Research Article: Fostering Sustainability in Higher Education: A Mixed-Methods Study of Transformative Leadership and Change Strategies

Abstract

As evidence of the earth's limited capacity to sustain human life mounts, institutions of higher education are being looked to for leadership in the effort to educate students about environmental concerns and support the development of sustainable innovations. Colleges and universities are responding to this call for leadership by starting and/or expanding environmental research programs, integrating sustainability issues throughout the curriculum, adopting sustainable operations, and building green facilities. Reflecting upon the sustainability efforts of these institutions, this research study explores the following questions: What factors are essential for initiating and leading a successful change effort to foster sustainability in higher education?What processes guide higher education institutions in efforts to deeply and comprehensively implement sustainable changes? A sequential mixed-methods research design was used to gather data from questionnaires administered to 86 colleges and universities in the United States implementing sustainability programs and from interviews with 20 individuals who are guiding the change processes at ten different institutions. After the data had been analyzed to identify common themes, factors, and change-process strategies, the results of the analyses were examined in relationship to existing models of change in higher education. Significant correlations were found between the change strategies used and the support systems provided by these institutions and the level of progress achieved on the sustainability initiatives.

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