Sustainability and Community Colleges: It’s More Than Just Recycling

File(s)
Date
2023-12Author
Hankins, Kimberly O.
Publisher
School of Education, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Advisor(s)
St. Maurice, Henry
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The purpose of this study was to examine sustainability policies and practices at community
colleges. A social-constructivist worldview guided my exploratory qualitative study that tar geted nine sustainability professionals at eight community colleges with enrollment under
10,000 in the midwestern region of the United States. I relied on the principles of narrative and
phenomenological research to use open-ended interview questions. I used the three pillars of
sustainability: environment, economy, and equity as context for inquiry. I found the following
four themes that aligned with my conceptual model:
• Sustainability/Administration & Operations;
• Sustainability/Diversity, Equity & Inclusion;
• Administration & Operations/Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; and
• The intersection of all three themes.
Structure, funding, overlapping mission of equity position and policies were revealed in my
analyses, with additional emphases on barriers and opportunities. I identified the most frequent
barrier as apathy with both students and administration. Lack of time students are on campus
or enrolled in college was another commonly noted barrier. Among opportunities, I found optimism for student engagement and increased support for sustainability initiatives. The study
was limited by the sample size. I made recommendations for future studies across the United
States, to increase participation by including targeted instructors and DEI officers, and researching overlapping mission of equity in DEI and sustainability programs
Subject
Budget
Community College
Diversity
Education
Equity
Sustainability
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/84798Type
Dissertation