Sustainability Policy
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First Release Date: 28.07.2022 Revision date: – Revision no: – |
SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
Yaşar University aims at sustainability while designing its strategies to achieve its vision of “A world-class university dedicated to designing and redefining the future”. In addition to strategy formulation endeavors related to economic, social and environmental sustainability, Yasar University also aims to contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Yaşar University emphasizes creating sustainable value in its mission. Yaşar University’s mission is to “create sustainable value through superior education and research and contribute to society by cultivating those innovative individuals who will shape the future.”
Yaşar University has consolidated its strategic objectives in the following five strategic paths in line with its vision and mission:
- Research and innovation
- Education
- Social contribution
- Internationalization
- Sustainability
- Economic
- Social
- Environmental
One of the main elements that make the strategic design of Yaşar University different is the determined strategies in the field of sustainability. The set strategic objectives regarding sustainability are reviewed every five years during participative decision meeting by using the ARAMA conference methodology. For each strategic objective, concrete and measurable multiple performance criteria are determined. Performance evaluation metrics are determined separately for five-year for annual periods, and the target values for the metrics are updated when necessary. In order to achieve the strategic objectives related to sustainability strategies, strategic action planning is also produced. The action plans designed in accordance with the strategies are communicated to all units within the strategic plan and also publicly published on the official web page of the University. Each unit of the university associates and matches each of the planned actions in the annual strategic action plans with the strategic goals with the defined main activities below and the set performance criteria that will serve.
The main activities related to economic sustainability:
F1. Activities for carrying out to reduce the rate of student income among all incomes.
F2. Activities carried out regarding the diversification of current income sources and risk management.
F3. Activities aimed at diversifying income areas other than student incomes and increasing these incomes.
F4. Arrangements and activities to increase the diversity of R&D, innovation and entrepreneurship-related operating incomes and their ratio to total incomes.
The main activities related to social sustainability:
F1. Carrying out actions and events to increase the variety and number of in-house personal and professional development training.
F2. Carrying out activities related to barrier-free campus and accessible campus.
F3. Studies for carrying out gender equality, activities held with public institutions and external stakeholders, and preparation of relevant reports.
F4. Diversifying and increasing the activities and projects carried out for equal opportunities and disadvantaged groups.
F5. Activities and activities carried out related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
F6. Activities related to THE-IF processes
The main activities related to environmental sustainability:
F1. Studies to increase the number of applications that serve the concept of “Green University”.
F2. TS EN ISO 50001 Energy Management Quality Assurance System activities and regulatory and continuous improvement studies related to energy consumption and management.
F3. Studies on reducing paper consumption, recycling and efficiency of waste management.
F4. Activities carried out to manage and improve Covid-19 measures.
F5. Risk scenario studies and related corrective, preventive and remedial actions against situations that threaten workflows.
All units of the university define their internal and external stakeholders for communicating with each planned activity and action in their annual action plans. Each annual action plan created by the units brings forth the “Corporate Communication and Action Plan” document by year basis. The achievements and performance of the actions planned by the units within the Corporate Communication and Action Plan are reported to the quality coordinator by the units at the end of the academic annual period. These activities and actions also constitute the input to the Internal Quality Evaluation Report to be submitted to the Turkish Higher Education Quality Counsel. At the end of the set periods for the strategic action plans, all actions and activities are reviewed in line with strategic targets, improvement plans are made, and target updates are made if necessary. Yaşar University, thus, ensures the sustainability of set strategies for both the following year and future planning periods.