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York University: Sustainability Leadership and Challenges at a Large Post-secondary Institution

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Schooling for Sustainable Development in Canada and the United States

Part of the book series: Schooling for Sustainable Development ((SSDE,volume 4))

Abstract

This chapter profiles sustainability advances at a large Canadian university. York University has a rich history of sustainability curriculum, research, and institutional programs and practices. However, it is only recently that these have been coordinated as a pan-university approach through the President’s Sustainability Council. This chapter reflects upon the first 3 years of the Council’s work by reviewing key features of its consensus-based model of sustainability planning. The chapter also identifies several key challenges that the Council has experienced, including engaging the university community in sustainability matters, integrating social justice and human rights into a comprehensive sustainability strategy, establishing a forum for student-specific sustainability concerns, and integrating the particular needs and preferences of York’s Glendon campus.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The York University Code of Conduct for Licensees prohibits the use of forced labor, child labor, and engagement in harassment or discrimination. It also sets minimum health and safety standards, protects freedom of association and collective bargaining, and delineates wage and benefit standards, hours of work, and overtime compensation.

  2. 2.

    For an inventory of community engagement activities ranging from financial assistance to capacity building projects to on-campus co-op placements for local high school students, please consult York University’s (2008) Inventory of Community Engagement, prepared by the Office for University Events and Community Engagement (http://www.yorku.ca/uecr/inventory.html).

  3. 3.

    The center is funded by the Toronto Dominion (TD) Bank as a teaching, research, and resource facility for the community and the university.

  4. 4.

    York is a signatory to the Talloires Declaration, a recommendation of the report of the 2001 report of the York President’s Task Force on Sustainability.

References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Jennifer Foster

Authors
  1. Jennifer Foster
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jennifer Foster .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hendrix Dr. 113, Oak Ridge, 37830, Tennessee, USA

    Rosalyn McKeown

  2. Linden Road 520, Bellingham, 98225, Washington, USA

    Victor Nolet

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Foster, J. (2013). York University: Sustainability Leadership and Challenges at a Large Post-secondary Institution. In: McKeown, R., Nolet, V. (eds) Schooling for Sustainable Development in Canada and the United States. Schooling for Sustainable Development, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4273-4_19

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