Date of Award
Spring 2014
Degree Type
Capstone - Open Access
Degree Name
Master of Education (MEd)
Department
Education
First Advisor
Susan Marine
Abstract
In the past decade, sustainability efforts in higher education have become more prevalent across the nation and the world. However, some institutions lack the resources and information on how to successfully create a campus-wide culture that is dedicated to environmentally friendly practices. This study was designed to help direct institutions on the actions they can take to create a sustainably focused campus. Six participants from the offices of sustainability at Babson College and Bryant University were interviewed for this qualitative study. Findings included the significance of incorporating sustainability into the foundation of the institution through signing specific documents that outline the steps to creating campus-wide sustainable behavior. Participants also explained the importance of fostering behavior change to create campus-wide collaboration and how programming can create activism focused on sustainability. Based on the findings, recommendations for this study include establishing sustainability goals through institutional commitment, creating administrative positions dedicated to sustainability, advocating for student interest and participation in sustainability efforts, implementing sustainability training and education through cross-campus collaboration, producing sustainable infrastructure, and continuing assessment and monitoring of sustainability on campus.
Recommended Citation
Bartolini, Catherine M., "The Incorporation of Sustainability in Higher Education: A Research Synthesis" (2014). Higher Education Student Work. 2.
https://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/soe_studentpub/2
