Sustainability: The Key to Helping Student Activist and Student Affairs Practitioners

Marissa Acosta

Higher Education Administration and Leadership, California State University, Fresno

HEAL 228

Dr. Hernandez

April 1, 2023
 The recognition of student activists across the United States, and around the world, has

been growing, especially when it comes to issues of campus racism, diversity, and environmental

justice. Although the issues of campus racism and diversity are not new, students and universities

have been struggling for some time now. Environmental justice is an additional issue on the rise

that needs to be discussed more within higher education administrators and student affairs

leaders. Climate change and environmental justice issues are becoming more apparent, and

students look toward their universities for guidance and change in the face of these challenges.

Unfortunately, some universities, or members of the academic community, are less inclined to

actively participate in being a part of the solution as we all face the obstacles that come with

climate change. When universities don’t take action, students burden themselves to ensure

environmental justice is at the forefront. Universities and student affairs practitioners can be, and

should be doing more to support student success and student activism by integrating

sustainability and environmental justice into the various components of higher education.

Some colleges and universities are right on the mark or ahead of the game regarding

sustainability as part of the campus culture. In these cases, sustainability is clearly defined, a part

of a campus’s mission, vision or values, or integrated into campus-wide policies. Sustainability is

generally defined as holistically ensuring social, environmental, and fiscal well-being for current

and future generations. Many of these sustainable developments are fueled by student-led

initiatives on campuses where sustainability is less integrated in the campus culture. Students are

working overtime not only on their academics and extracurricular activities but also in creating a

campus culture that ensures an environmentally sound, socially just community for the future

(Acosta et al., 2021). Recognizing these student-led efforts as real work, not just a small project

or initiative with some interest, is essential.

 Through my personal experiences, I know the amount of work students put into building

a more sustainable campus doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves, let alone the funding

and support to back them up. It is not uncommon for a full-time student to be working a job,

staying involved on campus through various programs or clubs, and then on top of that being an

activist on campus for one issue or another. It is a significant workload for a student whose main

focus should be simply being a student. While I agree it is essential to be involved on campus,

and take on leadership roles, being over-involved could be a path to exhaustion and burnout, a

word I know all too well (Cheong et al., 2016). It also isn’t the responsibility of students to push

administrators to do the right thing and incorporate sustainability into their daily practices,

ensuring a better future for us all.

As student affairs practitioners, we are well aware of the challenges students face and

how these challenges are exacerbated when these students are from underserved communities

and have been historically marginalized. Yet, these same students disproportionately experience

the impacts of environmental injustices compounded by climate change. This is where student

affairs leaders can assist. If sustainability were a key component of student affairs, not only

would this greatly support student activists within the environmental justice movement, but it

would also help the future of the profession’s future. In the 2022 NASPA (Student Affairs

Administrators in Higher Education) Compass Report, “sustainability” is mentioned over five

times, but not once is it noted within an environmental justice context. Instead it is only used in

the context of sustaining the field of student affairs.

If this report’s authors and task force members had looked at student affairs with a more

holistic lens, including the environmental component of our lives, they would have found that all
four of the Areas for Further Exploration within the report are related to environmental justice

and climate justice. The first, Student Needs and Expectations, discusses the shift in students'

needs but fails to directly mention the growing expectation that universities should be leaders of

sustainability and should be addressing environmental justice issues. This area does mention

basic needs and mental health, which are components of the United Nations Sustainable

Development Goals. Housing, access to clean water, breathable air, healthy food, and overall

well-being are all issues that sustainability offices and managers try to address holistically.

Social Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, the second area of exploration, is also deeply

tied into sustainability efforts taken up by student leaders and activists. The phrase

“Environmental justice equals social justice” is commonly used because, as environmental

justice advocates, we realize that underserved, minoritized people of color disproportionately

face greater environmental injustices. It is also the students who come from this same

background that need our holistic support the most.

As part of the Professional Preparation and Development section, the third area for

further exploration, preparing for crisis management, is 4th highest on the list. Crises can come

in many forms, one of which I anticipate being related to climate change or environmental

injustices. Oil spills, contaminated water, dry water wells, and asthma caused by lousy air are

crises students across the country face. Lastly, Workforce Satisfaction and Retention, is a

multilayered problem resulting in fewer higher education professionals pursuing the field of

student affairs. One component of this issue is the need for more flexible work hours and the

opportunity to work remotely. The report mentions the need for a holistic assessment to gauge

the pros and cons of remote work. This should also include looking at the environmental impacts

this could have. Another reason to allow remote work is the benefit of reducing scope three
carbon emissions. It concerns me that these connections weren’t clearly stated in the report. This

would have been an amazing opportunity to include sustainability in the context of

environmental justice, social well-being, and fiscal stewardship for current and future

generations to come and express support for student activists.

Sustainability should be deeply woven into the work of student affairs practitioners. As

student affairs professionals prepare for the future, the concerns of student activists are at the

forefront of these conversations, and sustainability is further integrated into the practice. This

will provide support for student activists and release some of the unjust burden placed on them.

It will also give even more reason to secure the future of Student Affairs as key players in

student success.
 References

Acosta, M. E., Mayfield, M. B., Teter, F., Lozano, J., Lucha, A., Alewine, A., Weinman, B., Lee,

D., Cordova, R., & Hedden, N. (2022). Impacts of Student-Led Sustainability Efforts at

Fresno State. CSU Journal of Sustainability and Climate Change, 1(1). DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55671/2771-5574.1005

Cheong, M., Spain, S. M., Yammarino, F. J., Yun, S., (2016). Two faces of empowering

leadership: Enabling and burdening. The Leadership Quarterly, 27(4), 602-616.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2016.01.006