Assessment Frameworks for Promoting Sustainable Development in Educational Institutions

The field of sustainable development (SD) in higher education institutions (HEIs) is now well established. HEIs are instrumental in promoting the principles of sustainability, which contribute to changing attitudes towards the current situation and a sustainable future. Holistic SD – which includes physical characteristics and education – is a field of progressive learning. There is an increasing number of academic publications and literature pointing towards the growing field of SD. India, being the largest democracy and having a large number of educational institutions, has committed herself to the agenda of promoting sustainable development in HEIs by stressing on SD parameters. This chapter studies the different sustainability practices followed /adopted in various HEIs around the world (with a focus on Indian universities), along with the frameworks and tools for measuring sustainability performance in HE. The focus is to understand whether the sustainability practices are different for different higher education settings or if they are the same. It also discusses the primary focus of the frameworks and tools in various countries’ HEIs. Case studies and literature studies from different settings of HEIs – developed, developing and underdeveloped countries are analysed to conclude and further provide solutions for the promotion of sustainable development in educational Institutions. This chapter assesses whether different HE settings require a common goal that could be achieved and assessed through a common assessment framework or whether institutions from different HE settings need a specific assessment system to recognise their achievements.