Abstract

This article examines the central role that higher education can play in addressing the wicked problem of sustainability by simultaneously integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) into its curriculum, research, and community engagement activities. The Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030 was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, with a plan of action to move our global society toward a “sustainable and resilient path.” It includes 17 SDGs and 169 targets. The SDGs help organize our global efforts toward addressing sustainability and provide a solid framework for colleges and universities to follow. The SDGs only take us so far, though, as we continue to work against societal values that reinforce unsustainable behaviors. The IDGs, however, integrate an inner dimension that helps us move toward a mindset where sustainable change and societal values more closely align. Using a case study from a small Franciscan university, the author will demonstrate a higher education institution’s (HEI) impact on developing a lasting sustainability mindset in its students that leads to sustainable change. Students undergo a transformative experience that moves beyond epistemic transformation to personal transformation, resulting in the reframing of their values and worldviews.