Strategic Planning for Sustainability in Canadian Higher Education
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Background: Institutional Responses to Sustainability in Higher Education
2.1. Canadian Higher Education
2.2. Sustainability in Canadian Higher Education
2.3. Strategic Planning in Higher Education
2.4. Institutional Change and Sustainability in Higher Education
3. Methods
3.1. Research Questions
3.2. Sample Selection
3.3. Data Collection
3.4. Data Analysis
4. Strategic Planning for Sustainability: Findings
4.1. Accommodative Responses
4.2. Reformative Responses
4.3. Progressive Responses
5. Strategic Planning for Sustainability in Higher Education
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Type of Response | Breadth | Depth | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Accommodative: narrow scope with a cursory discussion of sustainability | 1–2 domains | Shallow depth: cursory mentions of sustainability terminology (e.g., sentence clause or short sentence) | Narrow and shallow accounts of sustainability in strategic plans |
Accommodative: narrow scope with a bit more depth in relation to core values, mission and strategic direction statements | 1–2 domains | Middle depth: sustainability is connected to vision, mission, or core values statements | Sustainability addressed in relation to 1–2 domains but with slightly more depth of engagement with values than shallow versions of the accommodative response |
Accommodative: narrow scope with greater depth in relation to sustainability-specific goals | 1–2 domains | Significant depth: discussion in relation to sustainability-specific goals | Sustainability addressed in relation to 1–2 domains but with slightly more depth of engagement with goals than shallow versions of the accommodative response |
Reformative: middle of the road response | 3 domains | Middle depth: brief discussion of sustainability, with some connection to core values and goals | Sustainability addressed in relation to 3 domains, with some connection to core values and goals but no connection to sustainability-specific policy |
Reformative: holistic but shallow discussion of sustainability | 3–5 domains | Shallow: cursory mentions of sustainability terminology (e.g., sentence clause or short sentence) | Sustainability addressed in relation to 3–5 domains, but only in cursory terms |
Progressive: holistic response with significant depth of discussion | 4–5 domains | Significant depth: sustainability addressed in relation to mission or core values statements, and sustainability-specific goals | Sustainability addressed in relation to 4–5 domains, and with significant depth |
Progressive: holistic response with detailed discussion of all domains but without a focus on land, community, and alternative paradigms | 5 domains | Strong depth: sustainability addressed in relation to mission statements, goals, and sustainability policies. This response also sometimes references assessment. It does not include transformative language around questioning educational paradigms | Sustainability is addressed in relation to 5 domains, and with significant depth in relation to values, goals; policies and sometimes assessment processes. This response is missing transformative qualities, such as re-envisioning educational purposes and paradigms |
Transformative: holistic and in-depth response including a detailed discussion of all domains, accounts of land, community, and a questioning of educational paradigms | 5 domains | Greatest depth: sustainability addressed in relation to mission statements, goals, sustainability policies, assessments, as well as the relationship of the institution to surrounding land and community | Sustainability is addressed in relation to 5 domains and also includes a rethinking of educational paradigms in relation to place, land, ecology, and community |
Province | School |
---|---|
Alberta | King’s University College |
University of Calgary | |
University of Alberta | |
NorQuest College | |
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology | |
British Columbia | Royal Roads University |
Simon Fraser University | |
Thompson Rivers University | |
University of British Columbia—Vancouver | |
University of Northern British Columbia | |
Capilano University | |
Okanagan College | |
Manitoba | University of Manitoba |
University of Winnipeg | |
Red River College | |
University College of the North | |
New Brunswick | Mount Allison University |
St. Thomas University | |
University of New Brunswick | |
Newfoundland and Labrador | Memorial University of Newfoundland |
College of the North Atlantic (CNA) | |
Northwest Territories | Aurora College |
Nova Scotia | Dalhousie University |
Saint Mary’s University | |
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) | |
Nunavut | Nunavut Arctic College |
Ontario | Lakehead University |
Queen’s University | |
University of Ottawa | |
University of Toronto | |
University of Western Ontario | |
Wilfred Laurier University | |
York University | |
Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology | |
Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning | |
Prince Edward Island | University of Prince Edward Island |
Québec | Bishop’s University |
Concordia University | |
McGill University | |
Université de Montréal | |
Université du Québec à Montréal | |
Université du Québec à Rimouski | |
Université Laval | |
Collège Ahuntsic | |
Cégep de Matane | |
Saskatchewan | First Nations University of Canada |
University of Regina | |
University of Saskatchewan | |
Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology | |
Yukon | Yukon College |
Institution | Number of Domains | Sustainability-Specific Policy | Accommodative: Narrow and Cursory Discussion of Sustainability in Strategic Plan | Accommodative: Narrow, with Depth on Sustainability Values in Strategic Plan | Accommodative: Narrow, with Depth on Sustainability Goals in Strategic Plan |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Aurora College | 2 | × | 1 | ||
2. Bishops University | 2 | √ | 1 | ||
3. Capilano University | 1 | √ | 1 | ||
4. Cégep de Matane | 2 | √ | 1 | ||
5. College Ahuntsic | 1 | √ | 1 | ||
6. Dalhousie University | 2 | √ | 1 | ||
7. Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology | 1 | √ | 1 | ||
8. First Nations University of Canada | 2 | × | 1 | ||
9. Lakehead University | 1 | √ | 1 | ||
10. Mount Allison University | 2 | √ | 1 | ||
11. Northern Alberta Institute of Technology | 1 | √ | 1 | ||
12. Nunavut Arctic College | 1 | × | 1 | ||
13. Queens University | 1 | √ | 1 | ||
14. Red River College | 2 | √ | 1 | ||
15. Université de Montréal | 1 | √ | 1 | ||
16. Université du Québec a Montréal | 2 | √ | 1 | ||
17. Université du Québec a Rimouski | 1 | √ | 1 | ||
18. Université Laval | 1 | √ | 1 | ||
19. University College of the North | 1 | × | 1 | ||
20. York University | 1 | √ | 1 | ||
Totals per column | n/a | 16 | 6 | 5 | 9 |
Institution and Characteristics | Type of Accommodative Response in Strategic Plan | Sustainability Domains within Strategic Plan | Sustainability-Specific Policy or Plan | Quote about Sustainability | Summary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First Nations University of Canada (FNUC) University Small Regina, Saskatchewan | Narrow scope with a cursory discussion of sustainability | Governance Education | N/A | “New programs in the areas of technology, science, engineering and management in the energy and mining sectors based on Indigenous principles of environmental sustainability are being developed” |
|
Capilano University University Medium size North Vancouver British Columbia | Narrow scope with more depth in relation to core values | Governance | Policy | “Commit to environmental integrity and sustainable development” |
|
Cégep de Matane Cégep college Small Matane, Québec | Narrow scope with greater depth in relation to sustainability specific goals | Governance Research | Policy | “Mettre en place les elements du developpement durable nous permettant de devenir Cégep Vert” |
|
Institution | # of Domains | Reformative: Holistic (3–5 Domains) but Shallow Discussion | Reformative: 3 Domains with Depth in Relation to Values and Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1. Royal Roads University | 4 | 1 | |
2. Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning | 3 | 1 | |
3. Simon Fraser University | 5 | 1 | |
4. University of Manitoba | 3 | 1 | |
5. University of Northern British Columbia | 3 | 1 | |
6. University of Prince Edward Island | 3 | 1 | |
7. University of Winnipeg | 5 | 1 | |
8. Wilfred Laurier University | 3 | 1 | |
Totals per column | n/a | 5 | 3 |
Institution and Characteristics | Type of Reformative Response in Strategic Plan | Sustainability Domains within Strategic Plan | Sustainability-Specific Policy or Plan? | Quote about Sustainability | Summary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Winnipeg University Medium Winnipeg Manitoba | Holistic but cursory discussion of sustainability | 5 Domains Governance Education Facilities Research Community Engagement | Policy Plan | “All four dimensions of sustainability (ecological, economic, social, and cultural) must be central to The University of Winnipeg. Sustainability must define the way we operate, the way we educate, the way we conduct research” |
|
Royal Roads University University Small Victoria British Columbia | Holistic but cursory discussion of sustainability | 4 Domains Education Facilities Governance Research | Policy Plan | “Our Canada Research Chairs focus their research in the areas of Sustainable Communities, Livelihoods and the Environment and Innovative Learning” |
|
University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) University Small Prince George British Columbia | Middle-of-the-road sustainability in relation to core values and goals but only in a few domains | 3 Domains Education Governance Research | Policy Plan | “Over the next half-decade, UNBC envisages research growth in the following sub-areas (and in the disciplinary areas that support these): Bioenergy and Other Clean Energy; Climate Change; Contaminants and Environmental Remediation… Ecosystem Services; Environmental History” |
|
Institution | Number of Domains | Progressive: Holistic with Significant Depth on Values and Goals | Progressive: Holistic with Greatest Depth on Values, Goals, and Sustainability-Specific Policy |
---|---|---|---|
1. Concordia University | 5 | 1 | |
2. King’s University College | 4 | 1 | |
3. McGill University | 5 | 1 | |
4. Memorial | 4 | 1 | |
5. Okanagan College | 4 | 1 | |
6. Saint Mary’s University | 4 | 1 | |
7. Thompson Rivers University | 5 | 1 | |
8. University of Alberta | 5 | 1 | |
9. University of British Columbia Vancouver | 5 | 1 | |
10. University of Calgary | 5 | 1 | |
11. University of Ottawa | 5 | 1 | |
12. University of Regina | 5 | 1 | |
13. University of Saskatchewan | 5 | 1 | |
Totals for column | 8 | 5 |
Institution and Characteristics | Type of Progressive Response in Strategic Plan | Sustainability Domains within Strategic Plan | Sustainabilit-Specific Policy or Plan? | Quote about Sustainability | Short Summary of Sustainability in Strategic Plan |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Memorial University of Newfoundland University Medium, St. John’s, Newfoundland | Holistic response with significant depth of discussion | 4 domains Education Governance Facilities Research | Policy | “It is important that the university ensure that its practices, policies and procedures are friendly to the environment. Memorial will: Establish an environmental policy review and revision process; Develop and promote a university-wide environmental education campaign and support initiatives arising from it” |
|
McGill University University; Large; Montréal, Québec. AASHE member, silver STARS assessment rating | Excellent, holistic response with detailed, in-depth discussion | All 5 domains | Policy Plan | “We have furthered sustainability through teaching, research, and through creating a sense of shared responsibility” |
|
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) University; Medium; Kamloops, British Columbia. AASHE member, silver STARS assessment rating | Excellent, holistic response with detailed, in-depth discussion | All 5 domains | Plan | “Develop and expand programming and associated research activities in the areas of environmentally sustainable technologies, policy development, and environmentally and socially responsible economic development” |
|
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Bieler, A.; McKenzie, M. Strategic Planning for Sustainability in Canadian Higher Education. Sustainability 2017, 9, 161. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9020161
Bieler A, McKenzie M. Strategic Planning for Sustainability in Canadian Higher Education. Sustainability. 2017; 9(2):161. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9020161
Chicago/Turabian StyleBieler, Andrew, and Marcia McKenzie. 2017. "Strategic Planning for Sustainability in Canadian Higher Education" Sustainability 9, no. 2: 161. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9020161