Sustainability on a small campus: a case study of Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Abstract

Education has been identified as a key component in sustainable development and sustainability transitions, as exemplified by the UN’s Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2004-2015), thus, it is important for universities to understand the current state of their sustainability education and outreach efforts. The purpose of this research is to present a case study of a small campus that is making active efforts towards advancing its sustainability profile. This research uses transdisciplinary sustainability as a theoretical framework, using a social science approach and a mixed research method. Through a series of 10 expert interviews with faculty and staff at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and a survey administered to the student body, this research unveils areas where Grenfell Campus has been successful at sustainability implementation and where it can improve, according to the Holistic Campus Sustainability Framework. This research reveals that while Grenfell Campus has increased its sustainability profile considerably in recent years in areas such as Operations and Engagement & Collaboration, there are still key areas in need of improvement, namely in the areas of Governance, Food Production & Services, Sustainability Communications, and Assessment & Reporting.