Campus Sustainability Initiatives Research Articles

SUSTAINABLE FUTURES: ENTREPRENEURIAL UNIVERSITIES AND THE PATH TO ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

The purpose of the research - is to explore the significant role of universities in integrating Sustainable Development (SD) and fostering sustainable entrepreneurship within higher education. The methodology of the research is based on a detailed literature review and analysis of various models adopted by entrepreneurial universities. The study examines how these institutions are reorienting their educational, operational, and research frameworks towards sustainability in environmental, social, and economic dimensions. The practical importance of the research lies in its potential to guide universities in becoming more effective agents of societal transformation towards sustainability. By show­casing diverse models of integrating Sustainable Development (SD) and fostering sustainable entrepreneurship within higher education, the research provides actionable insights for acade­mic institutions. The results of the research demonstrate that entrepreneurial universities engaging in sustainable development initiatives often adopt innovative models that integrate education, innovation, and collaboration to drive environmental stewardship and social well-being. These models, illustrated by case studies from leading institutions, demonstrate how universities can act as catalysts for sustainability, fostering a culture of entrepreneurship aimed at addressing environmental and societal challenges. The originality and scientific novelty of the research stem from its comprehensive exploration of how universities can serve as pivotal agents for societal transformation towards sustainability. Unlike traditional studies that may focus narrowly on environmental education or campus sustainability initiatives, this research delves into the entrepreneurial aspect of universities, showcasing how they integrate Sustainable Development (SD) across all facets of their operations, education, and community engagement. It brings to light innovative models of sustainability and entrepreneurship adopted by leading universities worldwide, illustrating a multifaceted approach that encompasses not just education and research but also operational practices and broader community engagement.

Financing university sustainability initiatives in China: actors and processes

Purpose This paper aims to study the mechanism of how the public universities have funded the campus sustainability projects in China, by identifying key actors and examining the processes. Design/methodology/approach Besides a review of campus sustainability initiatives at higher education institutions in China, the case of Central University of Finance and Economics (CUFE) is selected to provide an empirical understanding of the campus sustainability management in a typical university. Findings The paper points to dominant roles played by the state ministries in financing university conservation programs and the absence of a national policy framework and low sustainability proactiveness in a majority of higher educational institutions. It argues that more discretionary power and more policy deliberations are needed for the transformation. Research limitations/implications Universities in China vary distinctively in status, operations and performance. In terms of campus sustainability management, the case of CUFE is highly representative as it shares more common features with universities that develop in a routine manner. Practical implications With the financial support from government agencies, the campus conservation-oriented projects have been conducted and financially supported in hundreds of pilot universities, but failed in diffusing to more universities. This study identifies the barriers and challenges. Social implications An in-depth understanding of the working mechanism in financing university sustainability initiatives will promote a discussion on China’s policymaking process and will provide useful insights regarding its future policy options. Originality/value China has conducted nationwide conservation-oriented campus constriction for almost a decade and many universities increase their investment in campus facilities and their operations; however, there is a lack of understanding of the rationale of the funding models and how they have been implemented.

Towards environmental sustainability in Russia: evidence from green universities

Universities all over the world are increasingly recognizing the need for the attainment of environmental sustainability on campuses resulting in the adoption of several environmental sustainable initiatives by university management. This article, therefore, seeks to investigate the impact of campus-base management practices on environmental quality among Russian Universities. The study also explores the strengths and weaknesses against the best practices for campus sustainability as defined by the UI greenMetric world university ranking as well as the awareness of students about pro-environmental behaviours on campuses. Secondary data from the 2015 to 2019 world university ranking was sourced for the impact assessment as well as the strengths and weaknesses. The study also sourced primary data with the help of a structured questionnaire from student respondents to assess their awareness of pro-environmental behaviours. Fixed-effects, and random-effects models were used to assess the management impact on environmental quality. The result from the empirical models indicate that education and research, transportation and waste influence environmental quality on university campuses. The strengths and weaknesses of universities were assessed based on six (6) categories (setting and infrastructure, energy and climate change, waste, water, transport, and education and research). The study also assessed the perception of students on pro-environmental activities. While the results show an increasing trend of awareness among Russian universities (Management) in campus sustainability initiatives, most students appear to be unaware of environmental initiatives undertaken by their universities. The study, therefore, made some recommendations that can help improve campus sustainability levels while at the same time increase student participation.

Strategic Options for Campus Sustainability: Cluster Analysis on Higher Education Institutions in Japan

This study evaluates campus sustainability initiatives in Japanese higher education institutions over the 10-year period since a related important political declaration was made. Our findings show that implementation of sustainability actions was still largely lacking. This is one of the first extensive empirical studies on Japanese higher education institutions to examine data related to institutions that conform with the Assessment System for Sustainable Campus (ASSC). Our study aimed to identify key factors that promote robust campus sustainability among Japanese institutions. Our research question was “What are the strategic options of institutions that conform with ASSC?” We aimed to determine which fields best prompt Japanese higher education institutions to initiate campus sustainability initiatives. We applied cluster analysis to 42 cases collected by ASSC toward identifying groups of institutions with different strategic options. The analysis identified four groups: “lagging-behind”, “asset-driven”, “top-of-the-class”, and “networkers” clusters. An important finding of this study was that the asset-driven and networkers clusters showed significant positive scores with respect to asset management and networking. Our survey about institution size revealed two major findings: (1) despite the general dependency of campus sustainability on resources, both large and small institutions were capable of attaining the top-of-the-class cluster by adopting a holistic strategy; (2) small institutions are able to implement campus sustainability initiatives by focusing on asset management or networking.

Assessment of knowledge and awareness of “sustainability” initiatives among college students

Campus sustainability is essential for any university. Campus sustainability denotes the potential of the university to develop new ideas regarding sustainability through research, teaching, and practices. It necessitates improved academic infrastructures, setting right faculty priorities and practices that ensure that the university community is aware of sustainable practices, and that its practices reflect sustainability. This study assesses college students' knowledge and awareness of sustainability issues. After IRB approval, data were collected using the campus sustainability questionnaire. Students from a university in the southeastern part of Texas in the United States were selected and asked to participate in the study voluntarily by answering a self-report questionnaire. Findings indicate that only a minority of the students knew what sustainability was, but 95.8% indicated it was important. Although the university has committed to climate and sustainability agreements, majority of the students were not aware of it and only about 17% knew that the University's Strategic Plan has a sustainability component. Nearly 36% of the students reported receiving information about sustainability during their campus orientation. In terms of recycling, majority of the students indicated unawareness of e-waste recycling on campus; however, more than 70% reported that the library limited free printing in computer labs. More than half of the students also indicated that sustainability issues were not infused into curriculum courses or programs, and they had no knowledge of any alternative power source for the university. We concluded that a majority of the students were not conversant with sustainability issues and were largely unaware of campus sustainability initiatives. We recommended more effort to increase sustainability initiatives on campus by involving faculty, staff, and students in such endeavors. Educational programs should incorporate sustainability into their curriculum to increase students' knowledge and consciousness regarding these issues.

CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY: THE NEED FOR CHANGE

Studies done on campus sustainability have received increased attention in recent years. According to Mostafa Nejati and Mehran Nejati (2012), “Given the growing global interest on the university’s role towards promoting sustainability, an increasing number of universities are committing themselves to sustainability.” However despite numerous efforts on campus sustainability initiatives, a whole sustainable campus is yet to be achieved. Findings from current research in the local context show that most students are aware about sustainability efforts and activities on campus but there is a gap between their awareness and action with regard to sustainability. A case study was done at University of Malaya (UM) to find the correlation between these two factors. A survey questionnaires and an interview were conducted in order to investigate the relationship between the students’ awareness and engagement. This study acknowledged the role of student as change agent. However this responsibility should not be shouldered by the students alone. In order to lead the change, there need to be a team effort from both the students and the university. As suggested by Dunne and Zandstra (2011), there is a need to not only look at the students’ action but also to listen to the student’s voice towards achieving campus sustainability. This paper aims to not only see the actions taken by the students but also take into consideration the limitations they faced. Students can only do so much, but in the end success and change can only be achieved through a synergy approach. Based on the findings of the study, this paper attempts to come up with a proposal on what actions could be taken by the university to empower the students to lead the change for a sustainable campus and a better future.Â

Institutionalize waste minimization governance towards campus sustainability: A case study of Green Office initiatives in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Waste minimization in campus sustainability can be an effective showcase of sustainability governance in translating the elusive concept of sustainable development in the context of Higher Education Institution into more tangible outcome of sustainable consumption, reduce environmental effect from campus activities and create conducive campus environmental for behavioral change. As part of the sustainability initiative in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, the establishment of a Green Office reveals the complexity of institutionalizing waste minimization in campuses as well as demonstrate the potential of living laboratory framework as an integrative, transformative and structural approach of the triangulation elements of Higher Education Institutions; teaching & learning, research and operation. The first part of the study begins with the science approach in develop waste profile with its’ strategic implication; i. correction on waste generation 0.83 kg per capita per day in campus instead of 3.47 kg per person per day received from the waste collector in 2011 and, ii. strategize and justify the campus sustainability initiatives based on waste characterization figures; 46% compostable or food waste and 40.6% dry waste or recyclable items (paper 39.7%, followed by plastic packaging 31.8%, plastic bottles 17.2% and aluminum cans 11.3%) in 2011. The Green Office practices designed to minimize dry waste and provide situational and systemic changes for behavior, such as Sustainable Meeting, Saving Paper and Practicing Recycling, resulted in campus paper reduction rates of 30% (2011), 42% (2012) and 58% (2013). The economic sustainability dimension from the total paper reduction consumption is 35, 089 reams, amounted saving of MYR 561.424 or US$ 130,563 (2009–2013). The result equivalences with the carbon emission reduction 6047.58 kg and the energy saving amounted 4,414,196.2 GJ/t as an environmental sustainability dimension. The second part of the study, which is more on the social science approach, analyze through the participatory based approach, governance and institutionalization process of waste minimization. The process involves decentralization of solid waste management, established co-production of knowledge and co-implementation as well as effective monitoring. Those aspects contributes to the development of sustainable consumption in general and behavioral changes of the campus society. The study demonstrates and explains in detail the adoption of waste profile data resulted from research has corrected function for better management of waste minimization as to support integrated solid waste management in campus. The result discloses several challenges in introducing such a task by introducing Green Office initiative in systemic approach which reflects in waste data performance and monitoring. The scientific evidence with a combination support top down and bottom up governance approach showcase the successful of waste minimization initiatives in campus sustainability. Furthermore, the study suggests the Green Office awards and certification as to increase the competitiveness of CoR or Green Manager and involves the cleaner services in the process as to sustain the Green Office performance in the long term. This study provides a practical experience and detail process of adaptation waste minimization in the context of campus sustainability which adds to the new dimension of growing body of knowledge in waste management from the perspective of sustainability science.

Collective action competence: an asset to campus sustainability

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to operationalize theories of social learning and collective action for campus sustainability practitioners at higher education instititions (IHEs) to enhance their work, and to introduce the concept of collective action competence as a practical tool. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a theoretical argument based on the concepts of learning and collective action for stronger consideration of social learning, action competence and voluntary collective action in campus sustainability initiatives. Findings Many important sustainability outcomes depend heavily on voluntary behaviors by groups of campus stakeholders, making voluntary collective action an important, although underused, tool for campus sustainability practitioners. The term “collective action competence” is introduced and defined as the capability of a group of people to direct their behavior toward a common goal based on a collective literacy, a collective competence, and a collective need or goal. Originality/value The term “collective action competence” is introduced as a novel unifying concept that articulates a critical capability needed for collective behavior change in social settings such as HEIs. Collective action competence is based on the theories of collective action and of social and free-choice learning and on the concepts of action competence and strategic competence.

University of Arkansas Students’ Perceptions, Interests, and Behaviors Related to Sustainability

This study assessed new (n = 1,022) and returning (n = 1,947) undergraduates’ perceptions of sustainability, personal sustainability behaviors, and their awareness of the University of Arkansas Office for Sustainability and sustainability efforts on campus. New and returning students placed a moderately high importance on sustainability, but their awareness of and interest in campus sustainability programs and courses and sustainability careers was low. Students most preferred to learn about campus sustainability efforts through email and social media. Majorities of both new and returning students indicated they would practice the sustainable behavior in four typical campus sustainability scenarios; significantly (p < 0.05) higher percentages of returning students selected the sustainable behavior for two scenarios. There was no significant difference between new and returning students on Sustainability Self-Concept; both groups were uncertain to moderately positive. As expected, returning students scored significantly (p = 0.03) higher on Sustainability Program Awareness; however, the effect size was very small (Cohen’s d = 0.09). Sustainability Self-Concept had significant (p < 0.05) low to moderate positive correlations with selection of the sustainable behavior for each of the four sustainability scenarios. The Office of Sustainability should increase targeted communications and educational efforts about campus sustainability initiatives, academic programs, and careers.

Developing sustainability leadership through faculty professional development

An increasing number of faculty are seeing the need for integrative teaching that is relevant for the grand challenges of our times. Faculty professional development can provide an effective avenue to support innovative pedagogy and curricular leadership related to sustainability. The University of Vermont (UVM) Sustainability Faculty Fellows Program (SFF) was developed by a group of academic and community partners to address this challenge. Over the course of 6 years, the program grew from a handful of faculty funded by one-time competitive funds to just over 100 faculty and staff participants with base level funding from the Provost’s Office. Through the leadership efforts of sustainability faculty fellows, a sustainability general education requirement was developed and approved through the UVM Faculty Senate in 2015. Drawing on data sets prepared by Rowse (2013) and Natkin (2015), this paper reports findings of three assessment efforts evaluating the long-term impacts of the SFF program to develop faculty leadership in sustainability curricula. In 2013, a 4-year report analyzed course and faculty information (i.e., enrollment, course level, type of course, faculty rank, and disciplinary field). In 2014, interviews of program alumni revealed benefits of participating in a professional learning community, common challenges in teaching sustainability concepts, and examples of changes in fellows’ teaching strategies. A 2015 survey of SFF alums provided further data about fellows’ leadership in campus sustainability initiatives and their needs related to implementation of UVM’s new sustainability general education requirement. The paper concludes with reflections on the stages of leadership development generated through faculty engagement in sustainability curricular initiatives.

Campus sustainability initiatives and performance: do they correlate?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the hypothesis that there are correlations between campus sustainability initiatives and environmental performance, as measured by resource consumption and waste generation performance metrics. Institutions of higher education would like to imply that their campus sustainability initiatives are good proxies for their environmental performance. Design/methodology/approach – Using data reported through the Association for the Advancement in Higher Education’s Sustainability Tracking and Rating System (AASHE STARS) framework, a series of univariate multiple linear regression models were constructed to test for correlations between energy, greenhouse gas (GHG), water and waste performance metrics, and credit points awarded to institutions for various campus sustainability initiatives. Findings – There are very limited correlations between institutional environmental performance and adoption of campus sustainability initiatives, be they targeted operational or coordination and planning best practices, or curricular, co-curricular or research activities. Conversely, there are strong correlations between environmental performance and campus characteristics, namely, institution type and climate zone. Practical implications – Institutional decision makers should not assume that implementing best practices given credit by AASHE STARS will lead to improved environmental performance. Those assessing institutional sustainability should be wary of institutions who cite initiatives to imply a certain level of environmental performance or performance improvement. Originality/value – This is the first paper to use data reported through the AASHE STARS framework to assess correlations between campus initiatives and environmental performance. It extends beyond previous research by considering energy, water and waste performance metrics in addition to GHG emissions, and it considers campus sustainability initiatives in addition to campus characteristics.

An analysis of Canadian STARS-rated higher education sustainability policies

Uptake of sustainability into campus administration has been identified as important for establishing and maintaining campus sustainability initiatives because of its ability to institutionalize sustainability on campuses. This paper explores how higher education institutions (HEIs) are defining and enacting sustainability in campus administration, using policy documents as a tool to achieve this. This paper analyzes the sustainability policies of 21 Canadian HEIs that have used the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The policies were coded thematically with a focus on the conceptualizations of sustainability, conceptualizations of campus sustainability, and how the documents address the dominant themes found in the sustainability in higher education scholarly literature. This paper finds that most policies conceptualized sustainable development using the Brundtland definition, with aspects of environment, society, and economy. Policies conceptualized campus sustainability as including teaching, research, operations, and community outreach, with policy goals that emphasize facilities initiatives. This paper contributes to our understanding of the challenges and priorities associated with integrating sustainability into the administration of Canadian HEI institutions at the end of the DESD.

Developing a local research strategy for city logistics on an academic campus

This paper investigates the relative suitability of data and methodologies to assess the determinants of urban freight activity, based on a case study that has been carried out in a city centre university campus, in a medium-sized British city. Data, from procurement/purchasing and traffic surveys, have been used to set a baseline model of freight activity in the development of Delivery and Servicing Plans. A focused literature review of urban freight studies has been completed, in order to address identified urban freight challenges in meeting sustainability objectives. The study demonstrates imperfect data and raises questions that identify new research opportunities with new data collection, including focus group interviews, staff questionnaires, and stated preference surveys. These and other methodologies are identified to address the data gap, in order to develop a localized research strategy adapted to a local campus sustainability initiative.

The Development and Measurement of Conducive Campus Environment for Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) of Campus Sustainability

The campus environment in a higher learning institution should be conducive to support the synergistic effects of its three basic functions namely: learning, social interactions and living. Campus conduciveness is rarely measured in the context of campus sustainability. This study will develop and establish Conducive Campus Environment (CCE) tools while measuring the level of conduciveness to improve the management of facilities, services, infrastructures and the physical environmental settings of the campus environment. It is implied in the context of campus sustainability initiatives at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Johor, to fulfil the three basic pillars of sustainability, hence environmental, social and economic. The standardized structured questionnaires distributed among 380 students focus on facilities, services and infrastructures in the campus setting. An inferential factor analysis has been applied and the four levels of conduciveness have been developed. At last, the study reveals the adoption of CCE ca be an example on how sustainable balance score card adopted in higher learning institution.

Developing a Local Research Strategy for City Logistics on an Academic Campus

This paper investigates the relative suitability of data and methodologies to assess the determinants of urban freight activity based on a case study that has been carried out in a typical city centre University campus in a medium sized British city. Data from procurement/purchasing and traffic surveys have been used to set a baseline model of freight activity in the development of Delivery and Servicing Plans (DSPs). Focus group interviews as well as revealed and stated preference surveys are discussed to address the data gap with a localised research strategy adapted to a campus sustainability initiative.

Sustainable universities – a study of critical success factors for participatory approaches

Participatory approaches can be seen as a requirement, but also as a benefit to the overall paradigm change towards sustainable development and contribute towards the integration of sustainability concept into the university culture. So far, there have been comparatively few research studies on participation within sustainability implementation at university level, and a more differentiated understanding of these processes is still missing, both in the practice of conducting a participatory process and in the sustainability assessment. This paper addresses some of the failures and successes experienced within participatory approaches in campus sustainability initiatives, and deduces a set of critical success factors and emergent clusters that can help to integrate the dimensions of participation more inclusively into sustainability assessment. Following a qualitative approach and inspired by the Delphi-method, semi-structured expert interviews (N = 15) and four focus group discussions (N = 36), with participants coming from twenty different countries in total, were conducted and compared according to qualitative content analysis. Findings give empirical evidence to some of the characteristics related to stakeholder engagement, and associate higher education for sustainable development to empowerment and capacity building, shifting away from a previous focus on environmental sustainability. The success of participatory approaches is interdependent with structural institutional conditions and the persons engaged, highlighting the importance of specific skills and participatory competencies. A better integration of the dimensions of participation into sustainability assessment practices can help in defining and establishing participatory approaches on institutional level and fostering a culture of participation in the transition to sustainable universities.

Mental models research to inform community outreach for a campus recycling program

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a better understanding of the state of knowledge of students and faculty on the Michigan State University (MSU) campus; identify relevant gaps in knowledge and misconceptions about recycling; and provide recommendations regarding how these gaps and misconceptions may be addressed through education and outreach.Design/methodology/approachUsing mental models analysis, the current state of knowledge possessed by students and faculty was compared with a comprehensive inventory of on‐campus recycling procedures and opportunities.FindingsBy combining data from individual mental models elicited from students and faculty members, an overall mental model that depicted the frequency with which subjects understood MSU‐specific recycling concepts was developed. This composite model, and the accompanying statistical analysis, revealed important gaps – on part of both students and faculty – in understanding for several key recycling concepts that are relevant to established campus‐based waste reduction practices.Originality/valueThe mental models approach, which to the authors' knowledge has yet to be applied to campus sustainability initiatives, provides program managers and outreach specialists with a constructive and transparent opportunity to develop and deploy program information that builds on existing knowledge while also meeting the new information needs of key stakeholders.

Evolution of a campus sustainability network: a case study in organizational change

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the evolution of a sustainability network at a large California public university, as an example of organizational change.Design/methodology/approachThe paper combines participant observation and case study techniques over a three‐year period. From 2007 to 2010, the author helped found the university's Institute for Sustainability and sat on both the Institute's first Advisory Board and the university's first Core Green Team. The author also interviewed 19 key informants to the sustainability network, including upper administrators, physical plant management (PPM) staff, faculty, and students.FindingsThis campus sustainability initiative evolved over three decades in three phases. Phase I evolved from the 1980s in facilities management and student recycling because of changing environmental demands, the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and strong leadership who believed in developing human resources. In Phase II, faculty and Academic Affairs established the Institute for Sustainability. Phase III examines the current state at May 2010. Forces driving change include leaders' core values, incentives, communication, and community outreach. Forces inhibiting change relate to funding, information, policies, shared values, time, and training. Key informants defined success in campus sustainability as actions which: increase efficiency (and reduce waste); educate and prepare graduates for a fundamentally different world; achieve broad‐based support; and improve the university's sustainability image.Research limitations/implicationsThis study points to at least four avenues of future research. One, scholars interested in more completely revealing their organization's sustainability network can map it using social network analysis techniques. Two, scholars could seek to answer the extent to which a campus institute becomes a center of gravity or an excuse for others to step away. Three, scholars can directly measure the four parameters of success respondents in this study identified (increase efficiency/reduce waste, educate/prepare graduates, achieve broad‐based support, improve image). And four, scholars can examine how an organization's commitment to recycling affects its image.Originality/valueThis paper provides a longitudinal look at the evolution of a campus sustainability network. It highlights how sustainability efforts evolve in different parts of the university at different rates, and in the present case how PPM and facilities planning influenced Academic Affairs to embrace sustainability.

HOW GREEN IS YOUR CAMPUS? AN ANALYSIS OF THE FACTORS THAT DRIVE UNIVERSITIES TO EMBRACE SUSTAINABILITY

I. INTRODUCTION Much has been written on corporate sustainability and the factors that affect it, both in the academic literature and in the popular media. The literature on sustainability efforts at institutions of higher education (IHEs) is much smaller, although colleges and universities can also pose significant environmental liabilities. Like many corporations, IHEs consume large quantities of energy and water. (1) In addition, IHEs generate significant volumes of solid wastes, including toxic and hazardous wastes. (2) Also like corporations, IHEs currently face significant pressure to adopt sustainable practices. However, while corporations and IHEs face similar challenges in deciding whether to adopt sustainable practices, there are many reasons why sustainability efforts on campuses may depend on different factors than corporate sustainability efforts. Obviously, the non-profit nature of most IHEs suggests that campus leaders can make investments in sustainable practices that corporations would not find profitable. Additionally, the types of stakeholders that have an interest in sustainability efforts vary significantly across IHEs and corporations. Although companies may be pressured to adopt sustainable practices by consumers and investors, IHEs must respond to the concerns of students, faculty, and alumni. The goal of this article is to examine campus sustainability efforts to determine the factors that drive IHEs to adopt sustainable practices. Given that recent congressional education bills have included provisions for the establishment of sustainability programs in the Department of Education, we are likely to see increased government efforts to promote sustainable practices on campuses in the future. (3) A more complete understanding of the factors that drive campus sustainability will be essential for crafting effective policy on this issue. This knowledge should also help increase the effectiveness of private groups that are trying to promote campus sustainability. The analysis uses the same general framework that has been used to study corporate adoption of sustainable practices to highlight similarities and differences between the factors that affect corporate and campus behavior. Thus in addition to helping design programe to promote insight into the different in environmental decision making at non-profit and for profit entities more generally. In Section II, I present a brief summary of the related literature and outline a conceptual framework for my analysis. Section II, I discusses the analytical approach in detail, describing both the data and the econometric model used in the analysis. I then present the results of the analysis and discuss the policy implications of my findings before concluding. II. RELATED LITERATURE AND THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE ANALYSIS The majority of the literature on campus sustainability is directed toward people who want to increase sustainable practices on particular campuses or at IHEs in general. (4) The general focus of these articles is on why sustainability is important or how it can be implemented at IHEs. This literature includes many case studies of successful sustainability programs. Additionally, there are few studies that take a more aggregate approach to understanding the factors that influence the success of sustainability initiatives. For example, based on 7 years of experience in implementing sustainable practices at IHEs, Sharp (2002) identifies a number of approaches to sustainability that have proved to be most successful including management support, effective communication, partnerships with students, and continuity. Looking at the issue from the opposite point of view, Velazquez, Munguia, and Sanchez (2005) identify barriers to implementing sustainable practices on campus. The authors find that the factors that are most frequently cited as impeding campus sustainability initiatives are a lack of awareness and interest in sustainability, the organizational structure of the institution, lack of funding, and lack of support from administrators. …

Viewpoint Students as Agents of Social Change: Student Initiatives at Rhodes University, South Africa

Rhodes University has a diversity of sustainable development initiatives meant for students and in a range of cases activities are initiated by students themselves with the support of the university. Results of a sustainability assessment revealed the involvement of students in environmental societies, environmental awareness campaigns, campus sustainability initiatives and community sustainability projects. Though most of the projects are still in their infancy and some challenges are yet to be overcome, the sustainability initiatives are gaining momentum and have contributed to improving the overall picture of sustainability at the university. Based on the results of the Rhodes University case study, the underpinning viewpoint in this paper is that university students are not merely recipients of Education for Sustainable Development but have the capacity to become agents for social change.