The Role of Institutional Management in Supporting the Achievement of the SDGs at Univa Medan

Abstract

Islamic universities are well placed to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), because Islamic values such as justice (al-‘adl), public welfare (al-maslahah), moderation (wasatiyyah), and human empowerment (tamkin al-insan) align with the principles of sustainability. These values, however, remain value capital: they produce measurable contributions only when converted into management capital, that is, policies, structures, programs, and control mechanisms. This study examines how the planning, organizing, actuating, and controlling (POAC) functions of management at Al Washliyah University Medan (UNIVA Medan) support the SDGs, with particular attention to SDG 4. It employs a descriptive qualitative single-case design. Data were gathered through 55 in-depth interviews with the Rector, Vice Rectors, Deans, Associate Deans, faculty, and students, together with observation and analysis of six types of institutional documents, which were coded against indicators for SDGs 4, 5, 10, 16, and 17. The document analysis shows uneven alignment, with scores ranging from 40% for the Work Plan and Budget to 70% for the MBKM Curriculum (mean 55%). [Insert the interview findings once all six themes are coded: the main patterns across the four informant groups and how they confirm or qualify the document results for each POAC function.] On this basis, the study proposes a POAC-SDG framework that links Islamic values (input), the POAC functions (process), and SDG indicators (output). The framework is a proposal derived from a single case and has not yet been validated; its validation is planned for 2027. The study contributes empirical evidence from a private Islamic higher education institution in Southeast Asia, a context scarcely represented in the literature, and offers a diagnostic approach that goes beyond document checklists by locating where in the management cycle SDG integration proceeds or stalls.