Aligning sustainability management with general management in higher education institutions

A management system's fundamental purpose is to fulfill an organization’s mission by implementing a set of practices. Over the past decades, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have adopted quality-based management systems, which include tools for measuring the quality of their research and teaching. This allows HEIs to be accountable to society regarding the funds they receive. However, management practices in the university setting have frequently been limited to merely administrative activities. On the other hand, new societal requirements have led to a new challenge: the creation of social and environmental value as a contribution to the global commitment towards Sustainable Development (SD). In this regard, over the last years, the commitment of HEIs to SD has evolved through various initiatives aimed at guiding the university system toward the social and environmental challenges necessary to achieve SD. However, these initiatives in HEIs, not being conceived within an integrated management system, are not as effective and efficient as they could be. Based on a systematic literature review, with a particular emphasis on the integration of sustainable practices into the organizational and academic structures of universities, this article proposes a methodology for developing an integrated management system for HEIs where quality and sustainability principles are incorporated. Using this article’s proposed methodology offers a pathway for HEIs to fulfill their mission while addressing global sustainability challenges.