This document provides an overview of the Alternative University Appraisal (AUA) Project. The AUA Project aims to develop an alternative model for assessing universities' performance in education for sustainable development (ESD). It was launched in 2009 with support from several universities in Asia and the Pacific region. The project seeks to value universities engaged in ESD and improve their practices through self-appraisal, peer consultation, and learning communities. A 3-step process is outlined to first develop an ESD appraisal model, then a peer consultation model, and finally an assessment system.

1. June 26, 2010:
IAU 2010 International Conference
Special Session
Re-Inventing Rankings:
in Search of Alternative Performance Assessments
Alternative University Appraisal Project
Eijun Senaha, Ph.D.
Chair, AUA Project, ProSPER.Net
President’s Office (International)
Hokkaido University
Sapporo, Japan

2. 1
Introduction: Outline of Presentation
1. Background: ESD and ProSPER.Net
2. Birth of AUA Project
3. AUA Model
4. Roadmap
5. Conclusion

3. 2
Background: ESD & ProSPER.Net
ESD
- Education for Sustainable Development -
Aims to help people to develop the attitudes, skills and
knowledge to make informed decisions for the benefit of
themselves and others, now and in the future, and to act upon
these decisions.
“United Nations Decade of
Education for Sustainable Development” (2005-2014):
UNESCO, leading agency, seeks to integrate the principles,
values, and practices of sustainable development into all
aspects of education and learning, in order to address the
social, economic, cultural and environmental problems we face
in the 21st century.

4. 3
Background: ESD & ProSPER.Net (cont.)
Gender
Equality
Sustainable Health
Urbanization Promotion
Sustainable Key Action Environment
Consumption Themes
Peace & Cultural
Human Security Diversity
Rural
Development

5. 4
Background: ESD & ProSPER.Net (cont.)
ProSPER.Net (Founded in 2008)
- The Network for the Promotion of Sustainability
in Postgraduate Education and Research -
Network of several leading higher education institutions in
Asia and the Pacific region committed to work together to
integrate Sustainable Development (SD) into postgraduate
courses and curricula.
The ProSPER.Net academic and research alliance is an
effort of the ESD Programme at UNU-IAS.

6. 5
Background: ESD & ProSPER.Net (cont.)
19 Founding Member Institutions of ProSPER.Net
– RMIT University, Australia
– Tongji University, China
– TERI University, India
– Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
– Hokkaido University, Japan
– Iwate University, Japan
– Miyagi University of Education, Japan
– Nagoya University, Japan
– Okayama University, Japan
– Rikkyo University, Japan
– Shinshu University, Japan
– United Nations University –Institute of Advanced Studies
– University of Tokyo, Japan
– Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
– University of the Philippines, Philippines
– Yonsei University, Republic of Korea
– Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
– Asian Institute of Technology
– University of South Pacific

7. 6
Birth of AUA Project: Planning
Project name
Alternative University Appraisal based on ESD
Duration (AUA Project)
2009-2011 (launched in June 2009)
Purpose
• To enhance the value and attractiveness
of universities engaging in ESD
• To create learning & supporting community
to improves their practices
Goal
• To develop Alternative University Peer-
Consultation System

8. 7
Birth of AUA Project: Visions
• To reorient the higher education and
society for sustainability.
• To value universities that are striving for
sustainability.
• To improve practices of ESD in which
universities have already engaged.
• To create learning community to share
good practices for improvement.

9. 8
Birth of AUA Project: Goals
Ideal
Ideal
Alter. Univ.
Alter. Univ.
Model
Model
Univ. A
Self-Appraisal Result
Good Practices Univ. C
Know-how
Current
Current Self-Appraisal Result
Condition
Condition
Good Practices
Know-how
Univ. B
Self-Appraisal Result
Good Practices
Know-how

10. 9
Birth of AUA Project: Goals (cont.)
To develop
Alternative University Peer-Consultation System
• Opportunities To promote participation of
• Encouragement New Member Universities
• Incentives
nd
Expa
Expa
nd
Learning Communities

11. 10
Birth of AUA Project: 3 Steps
Step 1:
To develop Alt. Univ. Appraisal Model for ESD
2009-10
(AUA model)
Step 2:
To develop Alt. Univ. Peer-Consultation Model for ESD
2010-11
Step 3:
To develop Alt. Univ. Peer-Consultation System for ESD
2011

12. 11
Birth of AUA Project: Core Member Institutions
•Hokkaido University
•United Nations University-IAS
•Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
•Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand)
•TERI University (India)
•Yonsei University (Korea)
•Other interested ProSPER.Net members

13. 12
Birth of AUA Project: Collaborative Institutions
Universitas Gadjah
Iwate University
Mada (Indonesia)
Miyagi University
of Education
Chulalongkorn Hokkaido University
University (Thailand) (Japan)
Nagoya University
Universiti AUA Secretariat
The University of TERI University
Sains Malaysia (India） Okayama University
the South Pacific
United Nations University
-Institute of
University of
Advanced Studies Rikkyo University
the Philippines
Asian Institute
Yonsei University of Technology Shinshu University
Tongji University （Korea） （based in Thailand）
(China)
Core Member Institutions Universities in
RMIT Tokyo University Asia-Pacific
Other relevant University
International institutions (Australia) Founding institutions
of ProSPER.Net Universities in
Japan
UNEP UNESCO
Collaborative
Institutions

14. 13
Birth of AUA Project: Studying Past
1. EC-Assess
2. Sustainability Tracking,
Assessment & Rating System
(STARS)
3. College Sustainability Report
Card
4. Monitoring & Assessing
Progress during the UNDESD
in the Asia-Pacific Region

15. 14
AUA Model: Mission Statement
Alternative University Appraisal Model seeks
to facilitate and encourage institutions of
higher education to engage in education and
research for sustainable development and to
raise the quality and impact of these activities
by providing benchmarking tools that support
diversity of mission, as well as a framework
for sharing good practices and supporting
dialogue and self reflection.

16. 15
AUA Model: Characteristics
• Enable assessed institutions to select the areas
they are focusing on to be assessed.
• Mixture of quantitative (objective) and qualitative
(subjective) questions.
• Encourage self reflection of their own strength
and weakness in the process of answering
questions.
• Goals to be set on their own with the help of the
Appraisal Committee.
• Comprehensive “Dialogue” style
• Preparation for more intimate peer-consultation

17. 16
AUA Model: Framework
Mission
Governance
Research
Indicator
Education Facilitative Indicator
Indicator
Facilitative Indicator Input Indicator
Output Indicator
Input Indicator
Outcome Indicator
Output Indicator
Innovation Indicator
Outcome Indicator Outreach
Innovation Indicator Indicator

18. 17
AUA Model: Self-Awareness Questions
Assessment Committee
Assessment Area
25 Questions
4 Major Categories
Governance (4)
Education (8)
Research (8)
Outreach and Transformation (5)

19. 18
AUA Model: Products
AUA Model（booklet）
• AUA Self-Awareness Questions
• Guidance for participation
• AUA Roadmap
AUA website & brochure
• Download & Use the latest
version of AUA Model
• Opinion Gathering
http://www.sustain.hokudai.ac.jp/aua/

20. 19
AUA Model: Website
English Japanese

21. 20
AUA Model: Access
English
http://www.sustain.hokudai.ac.jp/aua/
Japanese
http://www.sustain.hokudai.ac.jp/aua/jp/

22. 21
AUA Roadmap: 2009-2011
2009 2010 2011
AUA Model Jun. Sept. Dec. Jan. Mar. Jun. Sept. Dec. Jan. Mar. Jun.
Drafting
Opinion
Gathering
Piloting
Peer Consultation
Drafting
Pilot Peer -
Consultation
calls for
participation

23. 22
Conclusion: Join Us!!
－Alternative University Appraisal Project－
URL: http://www.sustain.hokudai.ac.jp/aua/
Email: aua@sustain.hokudai.ac.jp