Student awareness of the sustainability approaches of university initiatives.

Abstract

Many experts have been pointing out the importance of sustainable development to the public for decades. It is not only important to protect the current situation and save it from inevitable deterioration, but it is also central to a better future in terms of the three essential pillars of sustainability - economic, environmental and social. Various significant researches have confirmed that higher education institutions also contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) introduced by the United Nations in 2015. This study aims to propose a conceptual framework for student awareness of university approaches to sustainability. In order to promote the acceptance of sustainability among students, the main objective of this study is to measure the acceptance of university initiatives on sustainability among students. The three (3) components of the initiative taken by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in terms of curriculum, pedagogical approach and campus activities in support of the right to sustainable development will be the focus of this study. The methodology that will be used in this study is a deductive approach along with a random sampling method as questionnaires will be developed and distributed to respondents through social media messages, e-mail, and WhatsApp group. In addition, this study proposes to use quantitative methods and refer to single units of analysis involving 375 UTM respondents that specifically refer to undergraduate students. Expert validity and pilot testing will be conducted before the questionnaires are distributed to the respondents. Ultimately, the results of this study are expected to show that the university's sustainability efforts have been successful in increasing student acceptance. The study can contribute to the university by assessing whether its efforts are appreciated by students and whether there are shortcomings. It is expected that this study can also serve as a reference for other universities to identify effective approaches that can be implemented in their respective institutions.