Sustainability Assessment in Higher Education Institutions

Influence of sustainability in the positioning of the university brand: Study in universities in Medellín-Colombia

The implementation of university sustainability affects brand perceptions by conferring attributes related to commitment and reputation, especially by students. The proper management of sustainability is related to an improvement in the university brand perceived by its stakeholders, including students. For this reason, this research aims to analyse whether university sustainability positively affects brand positioning among university students. For this purpose, a theoretical and quantitative mixed-method investigation is proposed that allows the establishment of a structural model in which the relationships between the dimensions of university sustainability with the dimensions of brand positioning are evident. The empirical analysis found that some dimensions of university sustainability, such as the institutional framework, campus operations and some dimensions of the substantive functions, positively affect brand positioning in university students and generate commitment to the university from both the prestige and reputation of the brand.

Health professionals' education related to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are among the most underserved in an inequitable healthcare system.

METHODS

Using Arksey and O'Malley's methodology and a social determinants of health framework, we conducted a scoping review of literature on the state of practice in education of healthcare professionals in the health and healthcare needs of this population.

RESULTS

Searches found 4948 articles, with 182 included in the final review. Themes identified included gaps of not being informed by workforce needs, continued use of the medical model of care, not addressing intersectionality with racial/ethnic and other discriminations, and lack of involvement of the population in developing/evaluating programs and promising trends of development of competency-based interprofessional programs with experiential learning.

CONCLUSION

We provide recommendations for best practices in a concerted effort to educate a healthcare workforce equipped with the knowledge and skills to address the health needs of this population.

Carving out a Niche in the Sustainability Confluence for Environmental Education Centers in Cyprus and Greece

Given the environmental issues that today’s societies confront, such as climate change, waste management, ecosystem deterioration, etc., environmental education is becoming increasingly important. Adoption of environmental education as an integral part of the educational system is required for the Environmental Education Center (EEC) to be able to provide knowledge, skills, and values so that society can become active and environmentally responsible through awareness-raising. According to the scholarly published research, EECs can positively affect local communities and create an environmentally friendly culture. In addition, given that EECs can even play a significant part in the development of lifelong learning activities at the education and sustainable development nexus, it is considered critical to establishing future potentials and dynamics. Thus, aiming to analyze EECs’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) within our complex and ever-evolving world, educators, students, and other fellow citizens in Cyprus and Greece participated in a survey in which they were asked to fill in a questionnaire, specifically developed for each group category. The findings of this study provide a deeper understanding of the implications arising as a result of effective environmental education absence, as well as the importance of a holistic approach through EECs. Moreover, it offers the research community a solid framework for future innovation in citizen engagement and training.

Higher Education for Sustainability: A Bibliometric Approach—What, Where and Who Is Doing Research in This Subject?

Contextualization: From a very early age, assuming more prominence over the last decades, issues related to sustainability have been taking on a particular interest in the field of research. Although initially the basic concern was at the level of environmental sustainability, the truth is that, progressively, education for sustainability, deeply linked to the science of sustainability, constitutes, together with the latter, the scientific basis for education for the sustainability in higher education, thus emerging a research niche capable of providing greater openness and interaction between higher education institutions and their surroundings. Main aims of the study: Due to the importance that this issue assumes, this article seeks to address the issue of sustainability in higher education, giving particular focus to the analysis at the level of studies that have been developed, which are the main countries and institutions where this has been most researched, as well as which main researchers have been working on this issue. Methodology: For this purpose, and using information taken from the Scopus Database, a bibliometric analysis was carried out, which based on the items “higher education” and “sustainability” allowed to identify a set of 4410 publications. Main results: The results obtained allow to conclude that the number of publications in this area has been observing a significant increase over the last 30 years, with the United States, UK, Spain, Australia and Germany emerging as the countries which publish the most, and within these the Leuphana Universitat Luneburg, RMIT, Hochschule fur Angewandte Wissenschaften Hamburg, Manchester Metropolitan and the Arizona State universities that most publish in this field of research. The five main researchers in the field of higher education for sustainability, were also highlighted. Main contributions: Theoretical and practical contributions were highlighgted, namely, the contribution for government entities and the respective HEIs to reflect on the possible synergies to be developed, as well as to establish strategies and policies promoters of a more efficient and effective investment in research in higher education for sustainability.