities.
Though originally trained as a career counselor, Sasso also draws from professional experiences in academic advising and student engagement positions within higher education. His research interests include issues related to identity construction of traditional undergraduate students and the lived experiences of college subcultures. He was the recipient of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA) Oracle Article of the Year Award (2012), which recognizes the most outstanding research.
Sasso holds a doctorate in Education with a Student Affairs/College Counseling emphasis from Old Dominion University, where DeVitis taught. He earned a Master of Science from the University of Rochester, and a bachelor’s degree from Christopher Newport University. He is a member of the AFA, the American Counseling Association, the National Academic Advising Association, and NASPA-Student Affairs Professionals in Higher Education.
For more information on Monmouth University’s Master of Science in Education program in Student Affairs and College Counseling, visit the Graduate Programs of Study for Education web site.
“Higher Education & Society” is available through Peter Lang Publishing or Amazon.com.