Leadership for Sustainability in Higher Education

Description:

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.

Brief description: Janet Haddock-Fraser is Emeritus Professor of Sustainability and Leadership at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. She was Chair of Trustees for the EAUC: The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education between 2016-2020 and is a Board Member for both the Land Trust and the Peak District National Park Authority, UK.

Review Quotes:

"Overall the book provides a valuable contribution to the understanding of leadership, sustainability and the higher education sectors, as well as their interconnectedness ... The models developed, research undertaken and applied case studies presented make it compelling reading for leaders and aspiring leaders in higher education." --Journal of Applied Teaching and Learning

"Brings a much-needed fresh perspective to leadership for sustainability, recognizing the need for sustainability to be 'just good business', bringing to the fore the need for the sustainability leader to align with key drivers in the Higher Education sector. It provides a robust and comprehensive understanding of not only what great sustainability leadership means, but tools, models and methods to make it happen. A must-read for the sector, but then it's time to roll our sleeves up and lead the change." --Iain Patton, CEO, Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges, UK

"Makes an invaluable contribution to the field of leadership in higher education. I have not previously encountered such a thoroughly-presented examination of the connections between appropriate theory on sustainability and on leadership, seen through the lens of higher education institutions and their practices." --Paul Gentle, Academic Director, Invisible Grail Limited and Associate, Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, UK