PRÁTICAS SUSTENTÁVEIS NAS INSTITUIÇÕES DE ENSINO SUPERIOR: UM ESTUDO EMPÍRICO APLICADO ÀS INSTITUIÇÕES PÚBLICAS PORTUGUESAS

Abstract

Considering the theoretical framework of sustainability of higher education institutions (HEI) (Aleixo, Leal & Azeiteiro, 2018; Lozano, Lukman, Lozano, Huisingh, Lambrechts, 2013) this work analyzes the sustainability practices of public Portuguese HEI. Bearing in mind the four sustainable development (SD) dimensions in HEI – environmental, economic, social/cultural, institutional/educational/political; Aleixo, Azeiteiro & Leal, 2016) a survey has been developed to access the implementation (or not) of a list of 77 sustainability practices in each HEI. The survey has been applied to rectors, presidents, faculty and school directors of all public Portuguese HEI. A sample of 53 HEI’s leaders has been received (4 rectors, 14 presidents, 22 school directors, and 13 faculty directors), which correspond to a 22% answer rate. A request has been made to the respondent to identify the degree of implementation of each SD practice in their HEI, following the scale: (1) not implemented, not designed and not relevant to our HEI; (2) not implemented, not designed but relevant to our HEI; (3) at least one project in the SD area, but only in the project stage; (4) at least one project in the SD area, and it is being implemented; and (5) at least one project in the SD area, and it is already fully implemented. The social/cultural dimension has the higher number of full implemented practices; followed by the economic dimension. The less developed practice at HEI is the environmental one (Aleixo, Azeiteiro & Leal, 2018).