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Article
Publication date: 28 May 2020

Stacey Swearingen White

College and university campuses serve as a vital test bed for sustainability solutions of various types. To date, though, campus sustainability efforts have focused more on the…

1254

Abstract

Purpose

College and university campuses serve as a vital test bed for sustainability solutions of various types. To date, though, campus sustainability efforts have focused more on the environmental and economic aspects of sustainability, with less attention to its social aspects. This paper aims to draw on a study of student food insecurity to consider how sustainability’s three pillars might be more holistically engaged.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the paper reviews the literature on-campus food sustainability and student food insecurity to propose a preliminary characterization of sustainable food. Second, data from a study of food insecurity among students at a major research university are presented. The survey data measure the degree and attributes of food insecurity among undergraduate and graduate students. The focus group and interview data provide a detailed understanding of students’ experience with food insecurity, particularly with regard to how that experience resonates with the characteristics of sustainable food. Finally, the paper suggests that the systems thinking approach may be the best way to engage the social pillar of sustainability.

Findings

Food insecurity is prevalent among university students. These students find affordability and nutrition to be the most important characteristics of the diets they desire to have. The ability to access such foods conveniently is also important, whereas the sourcing of foods is not resonant.

Research limitations/implications

This is a study of a single campus in the USA. Findings may be different on campuses that have different demographics and other characteristics.

Originality/value

Campus sustainability efforts must fully engage the social aspects of sustainability. This paper uses the example of food and food insecurity to show how and why this is important. It also points to systems thinking approach as appropriate for this holistic effort.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 21 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 1 April 2014

Stacey Swearingen White

The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the use of integrated campus sustainability plans at US institutions of higher education. The paper also offers a preliminary…

4108

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the use of integrated campus sustainability plans at US institutions of higher education. The paper also offers a preliminary framework for the evaluation of these plans.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines 27 campus sustainability plans. It determines the types and characteristics of the institutions that have adopted these plans. It then uses content analysis techniques to determine their typical contents and emphases. Finally, the paper draws on literature pertaining to sustainability plans and plan evaluation to present a preliminary tool for evaluating campus sustainability planning efforts.

Findings

Campus sustainability plans in the USA are extremely diverse. Environmental aspects are most prominent in these plans, and social equity aspects are least prominent. Campus operations receive more attention than do academic or administrative aspects. Most campuses have taken an inclusive, campus-wide approach to developing their sustainability plans. The evaluation of these plans should consider both their process and their substance and should account for circumstances unique to higher education.

Research limitations/implications

The research is focused on US colleges and universities and may have overlooked some campus sustainability plans that have other titles. Nevertheless, it is a fairly comprehensive analysis of campus sustainability planning efforts to date in the USA.

Practical implications

Campus sustainability plans are an important integrative tool. Understanding the details and potential evaluation of these plans can help determine their broader adoption and implementation.

Originality/value

As an emerging tool for campus sustainability efforts, sustainability plans allow colleges and universities to examine operational, academic, and administrative functions in an integrated manner. To date, there has been very little scholarly attention to these plans, and no prior attempt to consider how they might be evaluated.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 10 July 2009

Stacey Swearingen White

The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze those US campuses that became signatories of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) during…

929

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze those US campuses that became signatories of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) during the charter membership period of December 2006 through September 15, 2007.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on literature in organizational change, organizational learning, and innovation diffusion to develop a tentative idea as to what types of campuses might be most likely to be climate change innovators. It then characterizes signatory campuses with respect to such variables as their size, location, and type.

Findings

The paper shows that there is no typical signatory among the 379 ACUPCC charter members. Many types of institutions, public and private, small and large, and located throughout the USA, have pledged to become climate neutral through this commitment.

Practical implications

Understanding more about how USA higher education is responding to global climate change is an important component of the larger discussions surrounding this critical issue.

Originality/value

Higher education has a vital role to play in global climate change mitigation and adaptation, but there has been little prior scholarly attention to this topic. This paper contributes to the understanding of this issue through its analysis of the most innovative and comprehensive climate initiative in US higher education.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 1 December 2003

Stacey Swearingen White

This article explores the possibilities of teaching environmental planning by focusing on the sustainability of the campus and the campus master planning process. It describes the…

2506

Abstract

This article explores the possibilities of teaching environmental planning by focusing on the sustainability of the campus and the campus master planning process. It describes the development of an urban planning course centered on campus master planning and its environmental impacts at the University of Kansas. Drawing on existing knowledge of campus planning and campus ecology, the article presents a tentative framework for assessing issues that can affect the structure of a campus environmental planning class, discusses the structure of the University of Kansas course, and outlines the lessons and reflections that have emerged from that course.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 4 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 10 February 2023

Robert F. Eby and Nandhini Rangarajan

This study aims to describe the different elements included in campus sustainability plans (CSPs) in colleges and universities across the USA.

258

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to describe the different elements included in campus sustainability plans (CSPs) in colleges and universities across the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

It examines the contents and specific areas of emphasis of 155 CSPs using a document analysis approach. It determines the types and characteristics of the institutions that have adopted these plans.

Findings

The first CSP was written in 2000 and at least 155 plans have been written as of 2021. Only a small percentage of US institutions of higher education have a written CSP, and among those, large public institutions had the most. The quality of these plans varied greatly, indicating a lack of standardization. Engagement was the most discussed topic, and some aspect of campus operations was mentioned in every plan. Social equity was the least prevalent topic.

Research limitations/implications

This research focusing on US colleges and universities may have overlooked plans that have other titles. Nevertheless, it is a fairly comprehensive analysis of campus sustainability planning efforts to date in the USA.

Practical implications

This study has important practical implications for institutions that aspire to craft their first sustainability plan or those that wish to revise their existing plan in a comprehensive manner.

Originality/value

This study builds on a conceptual foundation of plan review by several other authors but presents a more robust and comprehensive method of application specific to CSPs. It fills a wide gap in the literature on the quality and content of CSPs by examining over five times more plans than were analyzed in an older study and addresses some of the research questions from previous articles.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 24 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

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