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Campus Sustainability Planning in the United States: Insights from a Qualitative Systematic Review.

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Title: Campus Sustainability Planning in the United States: Insights from a Qualitative Systematic Review.
Authors: Dougherty, Madison K (AUTHOR), Dawson, Sarah (AUTHOR), Vos, Jaap (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Higher Education. 2026, Vol. 97 Issue 3, p518-545. 28p.
Subjects: Sustainability, Bureaucracy, Environmental protection planning, Social justice, Distributive justice, Universities & colleges
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: In the United States (US), campus sustainability planning (CSP) is an integral component of the operations and cultures of higher education institutions (HEIs). Despite being an esteemed practice, the emergence and practice of CSP in US higher education is not well understood or documented. This article addresses this research gap by providing a nuanced exploration of CSP in the US, examining the strategies US HEIs employ in their pursuit of sustainability. A systematic review was conducted, using a qualitative approach with reflexive thematic analysis to synthesize over 30 years of CSP literature. We conclude that US HEIs largely interpret the concept of sustainability solely in environmental terms, neglecting the interconnected elements of social justice and economic equity. In addition, the complex, change-resistant bureaucratic landscape of US higher education poses a major barrier to the successful implementation of sustainability initiatives. The most effective CSP strategy is to institutionalize commitments to sustainability, enabling sustainability to become a university-wide ethos guiding all operations and affairs. The findings of this review will provide US HEIs with a "theoretical toolkit" with which they can improve their CSP efforts by promoting holistic forms of sustainability while navigating common institutional barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Campus Sustainability Planning in the United States: Insights from a Qualitative Systematic Review.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dougherty%2C+Madison+K%22">Dougherty, Madison K</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dawson%2C+Sarah%22">Dawson, Sarah</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Vos%2C+Jaap%22">Vos, Jaap</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Higher+Education%22">Journal of Higher Education</searchLink>. 2026, Vol. 97 Issue 3, p518-545. 28p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sustainability%22">Sustainability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Bureaucracy%22">Bureaucracy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+protection+planning%22">Environmental protection planning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+justice%22">Social justice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Distributive+justice%22">Distributive justice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Universities+%26+colleges%22">Universities & colleges</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+States%22">United States</searchLink>
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  Data: In the United States (US), campus sustainability planning (CSP) is an integral component of the operations and cultures of higher education institutions (HEIs). Despite being an esteemed practice, the emergence and practice of CSP in US higher education is not well understood or documented. This article addresses this research gap by providing a nuanced exploration of CSP in the US, examining the strategies US HEIs employ in their pursuit of sustainability. A systematic review was conducted, using a qualitative approach with reflexive thematic analysis to synthesize over 30 years of CSP literature. We conclude that US HEIs largely interpret the concept of sustainability solely in environmental terms, neglecting the interconnected elements of social justice and economic equity. In addition, the complex, change-resistant bureaucratic landscape of US higher education poses a major barrier to the successful implementation of sustainability initiatives. The most effective CSP strategy is to institutionalize commitments to sustainability, enabling sustainability to become a university-wide ethos guiding all operations and affairs. The findings of this review will provide US HEIs with a "theoretical toolkit" with which they can improve their CSP efforts by promoting holistic forms of sustainability while navigating common institutional barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=193276918
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/00221546.2025.2536964
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 28
        StartPage: 518
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      – SubjectFull: Sustainability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Bureaucracy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Environmental protection planning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social justice
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Distributive justice
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      – SubjectFull: Universities & colleges
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      – SubjectFull: United States
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Campus Sustainability Planning in the United States: Insights from a Qualitative Systematic Review.
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            NameFull: Dougherty, Madison K
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            NameFull: Dawson, Sarah
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            NameFull: Vos, Jaap
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            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Text: 2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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