ERIC Number: EJ1159801
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1467-6370
EISSN: N/A
Higher Education Institutions: A Strategy towards Sustainability
Casarejos, Fabricio; Frota, Mauricio Nogueira; Gustavson, Laura Morten
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, v18 n7 p995-1017 2017
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to guide higher education institutions (HEIs) in accomplishing sustainability goals while strengthening their associated systems and processes. Pursuing this goal, this study proposes a conceptual framework for modeling the HEI organizational environment; a set of strategic sustainability actions to drive movements toward sustainability; and an assessment scheme incorporating four indices to measure the degree of commitment, parity, difficulty and institutional performance throughout the implementation process of the actions proposed. Design/methodology/approach: Development of the work included a literature review focused on internationally established concepts, recommendations and guidelines aimed at driving HEIs to fully acknowledge the principles of sustainable development, a study of the state-of-the-art evaluation frameworks for sustainability and an analysis of scientific studies on sustainability in HEIs and society. Findings: The overall approach proposed proved to be robust, as it synthesizes global concepts, recommendations and guidelines endorsed by key international organizations and researchers thoroughly discussed in worldwide publications related to sustainability. Moreover, the conceptual framework for modeling the HEI organizational environment, the strategic sustainability actions formulated and the assessment scheme are confirmed to be a practical and realistic strategy for assisting HEIs to effectively achieve their sustainability targets and goals. Practical implications: Facilitation of institutional performance assessment using the hands-on tool proposed to drive HEIs toward sustainability. Originality/value: Few studies have proposed multidimensional approaches and indices to assess the institutional performance of HEIs in implementing sustainability actions.
Descriptors: Higher Education, Educational Strategies, Sustainability, Sustainable Development, Educational Assessment, Performance Factors, Guidelines, Best Practices, Program Implementation, Models
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A