Barriers to student mobilization and service at institutions of higher education

Abstract

PurposeTo identify some of the barriers to mobilizing students of higher education in sustainable initiatives, in order to enhance project success on campuses.Design/methodology/approachUses a case study of a model green building retrofit on the College of Charleston campus in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Several constraints already identified in the literature are pin‐pointed in this case study as well as additional barriers important for understanding success (or the lack of success) of sustainability efforts. Using participant observation, delineates new impediments and lists previously studied constraints from existing literature.FindingsPrevious barriers identified include: stereotypes associated with activism; apathy among students; lack of tangible results; lack of coordination among the campus community; troubling national policies; cuts in state budgets; lack of project funding; and lack of sufficient time to implement satisfactory projects. New barriers include: the emotional dynamics between students and the issues associated with an urban, municipal, historic campus.Research limitations/implicationsThe case study is based on results after one year of project work versus long‐term results. The conclusions are intended to help all campuses, but particularly include historic and urban institutions and emotional dynamics between case study participants.Practical implicationsOvercoming barriers for an urban campus has the practical implications of a beneficial student project for both campus and community stakeholders.Originality/valueThe addition of these constraints to the list of barriers will help campus mobilization efforts to better anticipate and address concerns of students, and take into account the real‐world issues associated with sustainability, such as corresponding with the local municipality's needs, particularly addressing stringent historic preservation codes and various socio‐economic groups.

Stakeholder Perceptions of Campus Sustainability Efforts: Lessons from Vermont

“…Most universities tackle sustainability issues in a compartmentalized manner, focusing on classes and individual studies without linking theory to sustainable campus operations as a whole [31]. While many areas for growth and success have been identified, colleges and universities may still encounter barriers when working toward campus sustainability, such as a lack of student mobilization, lack of funding and grant awards, lack of time, and fear of stereotypes [32]. However, institutional support can help mitigate these issues and allow for the continuation of campus sustainability initiatives.…”

Challenges and opportunities for sustainability in regional universities: a case study in Mytilene, Greece

“…One of the most important constraints during the 'greening' of an HEI is the funding for the establishment of new technologies and their long-term maintenance [20,26], despite the fact that future benefits will be obtained [26]. Limited funding influences the implementation and initial planning of environmental management programs [9], the purchase of low-priced products, the ability for employment expenditures and the level of participation [2,39].…”

Critical environmental adult education in Canada: Student environmental activism

“…Large funding cuts to the voluntary sector did occur in the 1990s, but Canadian social and environmental programs still receive more funding relative to American programs, given the drastic cuts under Presidents Reagan and George W. Bush. American environmental student activists generally need to rely on small amounts of state funding, which can quickly disappear as the political climate changes (Zimmerman and Halfacre-Hitchcock, 2006), becomes unstable and centrally controlled by an umbrella nongovernmental organization (Dawson, 2007), or is influenced by grants from large foundations such as the Rockefeller Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts, whose funding criteria implement its own agendas (Lewis, 2003;Oja Jay, 2007).…”

“…Almost every Canadian PIRG supports one or more sustainability projects. There are now over forty-six student or student-community environmental groups funded by PIRGs where "students can confront [an] issue without having to take on the entrenched institutional system" (Hirsch, 1993, p. 35, cited in Zimmerman andHalfacre-Hitchcock, 2006), including campus gardens and student-run composting programs. Canadian PIRGs also support efforts that directly confront institutional power, including anti-Coca Cola campaigns and ecojustice solidarity groups related to indigenous self-determination.…”