Using Frameworks to Establish a Culture of Academic Citizenship: An Illustrative Case

Higher education institutions (HEIs) drive transformation and support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Academics are ready to promote intellectual citizenship beyond membership. However, there exists no consensus on academic citizenship. Various interpretations hinder operationalisation, which affects deliveries and quantifiable goals. Academic citizenship in this chapter means membership in an institution-of higher education sector of an academic community. Active engagement in academic community curricular and co-curricular activities and institution representation facilitates access to privileges, acceptance and fulfilment of membership responsibilities, and reputation building. HEIs can lead the way in academic sustainability and transformation via academic activities. Academic citizenship includes many interpretations of HEI civic goals. Thus, academic citizenship is undervalued. This chapter discusses academic citizenship’s evolving outlook and how HEIs might promote active scholarship within the SDG framework. This chapter operationalises academic citizenship from the literature. SDGs and academic citizenship are fostered by a 10-point plan at the University of the Western Cape. The chapter explains this unique approach to academic citizenship.