Conceptualization of sustainability among students, administrative and teaching staff of a university community: An exploratory study in Italy

Universities have been widely recognised as unparalleled potential catalysers for sustainability, being both formal learning institutions and places where informal, mutual influences and lay/expert knowledge meet. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are often invoked to orient the future of Universities, however, the complexity related to their implementation often depends on the different viewpoints and the diverse representations that circulate in these communities. Therefore, one starting step towards a real sustainable university community is to underpin the various meanings and relevance that students, administrative and teaching staff give to sustainability and SDGs. This study presents the result of a survey answered by 1408 members of a polytechnic Italian university (specialised in engineering, architecture and industrial design) during December 2018–January 2019. The data include free associations to sustainability, self-reported measures of knowledge and relevance of SDGs. Despite being a rather homogeneous community, results show diversities in the social representations of sustainability and SDGs. The results of factorial and cluster analysis show an eco-centric representation of sustainability and a rather low consciousness linked to societal challenges. Relevant differences between academics, technical staff and students emerge. Interestingly, results show a discrepancy between the SDGs that are considered relevant for the self and the university. Results suggest that the University is not yet perceived as a community where sustainability can be enacted and not just taught. The diversity in social representations, if not openly debated, could affect the way the new generation of engineers will face the challenges posed by sustainability.