Program on the Environment

Lack of existing engagement from institutions and students is indicative of overall lacking sustainability culture, which is needed now more than ever. The University of Washington’s first Sustainability Action goal is to double student and faculty engagement by 2025. This study intended to explore how to increase student and faculty sustainability engagement on campus and online. I interned with the UW Sustainability Office to explore how this might be possible to implement on the UW campus. I interviewed folks involved with sustainability on other university campuses for further information on common practices. They’re data collecting methodology surrounding engagement as well as how they’ve approached increasing sustainability at their institutions. These findings show collaboration between students and the university is critical. Improvement in this capacity is vital towards promoting a sustainable future at all, let alone universities. Additionally, institutional support is essential for change-makers in both administration and the student body. Universities have the opportunity to promote sustainability to society at large and should see it as the moral imperative of our times.