Campus Dining 2030 and Beyond - 10

CSR and Sustainability: Barriers and Drivers
Clearly articulating the " WHY, " training, and food insecurity and lack of institutional ownership were the
three overarching controllable barriers identified surrounding corporate social responsibility (CSR) and
sustainability initiatives on campus. To clearly articulate the why, it is important to start by defining
sustainability and simplifying complex topics to highlight what sustainability means to the organization. This will
allow key players to better tell the story and to influence peer-to-peer communication. Additionally, creating
goals that are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) is vital for properly
articulating why sustainability is important and how it is going to be successful in the organization. Moreover,
providing feasible alternatives when certain goals are unattainable is strongly encouraged. Lastly, digital and
static signage should also be used to display messaging about sustainability and CSR.
To further support articulating the why, training the employees on the requisite protocol to see these initiatives
through to fruition is paramount. To accomplish this, it is important to bring in subject matter experts who can
highlight best practices and areas of emphasis. It is important to standardize training to ensure consistency in
messaging as well as execution of the initiatives. It is also recommended that food procurement personnel be
trained to help make better purchasing decisions and reduce food waste. Acknowledging when progress is made,
celebrating small victories, and providing behavioral incentives will foster further buy-in and encourage the
employees to continue to move toward the goals. Finally, emphasizing the importance of women- and minorityowned
business partnerships ought to be a standardized and thoughtful business practice.
Concerning food insecurity and lack of institutional ownership, the first step in combatting this issue is to
enhance food literacy. This may be accomplished through building interdepartmental committees and
involving the dean of students. Additionally, partnering with student counseling and psychological services
(CAPS) on campus will help identify at-risk student issues, and partnering with local food banks will help instill
institutional ownership and alleviate issues of food insecurity. Again, it is suggested that a roadmap for success
leveraging SMART goals be employed.
The controllable drivers for CSR and sustainability include campus expectations for sustainability,
sustainability as part of the request for proposal (RFP) process, and identifying and applying for grants. To
further enhance expectations for sustainability, it is vital to educate the students on the impact their involvement
makes, as well as leverage expert faculty on campus for best ways to continue to promote and advance
sustainability initiatives. To make sustainability part of the RFP process, organizations should require that a
percentage of purchases be made from sustainable businesses, require explanations for when sustainable
partners are not used, and encourage ongoing relationships with sustainable partners. Lastly, identifying and
applying for grants will result in idea generation that can advance sustainability and CSR initiatives, increase
funding for these causes, and potentially open doors for new partnerships and collaborative efforts to increase
CSR and sustainability.
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Campus Dining 2030 and Beyond

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Campus Dining 2030 and Beyond