Barriers to success in sustainability at the Land Grant University: student demands for transparency and accountability in a climate-changed world

Abstract

Institutions of higher education should be at the forefront of climate change research, teaching, and outreach. One of the ways that universities are addressing environmental issues potentially related to climate change is through sustainability initiatives on campus. In this paper, we centre the voices of undergraduate environmental organisations at a land grant university to better understand how sustainability initiatives are (or are not) attempting to address environmental issues and climate change impacts. We highlight the specific example of the establishment of an Office of Sustainability, which was launched and shuttered at the University of Delaware. We situate our study at the site of the settler colonial, neoliberal, land grant university, which showcases the messy foundations of creating inclusive and justice-oriented sustainability practices. Our data suggest that students are not being included in meaningful ways and that more should be done to inspire climate and sustainability dialogues across campuses in the United States.