It takes on some university characteristics
Transition Universities often demonstrate the following characteristics that may distinguish them from other town or community based sustainability projects, particularly because of the nature of tertiary institutions with a strong teaching aspect.
• Seasonality ‐ the academic year imposes a rigid time structure for projects and engagement. For example, many students leave the university community during winter and summer holidays, and are extremely busy during exams, so it is difficult to get any engagement in projects during these times
• Authority ‐ any projects taking place in, being organised by, or involving a university may need to be approved by some authority within the university structure, which to some extent limits the “Just Doing Stuff”‐nature of projects taking place in the university
• Transient community ‐ many people relocate to attend the university and only stay for a few years. They do not necessarily have any long‐term investment, whether it be in terms of money, interest, time, or energy, in the place around them. Successful projects and initiatives therefore tend to focus on skills, ideas, and values that can be of use in different places and environments, as well as promoting the development of structures to ensure continuance of any long term projects or initiatives at the University over successive generations of students.
• On the other hand, universities are a place where young people "come of age", make big decisions about the type of person they want to be and form lasting behaviours, friendships and convictions. So the community may be time-limited but the engagement with it is often very intense.
• Thinking - because of the emphasis on critical analysis and engagement with literature at any university, Transition University projects are often highly reflective and produce new thinking as well as practice in the pursuit of sustainability
It’s unique
A Transition University can take many different forms and no two are the same. It is up to you
to define your own vision of Transition in your University.
This is why the definition of a Transition University needs to be open and flexible, so that different groups have the opportunity to define themselves and adapt to the particularities
in their communities.
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