ABSTRACT
Universities are complex institutions with multiple sub-systems – from teaching to research to knowledge exchange, and the operation of the campus itself as well as influences on the local economy. This chapter will explore what a ‘sustainability purpose’ looks like across the different university sub-systems starting first with a historical view of ‘university purpose’ as a whole and the tensions that exist between more incremental and radical visions of what sustainability transformation in higher education entails, before exploring different sub-systems with a focus on how stakeholders in every part of the university can find meaning and purpose in their work, whether in research, teaching, management, partnerships or operations, and how they can influence the university in becoming a sustainable university and in catalysing a sustainable future. This chapter considers a holistic, whole-institutional approach to the transition towards a sustainable university, considering the very purpose of a university, what a ‘sustainable university’ looks like in the context of different university sub-systems all of which influence the educational environment, and how whole-institution change can be achieved through individual agency and leadership to drive transformation at every level and every aspect within a university.
