Leadership for Sustainability in Higher Education

Sustainability is a complex concept, and the challenge of understanding it and applying it to a diverse, multi-agent, organisational setting with its potentially conflicting priorities cannot be underestimated. Leadership for Sustainability in Higher Education provides key learning from the authors' extensive academic, leadership and professional experience in this area, supplemented with reference to key learning from other leaders and institutions. Janet Fraser-Haddock, Peter Rands and Stephen Scoffham bring together the wide range of influences and considerations to succeed, including: · an understanding of the core constructs of leadership theory and sustainability · the range of perspectives through which to view and value sustainability · successful activities and actions undertaken by sustainability leaders in the higher education sector · models and methods to successfully implement sustainability that are new to the sector · influencers on the sustainability agenda, whether policy- or demand-led, external or internal · barriers to and enablers of success for leaders at individual, institutional and sector levels
These factors all combine to provide a framework for the reader within which to consider leadership for sustainability, both at an individual level and within the higher education culture and organisational norms. The authors provide a theoretical underpinning of key concepts, supplemented by examples of practice across the sector, both within the UK and internationally. Case studies from the UK, Australia, North America and India all bring to life the key opportunities and challenges of leading the sustainability agenda across a range of higher education institutions.

Janet Haddock-Fraser is Professor of Sustainability and Leadership at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, and Chair of Trustees for the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC). She also has extensive experience of leading and operating as part of senior leadership teams in UK universities.

1. Introduction Part I: What is Meant by 'Sustainability'? 2. Origins of and Perspectives on Sustainability 3. The Role of Sustainability in Higher Education Part II: Sustainability Leadership and the Higher Education Perspective 4. Current Relevance and Sustainability Activities in Universities 5. Sustainability Policy, Market and Institutional Drivers Part III: Sustainability and the Leader as Individual 6. Culture and Decision-Making Norms 7. Leadership Styles and Attributes for Sustainability Leadership 8. Organisational Structures and Place for Sustainability Part IV: Sustainability Leadership in Practice 9. Case study from Canterbury Christ Church University, UK 10. Case study from Harvard University, USA 11. Case study from Macquarie University, Australia 12. Case study from Kerala University, India 13. Conclusion and Way Forward References Index