Sustainable Practices in Higher Education: An Introduction

Abstract

Embedding sustainability within the culture and strategic directions of higher education institutions (HEIs) is now critical. Because HEIs are complex organizations, their activities span academic and financial sectors. Sustainability-inspired initiatives and financial decisions can help HEIs achieve their mission by improving their market-positioning, expanding their program offering, and attracting new students. Today, it is clear that integrating sustainability principles in the decision-making and activities of HEIs can be achieved without necessarily resulting in a deficit or sacrificing on return. This collection focuses on how long-term-oriented decision-making can be a catalyst for the uptake of sustainable practices in HEIs. The chapters highlight the potentials, applicability, and limitations of different sustainability-oriented initiatives and practices that HEIs employ. Specifically, the collection explores how new pedagogical approaches can accelerate the adoption of sustainability principles in HEIs, how campuses can be used as training spaces for sustainability practices, and how innovation and multi-stakeholder approaches can encourage sustainable development activities. By presenting the most up-to-date sustainability-inspired strategic and financial practices in HEIs, the contributions offer new insights and valuable lessons on their means of implementation.