Empowering Deans for Sustainability Transformations at Academic Departments: Obstacles, Strategies and Roadmaps

Embedding sustainability in the education and research portfolios of higher education institutions requires a process of transformational change at multiple interconnected levels: (1) the central, administrative level; (2) the intermediate, school/faculty/department level and (3) the individual lecturer/researcher level. The research literature often overlooks the second level, and in particular, the role of deans and heads of departments in supporting these change processes. Hence, this chapter focuses on the second – the middle-out level. While deans are highly motivated to pursue sustainability transformations in their department, they often face several constraints: limited time and resources and an overload of trade-offs and options to consider. The following research questions are addressed in this chapter: To answer the questions, a review of the literature was carried out, followed up by two surveys and interviews with over 30 deans from across Europe. The theoretical background of this chapter draws upon the literature on organisational change and policy levers. The insights from theory and practice point to a set of tools, approaches and strategies that deans may use for building a roadmap towards sustainability for their department. The roadmaps will differ, depending on the mission at stake and an assessment of the department’s current strengths and future opportunities. This chapter provides theory-grounded and empirically based design guidelines for academic leaders looking for the building blocks of sustainability roadmaps for their departments.