Community Sustainability Partnerships: An Opportunity to Advance the Goals of Communities and Universities / Curtis S Probst.

Format:

Book

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Probst, Curtis S., author.

Contributor:

University of Pennsylvania. Higher Education Management, degree granting institution.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Higher education.

Sustainability.

Climate change.

Higher Education Management--Penn dissertations.

Penn dissertations--Higher Education Management.

Local Subjects:

Higher education.

Sustainability.

Climate change.

Higher Education Management--Penn dissertations.

Penn dissertations--Higher Education Management.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (234 pages)

Distribution:

Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2022

Contained In:

Dissertations Abstracts International 84-04B.

Place of Publication:

[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] : University of Pennsylvania, 2022.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Environmental issues-including climate change and pollution-are having adverse consequences on communities and can exacerbate existing social and economic issues. Recognizing these concerns, many universities are promoting sustainability through their operations, teaching, and research. They are also entering into partnerships to help address the sustainability challenges facing communities. This mixed methods study was intended to help campus and community leaders interested in accelerating their sustainability efforts through partnership. The quantitative research used the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) to review key characteristics of 326 community partnerships involving 131 U.S. colleges and universities with gold or platinum STARS ratings. The qualitative research involved 24 interviews with university leaders at four universities and community representatives familiar with their sustainability partnerships. These interviews demonstrated the benefits of these partnerships to the university and community; they also demonstrated challenges associated with their implementation. The study makes several recommendations for universities interested in magnifying the positive impacts of community sustainability partnerships, including: (a) developing a rationale for community sustainability partnerships, which support teaching and learning, research, and diversity, equity, and inclusion goals; (b) creating infrastructure to support these partnerships (i.e., leadership, funding, faculty support, student support, coordination, and communications); (c) fostering the necessary community relationships using specialized offices, centers, or institutes of the university; (d) engaging boundary organizations in the community; (e) leveraging existing connections including alumni and interns; and (f) designing specific partnerships with intentionality, considering their location, membership, forms of engagement, sustainability focus, timing, and purpose. There are many community partnerships that have demonstrated benefits to the community and the university alike. This study found a wide range of community partnership models that may be adopted to advance sustainability, and some mechanisms universities are adopting to support these partnerships. Yet, there is an opportunity for universities to take actions to significantly increase the scale and impact of community partnerships to a level more commensurate with the scale of sustainability challenges facing society.

Notes:

Source: Dissertations Abstracts International, Volume: 84-04, Section: B.

Advisors: Hartley, J. Matthew; Committee members: Eynon, Diane E.; Cohen, Steven A.

Department: Higher Education Management.

Ed.D. University of Pennsylvania 2022.

Local Notes:

School code: 0175

ISBN:

9798845407771

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.