Sustainability NTU

1. Sustainability @ NTU Richard Howarth

2. 16 April 2012 For HE after Bone and Agombar (2011)? Need for a national working definition of Sustainable Development and its component aspects to enable practical progress to be made and measured. It is suggested (by Bone and Agombar, 2001) that the following definition of SD in HE, used by the 2008 HEFCE Strategic Review, is adopted as a starting point (i.e. as a defintion of SD in HE), with subsequent opportunities for review in the light of developing experience and knowledge: Teaching (or research) that is significant for sustainable development will include a significant element related to either or both of the natural environment and natural resources, PLUS a significant element related to either or both of economic or social issues.

3. 16 April 2012 The S Word(s)? In general lots of discussion� 100s of definitions of Sustainable Development (SD) and sustainability The �Brundtland� and WCED definition of SD (the most common?): �Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.� Securing the Future (DEFRA, 2005): �enabl[ing] all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations� �Greenest� government yet (DEFRA, 2011): �The coalition Government is committed to sustainable development (SD). This means making the necessary decisions now to realise our vision of stimulating economic growth and tackling the deficit, maximising wellbeing and protecting our environment, without negatively impacting on the ability of future generations to do the same.�

4. 16 April 2012 The S thing(s)? Related to definitions, DEFRA (2011) also note: �Sustainable Development recognises that the three �pillars� � the economy, society and the environment � are interconnected.� Which brings us onto the whole area of visual representation(s) too!

5. Interpreting and doing? The guiding principles for Securing the Future (2005) are:

6. Interpreting and doing?

7. Sustainability and HE Tailloires Declaration (1992): �Universities educate most of the people who develop and manage society's institutions. For this reason, universities bear profound responsibilities to increase the awareness, knowledge, technologies and tools to create an environmentally sustainable future.� Copernicus Charter (1994: �Universities and equivalent institutions of higher education train the coming generations of citizens and have expertise in all fields of research, both in technology as well as in the natural, human and social sciences. It is consequently their duty to propagate environmental literacy and to promote the practice of environmental ethics in society, in accordance with the principles set out in the Magna Carta of European Universities and subsequent university declarations, and along the lines of the UNCED recommendations for environment and development education.� Earth Charter (final point as regards to what to do; rather than why): �Integrating the knowledge, values and skills needed for a sustainable way of life into formal education and lifelong learning.�

8. Sustainability in HE UN Decade of Education for SD (runs till 2014) �Education for sustainable development (ESD) is not a particular programme or project, but is rather an umbrella for many forms of education that already exist, and new ones that remain to be created. ESD promotes efforts to rethink educational programmes and systems (both methods and contents) that currently support unsustainable societies.� UNESCO pillars, to ensure quality in/of ESD:� learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together, learning to be learning to transform oneself and society (the extra �SD� pillar).

9. Sustainability in HE Related to the pillars, and recently (UNECE, 2011), it is noted that� �The UNECE Strategy for ESD aims to equip people with knowledge, skills, understanding, attitude and values compatible with sustainable development.� And here it (the UNECE strategy) calls specifically for the development of educators� competences in order for them to engage in ESD . The policy view seeks to engage formal and informal education at the international, regional, national, subnational and organizational level(s) In doing this, it offers recommendations for: professional development in education governance and management of institutions curriculum development monitoring and assessment And it maps the 5 pillars against the following characteristics to view competences: a holistic approach and integrative thinking and practice envisioning change and exploration and engagement of/with the past, present and future; and achieving transformation of people, pedagogy and systems.

10. Sustainability in HE Securing the Future (DEFRA, 2005) clearly identifies the role and impact of educators and esp. HEIs There has been (as is the case with the overall agenda) a move from �greening� and the environment to the wider concept and consideration of SD (and action based on this) and a desire to integrate ESD in FHE professional education programmes Clear focus here on (i.e. what we do and how we do it): Leadership and governance Estates and operations Curriculum and outcomes Partnerships and �connectedness� Work related to PSF in context of the above and ESD too

11. Context of Sustainability at NTU

12. This is the important slide! One of the questions for this survey related to whether a survey of ESD in the curriculum had been undertaken. The answer being a small scale study done by Lisa Sipple but not an institution wide one. Hence the need to do one because of UtC but also links the EcoCampus work and the need to understand the views of stakeholders (hence why I liked the other slide at the beginning as this maps the stakeholders and pressures) NTU strategy is also about lives and society and there is linkage here too?This is the important slide! One of the questions for this survey related to whether a survey of ESD in the curriculum had been undertaken. The answer being a small scale study done by Lisa Sipple but not an institution wide one. Hence the need to do one because of UtC but also links the EcoCampus work and the need to understand the views of stakeholders (hence why I liked the other slide at the beginning as this maps the stakeholders and pressures) NTU strategy is also about lives and society and there is linkage here too?

13. Overview to Research Research built on SPUR project by engaging NTU academic staff directly to offer insight(s) into: Sustainability related activities and practices within the NTU curricula Related drivers for and barriers to sustainability activities and practices. �The following objectives guided the study and survey content: Identify sustainability activities currently being carried out across the NTU curricula (including within physical and virtual spaces ); Using staff views, identify which (if any) organisational processes and structures inhibit or promote the implementation of ESD (Education for Sustainable Development); Gauge staff knowledge of and interest in sustainability; and Offer recommendations on how to further embed ESD across NTU.

14. Overview to Research 481 NTU staff accessed the survey and 201 completed it; 71% city staff, 22% Clifton staff and 7% Brackenhurst staff. 72% of those who completed the survey classed themselves as academic staff a 12% overall response rate from NTU academics; a good overall response to the survey a particularly good response from certain schools E.g. ARES, NBS, SSS and ADBE 80% of the respondents had module leadership roles, suggesting close knowledge of module content & possibly some involvement in module development but also the potential to influence the future? With heterogeneity of disciplines across NTU and within schools some caution is needed with interpretation; are the responses from interested individuals?

15. Summary of findings Current situation: there are, overall, positive attitudes towards sustainability and ESD from staff related to current activity. subject, programme and module level for work in this area and inclusion in the curricula in general and at NTU it is reported that students are interested in ESD and external agencies (e.g. employers and professional bodies) are also interested; this supports earlier external studies of the sector there is much activity outside the formal curricula and thus there is potential for sharing of information and experience with and between staff, students etc there is also much current activity within the curricula (and wider area of research) that can also be shared internally and/or externally. research currently being addressed (E.g. via portal) sustainability is primarily environment

16. Comment on findings It is evident, however, that there are some areas for clarity/development, E.g: It is reported that most activity does not come as a result of NTU policy or requirements at present, Academic staff are unclear: what NTU expects in this area how NTU defines ESD/sustainability how this area relates to others (for example, global citizenship) ESD-related activity occurs apparently in an uncoordinated way across different: �levels� of study; disciplines; schools and/or colleges. although sustainability will have varied/various interpretations and relevance; can however, also be related to the above and below Currently no formal NTU-wide processes for promoting and assuring ESD content and development(s); and in the case of the above why developments have or have not occurred? Overall issues of quality/quantity therefore?

17. Summary and Options

18. Summary Offered comment on sustainability and sustainability @ NTU Provided a basis for further discussion and following presentations Sustainability in curriculum at NTU is part of a bigger picture curriculum life and study at NTU and beyond important specific and overall role to play?