Higher Education Strategic Planning for Sustainable Development: A Global Perspective

Abstract

Strategic planning in higher education provides insight on the sustainability priorities of many colleges and universities worldwide. Researchers from the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN), a global forum for leading universities to exchange ideas and best practices for integrating sustainability into campus operations, research, and teaching, investigated the trending themes in strategic planning found in scholarly literature and 24 of its member colleges and universities. This paper aims to outline the common themes and trends ISCN researchers observed in scholarly literature focused on strategic sustainability planning and sample ISCN colleges and universities. The methodology approach was based in theoretical literature background and empirical evidence noted on college and university websites. Common themes observed included climate change resiliency and adaptation, collaboration, health and wellbeing, and urban planning, among others. While overall there was a significant degree of similarity between strategic plans in different regions, ISCN researchers also observed some regional differences in strategic planning in higher education. For example, strategic planning in North America includes energy, education, and health as topics of particular emphasis, while in Europe focus topics in planning tend to emphasize innovation and urban planning. Additionally, ISCN researchers assessed the time frame of publicly stated strategic sustainability plans, with planning horizon being most often mid-term with a 4–6 year planning period. Due to the scope of the study and the nature of the methodological approach, these results should not be regarded as representative of all strategic planning in higher education and scholarly literature. This research is meant to provide a basis for trends in strategic planning during the timeframe in which the research was conducted.