Abstract
Universities are uniquely positioned among stakeholders in larger socio-ecological systems which lead efforts in addressing sustainable development, resiliency, and other areas of societal concerns because of their unbiased role as societal educators and researchers (Downs & Golovko, 2016). Further, scholars argue higher education institutions should be at the center of sustainable development research and education (Mossman, 2018). This research provides a socio-ecological view explaining the interrelationship of possible institutional and external factors distinguishing higher performing universities from others which have completed the AASHE STARS assessment, an integrative explanation of the common characteristics and strategies of the highest rated universities, and future guidelines for improving sustainability and resiliency of higher education institutions. This research explores the interrelationship of institutional and external factors distinguishing the high-performing AASHE STARS universities from others; measures the effect of these factors on sustainability performance; identifies commonalities between and distinctions among the sustainability and resiliency strategies of AASHE STARS rating groups; and provides a model for improving sustainability and resiliency in universities through a comprehensive socio-ecological approach. Universities have the unique opportunity to model the best sustainability and resiliency practices through the operation of campus functions, while benefitting from more efficient and effective operations, improving the quality of life for the campus community, providing research opportunities, and serving as a living lab for instruction. Increased resiliency of campus operations through strategic planning with local agencies could provide mutually beneficial outcomes in the case of disasters or long-term stresses.
Presenters
Gretchen VanicorChief Sustainability Officer, President's Division/Office of Sustainability and Community Engagement, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Education, Assessment and Policy
KEYWORDS
STARS, Assessment, Socio-ecological, Universities, Leadership
