American Council on Education Issue Brief on Trump Administration’s DACA Decision
The issue brief details the key elements of the Trump administration’s “DACA Rescission Memorandum” and how it will impact students and campuses. Along with talking points, this brief attempts to help campuses prepare to assist students and speak to their congressional delegations about the importance of acting now to protect DACA recipients.
Exposing the Ties Between Australian Universities and the Fossil Fuel Industry
The report highlights links between universities and the fossil fuel industry through research funding, and the relationship between members on university boards and companies with significant business in fossil fuels. The report was released by Fossil Free Universities, which is run by environmental organization 350.org and university divestment groups.
Campus Energy & Sustainability Podcast
Highlighting sustainability on higher education campuses, the podcast has five episodes available that have covered sustainability in laboratories, sustainable public water systems, and sustainability in curricula.
2017 Higher Education Sustainability Staffing Survey Report
The 2017 Higher Education Sustainability Staffing Survey Report examines the nature of sustainability positions at colleges and universities, providing insights into salaries, funding, supervision, job satisfaction and challenges. Improvements to the report include information from outside of the U.S. and Canada, and graphical data comparisons.
New Issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record
The most recent issue includes articles about measuring institutional water use and estimating carbon footprints of food menu items, as well as a book review of Let Knowledge Serve the City, a compilation of articles out of Portland State University that highlights how communities and institutions can work together to solve sustainability challenges.
Tips for Detoxing Your Dorm
This research-based set of tips released by the Healthy Green Campus Project aims to help students eliminate exposure to chemicals found in everyday products, such as food, cleaning products, toiletries, clothing, and laundry and bedding.
Higher Education Paving the Way to Sustainable Development: A Global Perspective
This report, based on the 2016 IAU Global Survey on Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development, released by the International Association of Universities (IAU) provides an overview of higher education approaches to sustainable development undertaken by IAU members. By researching and analyzing IAU members’ approaches to sustainable development, the report aims to contribute to the UNESCO Global Action Program on Education for Sustainable Development and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Affordability in Higher Education Booklet
The articles in this compilation, produced and released by Inside Higher Ed, look at issues related to affordability and questions beyond money (such as time to graduation) that have a major impact on how much students and families pay.
Green Building Assessment Curriculum Toolkit
The USGBC toolkit provides higher education faculty with access to curated resources and processes, organized to aid in teaching about and engaging students in the concepts of sustainability, green building and LEED with a focus on the first two phases of a building’s life cycle – design and construction. The materials can be adapted and scaled to fit a variety of class topics, degree programs and student learning levels.
New Report: Mapping Sustainability Assessment and Reporting in the UK Tertiary Education
The Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges' (EAUC) new report helps sustainability professionals evaluate sustainability reporting and assessment tools in order to best determine the right tool for their institution. Released in tandem with the report is a dashboard that allows an institution to create a baseline map to identify gaps and further drive sustainability performance.
New Report: Assessing the Higher Education Sector’s Use of Renewable Energy
The report explores the extent to which U.S.-based institutions of higher education have engaged in voluntary purchases and production of renewable energy. The study, released by the University of New Hampshire and Edison Energy, utilized self-reported, publicly available data for a 10-year period from the nearly 500 colleges and universities participating in different national programs that collect information about campus energy use from participants.
New Book: Sustainability Practice and Education on University Campuses and Beyond
The book's case studies cover campus sustainability topics that include student-driven and college-driven environmental sustainability programs in undergraduate and graduate classes, issues in teaching environmental sustainability, the LEED certification of universities, issues of shrinking cities, and a comparison of sustainable military bases with college campuses.
New Book: University Campus Solid Waste Management
Using University of Malaya as a case study, the author assessed waste disposal, management and recycling techniques in order to understand how to reduce the environmental impact while retaining the maximum cost savings for the university. A method for analysis of solid waste composition is also proposed. The book can serve as a guide and blueprint for other universities that are taking steps toward sustainability through improved solid waste management.
Act on Climate: Steps to Individual, Community and Political Action
Act on Climate: Steps to Individual, Community, and Political Action is an online course designed to help participants understand, address and respond to climate change as individuals and in partnership with their communities and political leaders. Designed by students, faculty and learning specialists, the course focuses on how to translate learning into action on climate change in the areas of food, energy, transportation and the built environment.
New Issue: The International Journal of Management Education
The latest issue of The International Journal of Management Education is a special issue focused on the Principles for Responsible Management Education. Research articles address a wide variety of topics, including the role of business schools in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Sustainability Literacy Test, service learning, and pedagogy for responsible management education.
New Book: News From the Front of Sustainable University Campuses
New From the Front of Sustainable University Campuses attempts to untangle and test how universities can help the localities and societies in which they operate transition toward carbon neutrality, societal sustainability and resilience to climate change. Strategies highlighted include policies and action plans, management programs, new interdisciplinary and cross-cutting committees, bottom-up governance structures and green teams, and advanced IT systems for energy management.
Investor Blueprint to Incorporate ESG Factors Into Portfolios
In response to the U.S. government’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, the Intentional Endowments Network released a blueprint for investors to align with the Paris Climate Agreement by incorporating environmental, social and governance factors into investment portfolios.
New Issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record
The most recent issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record covers barriers to effectiveness of university sustainability offices, a case study about a campus sustainability social network, and an investigation about the importance of beliefs in environmental behaviors as they relate to pro-environmental behaviors.
Behavior Change for Sustainability: Northwest Earth Institute's Approach
The paper explains why behavior change research is important and what it offers, and how the Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI) uses behavior change theory in their programs. The paper includes both survey data and stories from participant’s experiences of behavior changes in NWEI Discussion Courses and the EcoChallenge.
New Book: Climate Change Research at Universities
This new book provides a multidisciplinary review of current, climate-change research projects at universities around the globe, offering perspectives from all of the natural and social sciences.
New Series About Meeting the Needs of Underserved Students
Beyond the Margins: Meeting the Needs of Underserved Students is a new series from The American Council on Education about issues facing underserved student populations. Spotlighting deep-rooted issues that perpetuate division and inequity, the series currently has two pieces, the most recent of which is about food insecurity. The initial publication focused on LGBTQ student issues and opportunities.
Guide to Assessing Basic Needs Insecurity in Higher Education
Drawing from research on basic needs security at colleges around the nation, Wisconsin HOPE Lab produced this guide to support college and university efforts to assess food and housing security among students. This guide describes how to perform two types of studies: surveys to assess basic needs security, and opportunistic small scale experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of programs meant to address basic needs security.
New Issue: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
The latest issue of the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education features literature reviews, research papers and case studies on campus sustainability topics, like social media use for environmental sustainability, assessing undergraduates' environmental stewardship reasoning and knowledge, energy use in residence halls, and sustainability perceptions among different stakeholder groups.
AAUP 2016-17 Faculty Compensation Survey Report
Compiled and published by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the 2016-17 report analyzes compensation data for full-time ranked and part-time faculty members. For the first time, the AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey collected separate data on part-time faculty members teaching on a per-section basis.
Universities and the Sustainable Development Future: Evaluating Higher-Education Contributions to the 2030 Agenda
This new book, Universities and the Sustainable Development Future, offers institutions of higher learning an inclusive evaluation framework to produce credible evidence regarding the outcome and impact of their teaching, research and transnational-partnering activities in environment and sustainable development. The book is also a resource for students, scholars and policy makers with an interest in sustainable development, climate change and evaluation challenges.
New Book: Post-Sustainability and Environmental Education: Remaking Education for the Future
This book provides a critique of over two decades of sustained effort to infuse educational systems with education for sustainable development. Taking to heart the idea that deconstruction is a prelude to reconstruction, this critique leads to discussions about how education can be remade, and respond to the educational imperatives of the time, particularly as they relate to ecological crises and human-nature relationships.
Campus Dining 101: A Benchmark Study on Farm to College in New England
A report from Farm to Institution New England is the second report in a new series designed to help food system stakeholders understand the impact of institutional markets on New England's food system. The report presents in-depth findings and makes specific, data-based recommendations for institutions of higher education as well as government officials, funders and institutions.
Hungry and Homeless in College: Results From a National Study of Basic Needs Insecurity in Higher Education
A new report by the Wisconsin HOPE Lab provides insight into food insecurity, homelessness and housing insecurity among today’s college students. The report is based on the results of a survey distributed by Wisconsin HOPE Lab and the Association of Community College Trustees to 70 community colleges in 24 states. It also provides policy recommendations for community colleges, state and federal policymakers, and researchers on ways in which each can support these students and help provide the services they need.
