Sustainable Development Integration Strategies in Higher Education: Case Study of Two Universities and Five Colleges in Quebec

With financial support from the provincial ministry for education, two universities and five colleges in Quebec are developing a project towards integrating sustainable development (SD) in the curriculum. This project is not only dedicated to teaching but is also expanded to: (1) professors’ support using various activities (conferences, workshops and short lectures); (2) program integrations; (3) the institutional level, as some institutions have adopted various politics and actions to foster SD in the curriculum and regarding their overall missions of research, community outreach and operations; and (4) regional collaboration between the seven academic partners, which is a unique characteristic of this project. This work is advocating an integrated strategy of variable geometry, as on one hand, it recognises the expertise of professors in their field while, on the other hand, it implements structuring actions throughout programs and institutions. As an example, a 2-day workshop is offered on a regular basis gathering teachers from various disciplines and brainstorming strategies beyond “binding” administrative boundaries. More recently, these practices helped in building a critical mass of practitioners in the field and launched a community of practice. Preliminary results show that the integration of SD in student education is not only accomplished through pedagogical and extracurricular activities but is also embodied in the overall student experience on campus. SD’s main stake is to grow into an institutional culture in which teaching, research and management activities mutually reinforce each other.