A proposal for measuring sustainability in universities: a case study of Spain

Purpose Numerous sustainability assessment tools are being created and applied in the higher education sector. In light of such diversity, there is a need to provide a common guideline for sustainability assessment which makes easier the comparison among universities. Using as a reference the Spanish university system, the main aim of this paper is to develop a multi-item quantitative tool for measuring sustainability performance at universities. Design/methodology/approach To accomplish this task, the first step was to review the literature on sustainability assessment in universities. After reviewing the literature, the authors found more than 1,000 items. The next step was to select those items which were able to fit to the Spanish university context. On this basis, the authors selected a total of 268 items. These items were discussed in a workshop with senior management members from eight Spanish universities with the aim of analyzing the validity and relevance of the items selected. Findings Then, the proposal for measuring sustainability in Spanish universities was composed of a total of 156 relevant items. In addition, these items were grouped according to seven different dimensions (corporate governance, students, staff, society, environment, companies and continuous improvement). Also, it is important to note that these items were not associated with political risk and they were linked to provide more reliable information to assess sustainability in universities. Originality/value Recent literature have stated that the existing tools specifically developed for assessing higher education institutions performance toward sustainability have some weaknesses. Then, one of the main contributions of this study has been the creation of a new multi-item quantitative tool aimed at measuring the integrated consideration of social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability in universities.

[1]  C. Cowton,et al.  Taking Stock of Accounting Ethics Scholarship: A Review of the Journal Literature , 2013 .

[2]  François Thérin,et al.  Knowledge acquisition and environmental commitment in SMEs , 2008 .

[3]  J. Creswell.  Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five traditions. , 1998 .

[4]  M. Chapple,et al.  The Nominal Group Technique: extending the evaluation of students' teaching and learning experiences , 1996 .

[5]  Tarah Wright,et al.  Sustainability in higher education in Atlantic Canada , 2008 .

[6]  Manuel Pedro Rodríguez Bolívar,et al.  Online disclosure of university social responsibility: a comparative study of public and private US universities , 2013 .

[7]  Ki-Hoon Lee,et al.  Is it even espoused? An exploratory study of commitment to sustainability as evidenced in vision, mission, and graduate attribute statements in Australian universities , 2013 .

[8]  Manuel Larrán Jorge,et al.  An approach to the implementation of sustainability practices in Spanish universities , 2015 .

[9]  Simon K. Haslett,et al.  Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship: An Evaluation of the Validity of the STAUNCH Auditing Tool. , 2011 .

[10]  Pilar Aznar Minguet,et al.  Introducing sustainability into university curricula: an indicator and baseline survey of the views of university teachers at the University of Valencia , 2011 .

[11]  R. Lozano.  The state of sustainability reporting in universities , 2011 .

[12]  Xueliang Yuan,et al.  A critical assessment of the Higher Education For Sustainable Development from students' perspectives – a Chinese study , 2013 .

[13]  Masaru Yarime,et al.  The Issues and Methodologies in Sustainability Assessment Tools for Higher Education Institutions , 2012 .

[14]  José Mariano Moneva Abadía,et al.  Universidad y desarrollo sostenible: Análisis de la rendición de cuentas de las universidades públicas desde un enfoque de responsabilidad social , 2011 .

[15]  Michael Philip Shriberg.  Sustainability in United States higher education: Organizational factors influencing campus environmental performance and leadership. , 2002 .

[16]  Frederic Marimon,et al.  Diffusion of sustainability reporting in universities: current situation and future perspectives , 2015 .

[17]  Abu Sayed,et al.  Benchmarking tools for assessing and tracking sustainability in higher educational institutions , 2013 .

[18]  Tarah Wright,et al.  Facilities management directors’ conceptualizations of sustainability in higher education , 2012 .

[19]  C. Jabbour,et al.  Greening the campus of a Brazilian university: cultural challenges , 2013 .

[20]  Brian Veitch,et al.  Uncertainty-based quantitative assessment of sustainability for higher education institutions , 2011 .

[21]  O. Carney,et al.  The use of the Nominal Group Technique in research with community nurses. , 1996, Journal of advanced nursing.

[22]  D. Dillman.  Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design method, 2nd ed. , 2007 .

[23]  Aviel Verbruggen,et al.  UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: DEFINITION AND CHARACTERISTICS EXPLORED , 2010 .

[24]  Rebeka Lukman,et al.  University ranking using research, educational and environmental indicators , 2010 .

[25]  Kerry Shephard.  Higher education for sustainability: seeking affective learning outcomes , 2008 .

[26]  Constantino Stavros,et al.  Using triangulation and multiple case studies to advance relationship marketing theory , 2009 .

[27]  A. Cortese.  THE CRITICAL ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN CREATING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE , 2003 .

[28]  Christopher A. Voss,et al.  Case research in operations management , 2002 .

[29]  Robert K. Yin,et al.  Applications of case study research , 1993 .

[30]  Nora Munguia,et al.  Deterring sustainability in higher education institutions: An appraisal of the factors which influence sustainability in higher education institutions , 2005 .

[31]  R. Yin.  Case Study Research: Design and Methods , 1984 .

[32]  Alberto Fonseca,et al.  The state of sustainability reporting at Canadian universities , 2011 .

[33]  Benedetta Siboni,et al.  Sustainability Reporting in State Universities: An Investigation of Italian Pioneering Practices , 2013 .

[34]  R. Scholz,et al.  An international comparative analysis of sustainability transformation across seven universities , 2008 .

[35]  Kim Ceulemans,et al.  Sustainability Reporting in Higher Education: A Comprehensive Review of the Recent Literature and Paths for Further Research , 2015 .

[36]  James G. Maxham,et al.  Firms Reap what they Sow: The Effects of Shared Values and Perceived Organizational Justice on Customers’ Evaluations of Complaint Handling , 2003 .

[37]  Togo,et al.  UNIT-BASED SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT TOOL: A resource book to complement the UNEP Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in African Universities Partnership , 2009 .

[38]  Michael Shriberg,et al.  Assessing Sustainability: Criteria, Tools, and Implications , 2004 .

[39]  C. Costa,et al.  A Methodology for Sustainability Evaluation and Reporting in Higher Education Institutions , 2011 .

[40]  Qinghua Zhu,et al.  The role of organizational size in the adoption of green supply chain management practices in China , 2008 .

[41]  Wynn Calder,et al.  INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO PROMOTE HIGHER EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT , 2003 .

[42]  Kim McNamara,et al.  Research Article: Fostering Sustainability in Higher Education: A Mixed-Methods Study of Transformative Leadership and Change Strategies , 2010 .

[43]  Rodrigo Lozano,et al.  A tool for a Graphical Assessment of Sustainability in Universities (GASU) , 2006 .

[44]  F. J. Lozano,et al.  Declarations for sustainability in higher education: becoming better leaders, through addressing the university system , 2013 .