Higher Education Institution–Community Partnerships: Measuring the Performance of Sustainability Science Initiatives

Abstract

The enterprise of sustainability science extends beyond the academy to address pressing environmental issues through collaboration. It coincides with trends in higher education institutions (HEIs) towards an expanded mission for addressing societal challenges as well as greater accountability. In this paper, we aim to establish an instrument for assessing the performance of sustainability science initiatives in HEIs. The performance of three HEI–community partnerships for sustainability science in Ontario, Canada (the Brock-Lincoln Living Lab, the Excellence in Environmental Stewardship Initiative, and Niagara Adapts) were examined using the HEI–Community Partnership Performance Index (HCPPI). Our preliminary results suggest that the HCPPI is a reliable, valid, and easy-to-administer tool for accurately assessing the performance of HEI–community partnerships for sustainability science. Incorporating systemic performance assessments into HEI–community partnerships promotes accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement. It also serves as a vital feedback mechanism by fostering reflection, adaptation, and learning—critical components to sustainability science.

Appraising HEI-community Partnerships: Assessing Performance, Monitoring Progress, and Evaluating Impacts

“…A final challenge is the actual measurement of success. Measurement nomenclature is often used interchangeably and employed imprecisely (see Plummer et al 2021b). Each has a specific meaning and purpose, which we describe in the next section.…”

“…In seeking to draw upon current experience, the President encouraged the authors to catalyse community connections across the institution as well as determine how to gauge the success of formal community partnerships. The authors thus embarked on a multi-year program of inquiry into the performance of higher education institutioncommunity partnerships (Plummer et al 2021a), including measuring the performance of sustainability science initiatives (Plummer et al 2022) and evaluating transdisciplinary partnerships for sustainability (Plummer et al 2021b). While sustainability science informed some of the empirical investigations, the program of inquiry transcended disciplinary, geographic and institutional contexts.…”

“…On the one hand, there are numerous accounts appraising HEI-community partnerships in great detail (e.g. Brinkerhoff 2002;Butterworth & Palermo 2008;Holton et al 2015;McNall et al 2009;Plummer et al 2021b;Tyndall et al 2020;Wiek et al 2012;Williamson et al 2016). On the other hand, consensus does not exist between scholars as to what constitutes HEI-community partnership success (Brush et al 2019).…”

Green Initiatives and Environmental Concern Foster Environmental Sustainability: A Study Based on the Use of Reusable Drink Cups

“…Some green practices that universities have adopted include energy conservation, reducing carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emission, water conservation activities, and adopting green purchasing policies [ 74 , 75 ]. GUIs impart awareness through the promotion of efficient utilization of resources such as efficient energy management practices [ 76 ]. Researchers highlighted that university’s green initiatives and environmental concern are essential factors that lead to pro-environmental behavior [ 68 , 77 , 78 ].…”

Systemic Collaborative Platforms: Accelerating Sustainable Development Goals transitions through multi-stakeholder convening arrangements

“…These models combine the entrepreneurial capability of a network with the organizational efficiency of a traditional hierarchy . Thus, noting the convening potential of HEI and the fundamental role they are called upon to play in the achievement of the SDGs Owens, 2017;Plummer et al, 2021;Rowe and Hiser, 2015), new models and practical evidence of HEI transformational collaborations are required (Findler et The MSTD is a sustainability-focused degree offered by the UPM and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (a long-established university in the field of Social Sciences and Humanities), where a rich ecosystem of faculty, students and partner organizations interact around the main elements of the 2030 Agenda. The MSTD began in 2010 as an important milestone in the consolidation of collaboration among UPM faculty carrying out research on technological solutions to alleviate poverty (access to water, energy, telecommunications, basic housing, and food security).…”