AN ACTION PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT AT HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

This paper discusses the concept of ?sustainability? as it relates to organizations such as higher education institutions. The term is difficult to define, give meaning to, and eventually implement, and there are also many barriers preventing organizations from becoming truly sustainable. Most organizations that have implemented sustainability initiatives have seen minimal results and have not been able to create substantial buy-in from their employees and stakeholders, and this essay describes some of the reasons why. Several definitions for sustainability are given, as is an explanation of the term as it relates to business ethics and to organizations struggling to find meaning for the term. Higher education institutions experience barriers to sustainability in addition to those that most organizations face. To address the challenge, several models for sustainable universities are presented in this paper. All have in common the development of an internal campus community as well as a strong connection to the external communities they serve. The essay presents possible solutions, including better management training, more effective sustainability assessments, and collaboration with First Nations people, to move post-secondary institutions towards sustainability.