The course will meet over 6 weekly sessions on Tuesdays from 3-5 p.m. ET: Jan 20 & 27, Feb. 3, 10, 17 & 24. 

Universities worldwide share similar governance structures—largely hierarchical, top-down, and slow to change. However, as the world changes rapidly around us, there is a growing need to authentically include the diverse voices of university stakeholders (i.e. faculty, staff and students) in the decisions that affect their work and wellbeing. Nowhere is this more urgent than in sustainability, where initiatives are too often underfunded, undervalued, dependent on a small group of committed individuals and subject to the, sometimes arbitrary, whims of centralized or top-down governance. This course explores Sociocracy, or “Dynamic Governance”—a model developed in the Netherlands in the 1970s and now applied globally across organizations of all kinds. Based on consent rather than consensus, Sociocracy emphasizes equity, transparency, and the redistribution of power in decision-making. Participants will examine how governance structures influence sustainability efforts, practice Sociocratic methods, and develop actionable strategies and shared responsibility for advancing campus sustainability.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Look at how traditional university governance shapes sustainability work—and imagine what could be different.
• Get comfortable with the basics of Sociocracy and explore how it might fit in higher education.
• Try out inclusive decision-making tools in real time using interactive activities like breakout rooms and whiteboards.
• Connect your own experiences and insights with those of peers to spark new ideas for campus sustainability.
• Walk away with next steps for bringing more equity, inclusion, and shared power into your campus sustainability efforts.

Key Details

Schedule:

The course will meet over 6 weekly sessions on Tuesdays from 3-5 p.m. ET: Jan 20 & 27, Feb. 3, 10, 17 & 24. All sessions will be recorded and made available to registered participants.

Registration Fees* 

* To check if your organization is a current AASHE member, please search the AASHE Membership Directory.

A limited number of scholarships are available to individuals who need financial assistance to participate. Please apply two weeks before the program begins to be considered for a scholarship for this workshop.

Registration Policies:

• Registration deadline is January 20, 2026.
• Payment is accepted in the form of Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards.
  If you need to pay by check or ACH, please contact us at least 5 weeks prior to the event start date. Registration using these forms of payment must be received 4 weeks prior to the event start date and full payment must be received by AASHE within 2 weeks of event start date.
• Cancellation Policy: A 20% processing fee applies to any cancellation processed up to ten days before the program starts. No refunds will be given after that date.
• No substitutions are allowed.
• Registered participants will receive access to the recording after the live event.
• Review all Terms & Conditions.

Register today

Facilitator

Teri Balser, Professor, University of Calgary
Professor Teri Balser is a passionate scholar and university leader. Formerly Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at the University of Calgary, she has also been interim President and Provost at Dalhousie University. Throughout her 25-year career she has sought to connect and empower people across public, academic, and private sectors in working together toward a sustainable future. She believes deeply in the need for genuinely shared and participatory governance in higher education, and is trained as a Sociocracy facilitator and trainer to support that goal. She brings that work, coupled with the perspective of university leadership, to bear on how we can help our institutions manage the challenges we face as we move forward.

Any questions about the workshop?
Please contact Daita Serghi, education@aashe.org

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