Washington University’s “With You” Campaign: A Strategic Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction and Strategic Vision

Washington University (WashU) has initiated a comprehensive fundraising and engagement effort, titled “With You: The WashU Campaign.” The campaign’s strategic foundation rests on the principle that mobilizing collective assets toward common priorities generates more powerful and lasting change. This approach directly reflects the collaborative spirit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

The campaign is the result of an extensive institutional self-assessment to identify areas where the university can leverage its strengths for maximum global impact. The overarching goal is to secure the necessary resources to advance research, patient care, and educational opportunities, thereby contributing to a more sustainable and equitable world.

Core Campaign Objectives and SDG Linkages

The “With You” campaign is structured around several key pillars, each closely aligned with specific SDGs:

• Expanding Educational Access: This objective directly supports SDG 4 (Quality Education) by aiming to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
• Preparing Future-Ready Leaders: By equipping students with the necessary skills and knowledge, the university contributes to SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), fostering leaders capable of navigating and solving complex global challenges.
• Fostering Healthier Lives and Communities: Through advancements in research and patient care, this pillar targets SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), aiming to improve health outcomes and create resilient, healthy community environments.

Key Research and Action Areas Aligned with Specific SDGs

The campaign highlights existing and future work by faculty, alumni, and staff that exemplifies the university’s commitment to the SDGs. Key examples include:

1. Public Health Advancement: University research into diseases such as tuberculosis is a critical component of the campaign’s focus. This work directly contributes to achieving SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), specifically Target 3.3, which calls for an end to the epidemics of tuberculosis and other communicable diseases.
2. Water Resource Management and Climate Resilience: The efforts of university alumni to protect and manage community water sources are spotlighted as a key area of impact. This initiative addresses the core tenets of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). Furthermore, by tackling these challenges within the context of significant climate pattern shifts, this work also aligns with SDG 13 (Climate Action).

A Call for Collective Action and Partnership

The “With You” campaign is an open invitation for stakeholders to engage in a collective thought exercise on societal improvement. By encouraging the community to identify and share aspirations for change via its campaign website, WashU is actively fostering a multi-stakeholder partnership. This collaborative model is the essence of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), recognizing that global challenges can only be solved through shared vision and concerted action. The university positions itself as a key partner in executing the long-term, thoughtful change required to achieve a more prosperous and sustainable society.

Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article explicitly mentions the university’s work on public health, including “research into tuberculosis.”
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The core mission of the university and its campaign focuses on “expanding educational access” and “preparing future-ready leaders.”
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The article highlights the work of alumni “to protect and manage their community’s water sources.”
• SDG 13: Climate Action: This is connected to the water management issue, as the article notes that this work is affected by “significant shifts in climate patterns.”
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The entire “With You” campaign is an initiative to “mobilize our collective assets” and form partnerships to achieve common goals.

What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Target 3.3: End the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases. This is directly supported by the article’s reference to “the university’s efforts to improve public health through research into tuberculosis.”

SDG 4: Quality Education

• Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university. The university’s campaign goal of “expanding educational access” directly relates to this target.
• Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. This is reflected in the aim to prepare “future-ready leaders” who use their education “to help the larger world.”

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

• Target 6.5: By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate. The work of alumni “to protect and manage their community’s water sources” is a practical application of this target.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. This is implied by the need to manage water sources while considering the effects of “significant shifts in climate patterns.”

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.16: Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources. The “With You” campaign, which seeks to “mobilize our collective assets and strive toward a common goal,” is a clear example of such a partnership.

Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not cite official SDG indicators but implies methods for measuring progress on its stated goals:

• For SDG 3: An implied indicator is the progress and number of breakthroughs resulting from the “research into tuberculosis.”
• For SDG 4: Implied indicators include the amount of resources raised for scholarships, an increase in enrollment from diverse backgrounds (“expanding educational access”), and the tracking of alumni achievements in leadership positions.
• For SDG 6: Progress could be measured by the number of successful community projects implemented by alumni to “protect and manage… water sources.”
• For SDG 13: An implied indicator is the development of new, climate-resilient strategies for water management by university experts and alumni.
• For SDG 17: A direct indicator is the total amount of financial resources secured through the “With You” campaign, which is designed to “secure the resources we need.”

Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: source.washu.edu