Abstract:

Higher education institutions are essential actors in the transition towards carbon neutrality and sustainable societies. Data collected by the first-ever survey of greening in higher education in Europe provides evidence that environmental sustainability is already of high importance at the central level of HEIs. Nevertheless, drivers and approaches can be quite different across institutions and systems, and most HEIs seem to lack dedicated policies and strategies that address comprehensively and holistically all aspects of greening and sustainability (learning and teaching, research and innovation, campus operations, organizational culture, student participation, engagement of community and stakeholders, long-term planning, sustainability monitoring, and evaluation).

HEIs green transition is a complex socio-technical challenge involving many interconnected elements with nonlinear relationships that are history-dependent, self-organizing, and resistant to change, making such transition challenging. Thus, systems approaches possess characteristics that can support HEIs to respond to evolving needs effectively and enable them to deliver systemic, institution-wide integration of sustainability, analyze external and internal factors, and determine where internal shifts are needed to respond to these factors.

The whole-system and whole-institution approaches provide a framework for addressing complex problems by considering the interconnectedness and interdependencies of various components. It can promote a comprehensive and integrated understanding of complex systems and designing effective and sustainable policies and strategies.

This study aims to identify the state of the art of institutional sustainability in terms of whole-systems approaches and their potential for integration with whole-institution sustainability plans. For this, a literature map on the existing models and tools was carried out to evaluate the integration of whole-institution and whole-systems approaches to enhance the implementation of sustainability policy and models in higher education. This study also seeks to highlight the most effective approaches and the integration of Systems Thinking to assess several institutional dynamics, especially from the perspectives of educational leadership and governance structures that embed sustainable principles in organizational transformations at all operational levels and in all institutional practices.

Based on the literature map findings, a set of recommendations are discussed on the application of the most effective self-assessment models and tools and on how systems approaches can be integrated to enhance their coverage on several HEIs’ dimensions, e.g., education, research, outreach, as well as operational eco-efficiency and governance issues, and efficiency, including the incorporation of quantitative and qualitative indicators so that they can serve as a means for stimulating reflection and change, not only accountability and control.

Sustainability is a complex system transition that requires a holistic approach but must be addressed. HEIs are complex systems with many interconnected parts; changing one part can have ripple effects throughout the organization and society. By taking a systems approach and focusing on the curriculum, governance, and societal dimensions, HEIs can embrace the green transition challenges more prepared and contribute to a more sustainable society.

Keywords:

Higher Education Institutions, Systems Thinking, Whole Institution, Sustainability.