our new esd programmes quinn runkle senior project officer communities and curriculum kim croasdale...

Our new ESD programmes

Quinn RunkleSenior Project Officer Communities and Curriculum

Kim CroasdaleSustainability Project Officer

Overview

Introduction to Education for Sustainable Development

NUS examples Responsible Futures Dissertations for Good

Action Planning

What is the definition of ESD?

Education for sustainable development is the process of equipping students with the knowledge and understanding, skills and attributes needed to work and live in a way that safeguards environmental, social and economic wellbeing, both in the present and for future generations.

QAA ESD guidance 2014

The HE/FE journey

ESD

Behaviour Change

Estates

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2010(n=5654)

2011(n=1514)

2012(n=4009)

2013(n=3019)

2010(n=5622)

2011(n=1518)

2012(n=3991)

2013(n=2998)

2010(n=5620)

2011(n=1516)

2012(n=3963)

2013(n=2987)

Sustainable development is somethingwhich universities should actively

incorporate and promote

Sustainable development is somethingwhich university courses should actively

incorporate and promote

Sustainable development is somethingwhich I would like to learn more about

Agree

Stronglyagree

NUS HEA surveys A latent student interest in sustainability

What does that mean for students?

• Consider what the concept of global citizenship means in the context of their own discipline and in their future professional and personal lives

• Democratic and participatory learning approaches are modelled. Teaching, learning and assessment activities are linked to real-life concerns.

• Think about issues of social justice, ethics and wellbeing, and how these relate to ecological and economic factors

• Develop a future-facing outlook, learning to think about the consequences of actions, and how systems and societies can be adapted to ensure sustainable futures.

From less bad to more good

• ESD allows universities and colleges to multiply the positive effect that they have on society, rather than simply limiting their negative effect

“We don’t need simply to reduce harmful outcomes; we need to create positive ones. We don’t want a less unsustainable world, we want a sustainable one.”

- John Robinson, Provost Sustainability, University of British Columbia

To what extent do you agree/disagree?

How much should students be allowed to contribute to curriculum reform?

I feel like my institution promotes students’ understanding of social justice, ethics and wellbeing in relation to their course and how these relate to ecological and economic factors

I feel like my institution would respect a student’s opinions on curriculum change if they voiced them on their own

I feel like my institution would respect a student’s opinions on curriculum change if they voiced them with other students

I feel like my institution would respect a student’s opinions on curriculum change if they voiced them through the SU

How can you get your institution on board?

Dissertations for Good

Connecting students with external organisations to complete research projects into sustainability together

Pilot

• Pairing• Preliminary Project

Plan• Planning meeting• Project Plan

• Regular updates• Submission• Sent to organisation

Pilot projects

1. Plymouth University with Metro Fresh Enterprises Ltd• Who Feeds Plymouth?

2. Bristol University with SHAW Team, Islington Council• Time of use tariffs in

Islington Borough3. Bristol University with Oakhill

Secure Training Centre• The impact of professionals

on the lives of young fathers

Pilot projects (cont.)

4. University of West London (UWL) with Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)• How should new or refurbished buildings perform?• Critical review of current climate change information

for building adaptation• Comparative study of CIBSE weather files (3 different

projects)5. University College London with Generation Rent

• How has housing activism affected the housing market in Madrid?

Suggestions

• Food• Social effects of fuel poverty• Sustainable finances• Customer perceptions of

sustainable products• Alternative fuels• Retrospective analysis of

project success

Responsible Futures

• Certification of a ‘whole-institution’ approach to embedding sustainability and social responsibility in the curriculum

• Working partnership of the SU and the institution • Set of 40 criteria which guide action and outline best

practice• Across formal and informal curriculum

Piloted across 2014-15 with 13 institutions (9 HE, 4 FE) across England and Scotland; national launch TODAY!

Responsible Futures | Benefits

“It’s reminded us of things that had dropped off the agenda or been put in the ‘too difficult’ box and it’s made us get them out of the ‘too difficult’ box.” University

Driving new activity “Help us see where we can improve. Hadn’t done the student survey before. Will now be doing the student survey every year. Look to make improvements.” University

“Really useful, like holding up a mirror, taking the time to reflect and see where you are at.” University

Benchmarking and reflecting, internally

“With any process, it’s a great way of setting a benchmark of good practice and then for us to follow and frame that benchmark, in terms of what you operationally deliver. Gives you an aspiration, which you then try and deliver.” College

“There are projects that would have happened anyway but the criteria outlined by Responsible Futures enabled us to take our work a step further. It made us think about our work in a different context and highlighted our areas for improvement.” University

Expanding the scope and context of existing work

“Focus has broadened out as a result of RF - shifted between looking primarily at environmental and now starting to look at social and economic (procurement) aspects.” University

Responsible Futures | Benefits

“[It was an] opportunity to improve…get people involved…provide validity and improve the profile [of the university]” University

“It’s given us (the SU) a seat and a legitimacy to sit and talk about the curriculum; not a lot of FE unions have this.” Students’ Union

“A major benefit of participating in Responsible Futures has been getting buy in from Senior Management and from the whole University. We’ve seen each other on equal footing through this project.” Students’ Union

Engaging and empowering

“We would have had an environmental and sustainability agenda into the future anyway. What it’s done it put that into a bigger external context and corporate context. It’s enabled us to see ways to use it to link across to other aspects within the university.” University

“It has been beneficial because it’s made them set up the wider steering group to drive ESD.” University

Partnership development

It’s been great fun, actually! UniversityFun!

Thinking about your own efforts to embed ESD at your institution:

1. What are the major challenges for your institution?

2. What are the motivating factors?

3. What do you aim to achieve on ESD in the year ahead?

4. How can we help you get there?

Next steps for RF and DfG

Visit:• www.nus.org.uk/dfg (under development)• www.nus.org.uk/responsiblefutures

Speak to us to find out more about:• Signing up and participation for next academic

year

Thank you!

Quinn Runklequinn.runkle@nus.org.uk

Kim Croasdalekim.croasdale@nus.org.uk