Publications

Introduction

AASHE’s publications library is the leading repository of reports, journal articles, books, and student research on sustainability in higher education. Certain publication types are entered in the annual AASHE Awards Program.

At a Glance

4205
Total Resources
2015
Organizations
101
Countries
58
U.S. States & Territories
12
Canadian Provinces

Bars in graphs can be clicked to view resources that align with a particular category. Because a resource may be listed under multiple topics and disciplines, graph data may include higher total counts than what is indicated in total resources above.

4205 resources

Nurturing the Seeds of Sustainability Education: Information Regime in Brazilian Public HEI

  • Northumbria University (Newcastle Upon Tyne)
  • Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca
  • Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia

We currently live under the Anthropocene, a period in which human beings have generated impacts on nature corresponding to a geological force capable of modifying the planet's biophysical parameters, affecting …


The patterns of curriculum change processes that embed sustainability in higher education institutions

  • Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Implementing education for sustainable development (ESD) in higher education institutions (HEIs) is critical to facilitating a transition toward sustainable development. However, little is known about the specific implementation processes that …


Understanding students' intention and actual eco-friendly behavior: A qualitative research in University

  • National Penghu University of Science and Technology

Universities can be considered a community because of their large population, large size and participation in many activities on campus. The behavior of these individuals has a direct or indirect …


Sustainability as an Emerging Paradigm in Universities

  • University of Valladolid
  • Fundación Universitaria Konrad Lorenz
  • Universitat Carlemany
  • Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores
  • Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado
  • Universidad Nacional Experimental Politécnica Antonio José de Sucre

This article aims to review the perspective of sustainability adoption in universities through two dimensions: firstly, from the educational and research process, and second, from their global positioning in terms …


Sustainability in Top Hospitality/Leisure Management Programs: Teaching for a Sustainable Future?

  • University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland

Higher education (HE) programs in hospitality/leisure management studies offer the theoretical knowledge which should prepare graduates to be effective thought leaders for a changing global workplace. Previous research examined HE …


Overcoming barriers to achieving sustainable development at universities in Vietnam

  • Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City

Numerous studies in the business context have identified variables that can promote sustainable development. By contrast, studies of universities have mostly clarified challenges of higher education, with little focus on …


Toward a Sustainable University: Babes-Bolyai University Goes Green

  • Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai

The present research aims to investigate the roadmap followed by a Romanian University implementing sustainability practices and thus contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Informed by the stakeholder …


Beyond practitioner and researcher: 15 roles adopted by actors in transdisciplinary and transformative research processes

  • Leuphana University of Lüneburg
  • Wuppertal Institut

To tackle complex sustainability problems, science and practice must join forces and interact in the processes of knowledge co-production. This central claim of sustainability science requires all actors to do …


Transforming science and society? Methodological lessons from and for transformation research

  • Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg
  • Erasmus University Rotterdam
  • Ecologic Institute
  • Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER)

Transformation research has in the past years emerged as a shared lens to study and support radical societal change towards sustainability. Given the nascent and exploratory—yet highly normative and ambitious—character …


Greening on-campus housing: blending commercial and higher education contexts

  • Virginia Tech (VA)

With the United States higher education sector representing over five billion square feet and expending over six billion dollars annually on energy costs, the higher education institution has an opportunity …


Custom-made apparel manufacturing micro-enterprise owners’ perspectives on sustainability: how higher education can contribute

  • University of South Africa

The purpose of this paper is to investigate custom-made apparel manufacturing micro-enterprise (CMME) owners’ perspectives of sustainability within their business practices throughout the entire product development process and determine how …


If It Is Life We Want: A Prayer for the Future (of the) University

  • Antioch University, New England (NH)
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
  • University of York

Universities are one potentially important place – albeit not the only one – to initiate the next generation into becoming the adult humans needed to navigate the difficult future of …


Holistic integration of sustainability at universities: Evidences from Colombia

  • Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
  • Universidad EAFIT (Antioquia)
  • Universidad de Medellin

Education for sustainable development in universities provides the university’s community (i.e. students, administrative and academic staff) with the skills and capabilities needed to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. …


Junkyard Planet: Using Stories to Teach Managerial Accounting with a Sustainability Theme

  • University of St. Thomas (MN)

The purpose of this article is to share my experience teaching managerial accounting as a sustainability-themed course using stories. Theme-based learning suggests a relatable theme can make course content more …


Selection and framing of briefs for educational circular design projects

  • Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya
  • Technische Universiteit Delft
  • University of Limerick
  • Linkoping University

This paper aims to present key characteristics of educational design briefs for the circular economy (CE) through the analysis of 11 design briefs focussing on real-life challenges related to sustainability …


Don’t be a waster! Student perceptions of recycling strategies at an English University’s halls of residence

  • Bournemouth University (Dorset)

This paper aims to explore student perceptions of recycling and explore whether one university’s strategy helped or hindered student recycling in their university's halls of residence. There is near-universal acknowledgement …


Walking the Walk: Democratizing Change in Teacher Education

  • University of Tasmania (TAS)

In this essay, as a group of teacher educators, we discuss our experience of “walking the walk” of teacher education transformation at a time of urgent change. We reflect upon …


Green building strategies for LEED-certified laboratory buildings: comparison between gold and platinum levels

  • Incheon National University

Laboratory facilities at higher education institutions are increasingly utilizing green building strategies to decrease their environmental footprint. The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating …


Sustainable Smart Cities Challenges in Project Management Curriculum

  • The Academic College of Tel Aviv–Yaffo

Business schools aim to educate and train tomorrow’s managers, who will be responsible to lead their organizations towards success. Since businesses use projects as the main means to implement innovative …


How community colleges and other TVET institutions contribute to the united nations sustainable development goals

  • California State University, Northridge (CA)
  • Jiangsu Vocational Institute of Architectural Technology
  • Universidad Autónoma de Chile
  • Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (ON)

Even though the importance of technical and vocational education is acknowledged in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015, the university sector has dominated the …


Decolonization and Transformation of Higher Education for Sustainability

  • University of Maryland, College Park (MD)

This article argues that institutions of higher education (IHEs) require a fundamental paradigm shift toward an Indigenous Knowledge (IK) model inclusive of Indigenous Peoples, perspectives, and values. This model acknowledges …


Sustainable geography in theory or in practice? Reflections from a participant at NGM 2019

  • UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Academic conferences have a large carbon footprint due to long-distance travel by participants and contribute to increased consumption in other ways. With reference to Stephen Sterling’s distinction between education about …


Teamwork makes the net-work: participant-governed networks and athletics sustainability collaboration

  • Frostburg State University (MD)
  • North Carolina State University (NC)
  • Temple University (PA)

Athletic departments play an important role in sustainability-based collaborative processes due to their boundary spanning connections with both internal and external university stakeholders. As a result, athletic department representatives have …


Stimulating student’s pro-environmental behavior in higher education institutions: an ability–motivation–opportunity perspective

  • University of Science and Technology of China
  • Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
  • Women University Swabi
  • Hefei University of Technology

The slow and inadequate environmental performance of higher education institutions is attracting the consideration of researchers toward a behavioral change of teachers and students rather than just concentrating on learning …


Does Higher Business Education Champion Environmental Sustainability for Next Generation of Leaders? An Assessment of In-School Students and Alumni’s Perspective

  • University of Hradec Kralove (Královéhradecký kraj)
  • Guangzhou College of South China University of Technology
  • South China Normal University

Higher business education has become a crucial driver of change in achieving sustainable development because it can educate future leaders who champion environmental sustainability initiatives in the corporate world. Given …


Developing an Integrated Sustainability Management Approach for Higher Education Institutions

  • University of the West of England, Bristol

The Higher Education Institutions' (HEIs) around the world have to pay the main role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals for that HEIs need to be sustainable first. This …


Learning towards environmental sustainability practices: insights from a values-based participatory research approach

  • University of the Free State
  • Fudan University

Transformative Learning Theory is instrumental in fostering sustained positive change in adult learners as it explains how critical reflection in crystallization processes results in emancipatory learning. Despite its relevance, there …


A cost-minimizing approach to eliminating the primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions at institutions of higher education

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
  • University of Massachusetts Boston (MA)

Many institutions of higher education have committed to carbon neutrality. Given this goal, the main economic issue is minimizing cost. As for society as a whole, dominant decarbonization strategies are …


Synergizing education, research, campus operations, and community engagements towards sustainability in higher education: a literature review

  • Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University

The UN proclamation of 2005–2014 as the decade of education for sustainable development has been instrumental in creating awareness and driving higher education institutions (HEIs) in integrating sustainability into their …


Sustainable Development Goals and Education: A Bibliometric Mapping Analysis

  • Universidad Pablo de Olavide
  • UNICEF (NY)

The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda sets out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at improving life in all its dimensions, covering all sectors, with a particular emphasis on education. The …


Enhancing Student Learning of Global Warming Through Reflective Writing

  • Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TX)
  • University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (TX)

The National Academy of Science has published studies showing strong scientific evidence that global warming is caused by human consumption of fossil fuels,1 yet recent surveys have shown young adults …


Self-construal types and organizational citizenship behavior for the environment of employees in a university

  • Adekunle Ajasin University

In researching into workplace pro-environmental behaviors, there is sparse evidence on self-construals with dimensions of organizational citizenship behavior for the environment (OCBE), particularly among university employees. To fill this gap, …


A Holistic Approach to Education for Sustainability: Ecofeminism as a Tool to Enhance Sustainability Attitudes in Pre-service Teachers

  • Universitat de València

To achieve an effective Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), teachers should possess appropriate sustainability attitudes to transmit those values to their future students.In this article, a holistic educational intervention around …


Planning to overcome perceived barriers: environmental and sustainability education, inclusion, and accessibility

  • Université de Saint-Boniface (MB)

Integrating environmental and sustainability education (ESE) approaches into faculty of education classrooms that are inclusive of learners with a broad range of diverse needs can seem daunting. Our purpose is …


Sustainability Governance at Higher Education Institutions: Equipped to Transform?

  • University of Vechta
  • Freie Universität Berlin

In this opinion paper, we reflect on selected literature as well as on specific research we have conducted into sustainability governance at German HEIs. We then provide answers to the …


Sustainable Development Goals as a Framework for Postgraduate Future Research Following COVID-19 Pandemic: A New Norm for Developing Countries

  • Northwest University (WA)

Education is regarded as the key to economic development, and COVID-19 has provided all universities the unique opportunity to urgently address their fitness for purpose. Universities can play a significant …


Review of empirical research on university social responsibility

  • Chaoyang University of Technology

This paper aims to systematically review the university social responsibility (USR) implementation from the empirical studies, which published during the period from 2004 to 2020. These synthesis results confirmed that …


Accelerating the implementation of SDG 4: stakeholder perceptions towards initiation of sustainable community engagement projects by higher education institutions

  • University of Mpumalanga

This paper aims to present the results of an investigation on how a reciprocal relationship between the University of Mpumalanga (UMP) in South Africa and the surrounding communities can be …


Determinant Factors of SDG Disclosure in the University Context

  • Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli"

Universities are expected to have a leading role in the advancement, promotion, and achievement of the 2030 UN Agenda, embedding the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across their four dimensions …


The six dimensions of collective leadership that advance sustainability objectives: rethinking what it means to be an academic leader

  • Colorado State University (CO)
  • Iowa State University (IA)
  • Northeastern University (MA)
  • Northern Arizona University (AZ)
  • Salisbury University (MD)
  • Stanford University (CA)
  • University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
  • McGill University (QC)
  • University of British Columbia Okanagan (BC)
  • National Geographic Society (DC)
  • TREE Foundation (FL)

Solutions to our most pressing environmental problems demand the development and application of leadership skills that are not typically fostered in traditional academic programs: skills that advance new transdisciplinary approaches …


What Does Education for Sustainable Development Offer in Initial Teacher Training? A Systematic Review

  • University of Jaén
  • Universidad de Granada

Promoting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in higher education impliesan improvement and quality in the exercise of responsible citizenship, being the key inthe training of future teachers as the main …


Sustainable development goals and the scientific community: a systematic review of the literature and the research agenda

  • University of Campinas

The aim of this paper is to discuss the process of the constitution of the Sustainable Development Goals and, by extension, present how the scientific community has been collaborating with …


Incorporating green building into architectural education: what can we learn from the value-belief-norm theory?

  • Griffith University (Queensland)
  • Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design and Research
  • Shenzhen University

Aiming to find out how to incorporate green building into the architectural curriculum, this study aims to explore the psychological path for cultivating architectural students’ awareness and motivation to learn …


Sustainability in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs: Authentic engagement through a community-based approach

  • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (FL)
  • University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland

Higher education Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs currently offer the theoretical knowledge and industry-related competences that seek to prepare STEM graduates to be leaders to meet 21st century …


Learning for the Future: Exploring Effective Characteristics of Sustainability Leadership Programs in Higher Education

  • Thompson Rivers University (BC)

In response to global environmental, economic, and social issues, universities and colleges have begun to create and expand leadership courses and programs that aspire to foster sustainability change agents. This …


Multilevel barrier and driver analysis to improve sustainability implementation strategies: Towards sustainable operations in institutions of higher education

  • United Nations University
  • Technische Universität Dresden (Dresden)

In practice what they preach in research and education, higher education institutions (HEIs) must consider economic, ecological, and social impacts in their quest for sustainable operations. We contribute to the …


Business models for integration of sustainability in universities: An explorative analysis of Italian state universities

  • Università degli Studi di Sassari

Although the leadership role of higher education in creating a sustainable development has been widely recognized, there is a paucity of studies following a strategic perspective to explain how universities …


Wicked problems: university research topic convergence despite divergence in local educational and innovation policies

  • National Defense University (DC)
  • Häme University of Applied Sciences
  • Universidade Feevale

This study aims to determine how sustainable development (SD) demands (according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) SD themes from 2005) are connected to the contents of …


Using the theory of planned behavior to understand the students’ pro-environmental behavior: a case-study in a Portuguese HEI

  • Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra (Coimbra)

Through the application of the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study aims to explore the main determinants of higher education students’ pro-environmental behavior.


What Do Freshmen Know about Sustainability? Analysing the Skill Gap among University Business Administration Students

  • Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
  • Universidad de Murcia (Murcia)

This study aims at creating and validating an instrument to assess the level of mastery in sustainability competencies of freshmen students in business-related studies. To reach this goal, a questionnaire …