As part of ULSF's Sustainability in Higher Education Indicators
Project, which ran from February 1998 through June 1999, ULSF
developed the Sustainability Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), a
survey instrument designed to assist students, faculty members,
staff and administrators in determining the extent to which their
college or university is sustainable in its teaching, research,
operations and outreach. Academic institutions vary considerably
in how they approach sustainability: some concentrate on minimizing
their ecological impact through changes in operations; others
emphasize faculty and curriculum development; etc. The SAQ is
organized according to seven critical dimensions of higher education:
1. Curriculum
2. Research and Scholarship
3. Operations
4. Faculty and Staff Development and Rewards
5. Outreach and Service
6. Student Opportunities
7. Institutional Mission, Structure and Planning
The questionnaire draws on the impressions of knowledgeable members of an academic community to determine
priorities for more precise action to promote sustainability on campus.
In designing the questionnaire, we envisioned both an assessment instrument and a teaching tool. In other words,
by its very design and content we wanted the SAQ to instruct its users on the meaning of sustainability in higher
education. We also intended the SAQ process to stimulate conversation and debate within institutions on the
path to sustainability. "Sustainability" implies that the critical activities of a college or university are
ecologically sound, socially just and economically viable, and that they will continue to be so for future
generations. We sought to encompass a definition of sustainability that included social and economic, as well
as environmental dimensions.
In determining the basic characteristics of colleges and universities fully committed to sustainability, certain
essential dimensions kept recurring as we tested various draft questionnaires with campus representatives and
sustainability advocates. Although approaches to "greening" higher education vary considerably, we feel that
an institution must be implementing meaningful practices in the following seven areas to be demonstrating
significant progress toward achieving sustainability:
1. The college or university would appropriately incorporate the concepts of sustainability into all academic
disciplines and in liberal arts and professional education requirements. Likewise, a firm grounding in basic
disciplines and critical thinking skills is essential to pursuing a sustainable future. Institutions
committed to sustainability often prominently feature certain topics in their course offerings, e.g.
Globalization and Sustainable Development; Environmental Philosophy; Nature Writing; Land Ethics and Sustainable
Agriculture; Urban Ecology and Social Justice; Population, Women and Development; Sustainable Production and
Consumption; and many others.
2. Sustainability would be integrated into faculty and student research on topics such as renewable energy,
sustainable building design, ecological economics, indigenous wisdom and technologies, population and development,
total environmental quality management, etc.
3. The institution would be continually engaged in reducing its "ecological footprint." In its production and
consumption the institution follows sustainable policies and practices: for example, CO2 reduction practices
and the use of emission control devices; sustainable building construction and renovation; energy conservation
practices; local food purchasing program; purchasing and investment in environmentally and socially responsible
products; regularly conducted environmental audits; and many others. Furthermore, these operational practices
would be integrated into the educational and scholarly activities of the school.
4. Since research and teaching are the fundamental purposes of academic institutions, knowledge of sustainability
would be a critical concern in the hiring, tenure and promotion systems. We would expect the institution to:
a. Reward faculty members' contributions to sustainability in scholarship, teaching, or campus and community activities.
b. Provide significant staff and faculty development opportunities to enhance understanding, teaching and research in sustainability.
5. The institution would engage in outreach and forming partnerships both locally and globally to enhance
sustainability. The college or university would support sustainable communities in the surrounding region and
develop relationships with local businesses that foster sustainable practices. The institution would also seek
international cooperation in solving global environmental justice and sustainability problems through conferences,
student/faculty exchanges, etc.
6. Student opportunities would reflect the institution's commitment to sustainability in the form of:
a. New student orientation, scholarships, internships and job placement counseling related to community service, sustainability and/or justice issues;
b. An Environmental or Sustainability Council or Task Force with strong student representation;
c. Student groups actively engaged in promoting sustainability on campus and in the local community.
7. The written statements of the mission and purpose of the institution and its various units would express a
commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability. The institution would have institutionalized
this commitment with paid positions (such as Energy Officer or Director of Sustainability Programs).
The institutional concern for sustainability would be further reflected by public events on campus
(such as lectures, conferences, Earth Day celebrations, etc).
Through our consultation and design process, we explored short
and long versions of the instrument with different blends of quantitative
and qualitative measures. In order to keep the SAQ primarily qualitative
and impressionistic, we decided not to include a rating/scoring
system. The goal of the assessment exercise is to provide a comprehensive
definition of sustainability and a snapshot of a college or university
on the path to sustainability. We determined that a rating/scoring
system would make the instrument prematurely quantitative and
difficult for most to complete without extensive research. It
might also discourage prospective users. (For a list of those
experts in the field who gave us feedback on the design and content
of the SAQ, see the Indicators
Project Advisory Group.)
We are currently distributing the SAQ widely and are working intensively with a small set of colleges and
universities using the questionnaire as a catalyst for institutional change. ULSF staff conduct occasional SAQ
workshops on campus in which a diverse group of representatives completes the questionnaire, analyzes areas of
strength and weakness, and sets priorities for pursuing sustainability further. The SAQ is also available to
anyone for use without the input of ULSF, and we encourage persons initiating their own exercises to keep us
informed of outcomes.
To date, many have asked if we could provide a guide to resources in the seven categories covered by the SAQ.
Thus to complement the questionnaire, we are developing a Resources Database on this website which offers related
publications, websites, organizations, etc., for each of the seven main categories, plus sub-categories where
appropriate.
We recognize that the task of developing a comprehensive, reliable, and valid instrument is formidable.
While we've made considerable progress toward our goal, we know that any such work rests firmly on the principle
that indicators need to be constantly monitored, evaluated and improved. Thus we are hopeful that the SAQ
will be used as a foundation for continued research and collaboration.
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