Leadership for Sustainability in Higher Education

Sustainability is a complex concept, and the challenge of understanding it and applying it to a diverse, multi-agent, organisational setting with its potentially conflicting priorities cannot be underestimated. Leadership for Sustainability in Higher Education provides key learning from the authors’ extensive academic, leadership and professional experience in this area, supplemented with reference to key learning from other leaders and institutions.
Janet Fraser-Haddock, Peter Rands and Stephen Scoffham bring together the wide range of influences and considerations to succeed, including:
- an understanding of the core constructs of leadership theory and sustainability
- the range of perspectives through which to view and value sustainability
- successful activities and actions undertaken by sustainability leaders in the higher education sector
- models and methods to successfully implement sustainability that are new to the sector
- influencers on the sustainability agenda, whether policy- or demand-led, external or internal
- barriers to and enablers of success for leaders at individual, institutional and sector levels

These factors all combine to provide a framework for the reader within which to consider leadership for sustainability, both at an individual level and within the higher education culture and organisational norms. The authors provide a theoretical underpinning of key concepts, supplemented by examples of practice across the sector, both within the UK and internationally. Case studies from the UK, Australia, North America and India all bring to life the key opportunities and challenges of leading the sustainability agenda across a range of higher education institutions.

Janet Haddock-Fraser is Professor of Sustainability and Leadership at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, and Chair of Trustees for the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC). She also has extensive experience of leading and operating as part of senior leadership teams in UK universities.

Peter Rands is Director of Sustainability Development at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK. He is a Fellow of Sustainable Futures Leadership Academy and has achieved ISO14001 accreditation for a whole-university Environmental Management System.

Stephen Scoffham is Visiting Reader in Sustainability and Education at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK and is President of the UK Geographical Association (2018-19).