"Essential Global Learning" is a compilation of seminal AAC&U articles about global learning. This publication provides a working definition of global learning, a framework for assessment of global learning, and case studies of high-impact global learning activities on a variety of campuses. It is a foundational publication for individuals and groups of educators and leaders interested in exploring the range of global learning opportunities for students. This publication also includes the Global Learning VALUE rubric, a rubric developed by a national group of faculty experts as part of AAC&U's Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) LEAP project. The rubric is designed to assess students' global learning achievements and has been tested on campuses across the country. [Introduced by Dawn Michele Whitehead.]