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ESD Development Day 27 April 2010 ESD and the Academy Prof Stephen Sterling Senior Advisor, ESD Higher Education Academy ESD Project.

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Presentation on theme: "ESD Development Day 27 April 2010 ESD and the Academy Prof Stephen Sterling Senior Advisor, ESD Higher Education Academy ESD Project."— Presentation transcript:

1 ESD Development Day 27 April 2010 ESD and the Academy Prof Stephen Sterling Senior Advisor, ESD Higher Education Academy ESD Project

2 Outline Context and challenge Background to HEA ESD Project Current programme Issues

3 The call to respond To meet the challenge of climate change, the world needs minds capable of creating new possibilities. it is crucial that the HE sector contributes strongly to sustainable development HE provides a vital platform for the transition to a low carbon economy, in order to safeguard a secure future - Lord Stern, Foreword to HEFCEs current strategic statement and action plan Sustainable Development in Higher Education (2009)

4 HEFCES sustainable development ambition Our vision is that within the next ten years, the higher education sector will be recognised as a major contributor to societys efforts to achieve sustainability – through the skills and knowledge that its graduates learn..., its research and exchange of knowledge..., community and public policy engagement, and through its own strategies and operations. - Sustainable Development in Higher Education http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2009/09

5 Varying views.... Universities already make a significant contribution to the UKs sustainable development strategy and have played an important role in researching the challenges, in developing new approaches to those challenges and also in improving organisational operations. - A university leaders statement of intent on sustainable development, UUK, 2010 It is a huge challenge to get VCs to see this as core business - Patricia Broadfoot, Chair of UUK SD Task Group

6 ESD is about the learning needed to maintain and improve our quality of life and the quality of life of generations to come. ESD enables people to develop the knowledge, values and skills to participate in decisions about the way we do things individually and collectively, both locally and globally, that will improve the quality of life now without damaging the planet for the future. – Sustainable Development Education Panel Report, 1998 A definition….

7 ESD has implications for.... Curriculum Hidden curriculum and learning environments Most (all) disciplines Interdisciplinarity Pedagogy Research-teaching linkages Student engagement Campus operation and management Community links Institutional governance Corporate policy and plans

8 The sustainable university? 15 criteria at U of Plymouth Sustainability vision – policy statement Whole institution strategy and action plan Senior management member with known responsibility for implementation Senior executive committee Regular sustainability and environmental auditing Sustainability applied to all aspects of campus operation Ethical investment policy Excellent internal communication Excellent external communication of sustainability message Holistic perception and management of 4 Cs Embedding sustainability in formal and informal learning of students Sustainability principles and pedagogy in L&T policy University sustainability research centre and research strategy Culture of organisational learning and improvement Concern for wellbeing of whole community as well as achievement

9 Key dates in evolution of ESD in HE in England 1993 Environmental responsibility Toyne Report 1996 Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) launched 2000 Higher Education Partnerships for Sustainability (HEPs) 2004 Higher Education Academy formed 2005 HEA ESD Project launched. Research undertaken 2005 Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) launches SD policy and strategy 2005 Securing the Future - delivering UK sustainability strategy (UK governments SD policy document) 2005 Two ESD Centres of Excellence in Teaching and Learning funded (Plymouth and Kingston) 2008 HEFCE Strategic Review of Sustainable Development in HE 2008 DIUS SD Action Plan 2009 HEFCE Sustainable Development Action Plan 2009 HEA adopts ESD as a key priority area 2010 HEFCE Carbon Reduction Strategy

10 Carbon and HE Climate Change Act 2008 requires greenhouse emissions in UK to be cut to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 Carbon reduction strategy developed by HEFCE is setting sector wide targets: - recommending a commitment to reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 and by at least 34 per cent by 2020, against a 1990 baseline Nearly all HEIs have an environmental policy Some 85 HEIs have target driven carbon management plan Also some 85 have full time staff working on sustainability

11 Future Leaders Survey 07/08 25 000 applicants to universities and colleges surveyed The survey paints a picture of a generation that is intensely aware of the big challenges facing the planet and eager to see broader social and political change….. - Forum for the Future/ UCAS 2008

12 A growing movement... UN Decade for ESD (2005-15) DIUS Sustainable Development Action Plan HEFCEs Strategic Review of SD in HE and SD Action Plan (09) HEFCEs Carbon Reduction Target and Strategy for HE (10) HEFCW Corporate Strategy and Plan HE Academy ESD Project - recognised as a priority Sustainability CETLs and a growing number of leader HEIs People and Planet Green League Future Leaders Survey Green Gown Awards Rise of Regional Centres of Expertise Universities UK SD Group and Statement of Intent Academy/SFC review of sustainability in the Scottish HEI sector ESDGC curriculum audit of HEIs in Wales

13 HE response: whats the position nationally? Relatively small but growing number of courses focused on SD Education for sustainable development (ESD) quite strong in a few disciplines Most QAA Benchmarks are silent ESD is absent from most L&T strategies Most UK graduates are not sustainability literate But ……recent surge of interest and activity corresponding with rising political/public debate – at all levels of HE

14 Drivers Rising public interest and concern Shifting views of employers Professions requirements (eg Engineering Council, RICS and Sector Skills Councils) Student demand CSR + SD links Financial savings Marketing and recruitment advantage Funding council expectations Felt obligation to our students as next generation Enhanced learning and teaching

15 Barriers Cited factors Limited institutional commitment Crowded curriculum Perceived irrelevance Limited staff awareness and/or expertise Limited commitment from external stakeholders Perceived as separate and/or too demanding Types of barriers Paradigmatic/psychological Policy/purpose related Structural (governance, compartmentalisation etc) Resource/information deficiency Sustainable Development in HE, HE Academy 2005 (Dawe report)

16 Tensions: ESD =add-on or transformation? Technical issue relating mainly to estates and resource use Principally an environmental issue Requires add-on, or reformative approach Involves a few disciplines only Is an additional agenda, easily accommodated Has clear goals, measurable Broad relevance to all aspects of HE operation and provision Also encompasses social relations, justice, ethics, economic viability etc Requires holistic and transformative approach Interdisciplinarity across curriculum Is an overarching agenda and challenges existing policy and practice and involves organisational change Emerging and contested area

17 Some challenges for the sustainable university, how to... bring together and reconcile agendas coherently: eg.employment, internationalisation, enterprise and sustainability spearhead sustainable development regionally with stakeholders, and support healthy and sustainable economies and communities model sustainability on campus, procurement, food and resource use etc anticipate social, economic and ecological change, particularly related to climate change ensure sustainability literacy of staff and students get all this to be a central part of the HEIs culture

18 How Academy can support ESD in the sector –providing key resources and advice to senior managers in the development of ESD Learning and Teaching policies, and providing opportunities for internal networking and change management –making a significant contribution to the evidence base for the development of ESD pedagogy, providing a greater understanding of the nature of ESD and how it can be successfully embedded –impacting at disciplinary level through the work of SCs, increasing capacity through publications, funding and events resulting in the identification, development and enhancement of ESD in programmes, courses and modules

19 Intended outcomes of Academys ESD work Academy regarded as... as a key source of information and expertise for embedding ESD into curricula at individual, departmental, discipline and institutional levels; and at regional and UK levels an important source and facilitator of evidence-based research into ESD in the UK an important partner in ESD within the sector, in terms of both leadership and facilitation, through its activities and representation on key bodies a key player in national ESD policy development through the above

20 HE Academy Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Project Purpose: to help institutions and subject communities develop curricula and pedagogy that will give students the skills and knowledge to live and work sustainably.

21 The Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Project Began early 2005 with support of Forum for the Future, as special theme within Academys programme First stage: audit of subject communities carried out by 18 of the 24 Subject Centres Culminated in the Dawe Report, available from website: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/esd

22 Sustainability literacy: the ability.. - to appreciate importance of environmental, social, and political contexts - to solve real-life problems in a non- reductionist manner - to think creatively and holistically and make critical judgements - to develop high- level of self reflection, personal and professional - to identify, understand, evaluate and adopt values conducive to sustainability - to bridge the gap between theory and practice - to participate creatively in inter- discipinary teams - to initiate and manage change AND, have a broad and balance foundation knowledge of SD SD in HE: Current practice and future developments, Higher Education Academy 2005

23 HE Academy ESD (Project) Aims 1 To research and support the development of ESD in the HE sector, particularly within subject communities. 2 To build capacity amongst individuals, subject communities and institutions to embed ESD in curricula and pedagogy. 3 To assist the coordination and dissemination of policy, research and practice relating to ESD in institutions, the HEA and the wider field.

24 Programme Areas 1 Research and development 2 Capacity building 3 Coordination and dissemination

25 Plan of Work 2009-10: Research and development Publish Earthscan book on contribution of disciplines to ESD (in collaboration with the Centre for Sustainable Futures) Produce a Learning and Teaching Framework for ESD Produce associated PowerPoint/ video presentations Fund five small curriculum development grants around interdisciplinarity Publish the Welsh ESDGC audit baseline report on website Produce a template for base-lining ESDGC in an institution Coordinate the production of an issue of Exchange Student engagement: attitudes to SD research Evaluation of mini projects Student engagement launch event Two Subject Centre interdisciplinary research grants

26 Stimulating new thinking SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION Perspectives and practice across higher education

27 Plan of Work 2009-10: Capacity building Internal briefing on ESD for Academy and briefing event(s) Two single institutional strategy and change events in Scotland (QMU and Edinburgh) Staff development workshops for, and consultancy to, HEIs by request, and subject to availability of staff Assistance to SCs by request Three workshops for practitioners based on needs identified by sector-wide survey in 2008 (Scotland); involving other stakeholders e.g. SFC, Universities Scotland, EAUC, Scotlands Colleges. One Sustainability in Higher Education Developers (SHED ) meeting for key people Cooperate with HEFCE or other key players re events Workshop at HE Academy conference in 2010 Additional support for HEIs

28 Education for Sustainable Development: Strategic Consultations among English HEIs Recommendation 1: Capacity-building for Inter-disciplinary ESD build and support institutional and individual confidence to ensure that the central place of sustainable development is fostered within both the academic map and the student consciousness. Recommendation 2: Supporting Organisational Change sharing good practice, stimulating strategic thought and producing valuable guidelines Recommendation 3: Information-gathering for Sustainability Literacy research to provide detailed, current information on the skills needs of employers and the demands of the graduate employment market in relation to sustainability literacy Dr Colin Brooks & Dr Alex Ryan, Higher Education Academy ESD Project Sept 2008

29 Plan of Work 2009-10: Coordination and dissemination Representation on, cooperation with and assistance to key bodies (HEFCE SD Review Steering Group, links to HEFCW and SFC, Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges, UNESCO UK) Coordination of Sustainability in Higher Education Developers (SHED ) network Maintenance of Academy sustainability pages Maintenance of regional network databases Production of bi-monthly newsletter and weekly digest Participate in Green Gowns judging Co-ordinate and service three all-Wales meetings of the ESDGC HE Network Wales Group (Wales) Make links beyond the ESD community to other agendas, e.g., effective learning, assessment, quality teaching, particularly those also at the top of the Academys list Develop list of ESD speakers and/or champions via SHED

30 S ustainability in H igher E ducation D evelopers (SHED) Networks SHED-Share Run by Academy ESD in collaboration with the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) SHED-Share: information, announcements, queries, with the potential to develop discussions, joint proposals etc

31 Communication Bi-monthly e-newsletter Weekly e-bulletin Academy ESD website Sustainability in HE Developers network (SHED)

32 The Academy ESD Website http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/esd http://www.heacademy.ac.uk Our strategy Publications Latest news on ESD in the HE sector Information on all of our projects Regional networking lists for the South West, Scotland and Wales ESD events, past (including presentations) and future Links to disciplinary-specific ESD resources via Subject Centres Bi-monthly e-Newsletter (sign up on the site) Links to relevant policy documents/web pages and partners

33 Plan of Work 2009-10 (highlights) Student engagement research Student engagement event Produce a Learning and Teaching Framework for ESD Two single institutional strategy and change events in Scotland Coordination of Sustainability in Higher Education Developers (SHED ) network (with EAUC) Fund five small curriculum development grants around interdisciplinarity Subject Centre interdisciplinary research grants

34 Academy ESD management David Sadler has overall responsibility Planning Group meetings – open to all Subject Centre representatives Advisory Group (chaired by Prof Steve Martin. Has met twice to date)

35 HEA ESD Staff (all part time) Field team Dr Simon Smith, PRS, Project Manager Project Co-ordinator: Heather Luna Prof Stephen Sterling, U of Plymouth, Senior Advisor Academy York team Laila Burton (York Project Co-ordinator) Jonathan Payens (York Project Officer) and Alastair Robertson (Head of Policy and Partnerships, Scotland)

36 Key sites Higher Education Academy ESD Project http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/esd http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/esd HEFCEs online resource for sustainable development in HE http://www.hefce.ac.uk/susdevresources/ http://www.hefce.ac.uk/susdevresources/ Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) http://www.eauc.org.uk http://www.eauc.org.uk Student Force for Sustainability www.studentforce.org.uk/ www.studentforce.org.uk/ Centre for Sustainable Futures (CSF) at UP www.csf.plymouth.ac.uk www.csf.plymouth.ac.uk

37 Some issues Reconciling limited capacity and budgets with rising expectations Need for internal capacity building Relationship between ESD Project as main focus - and wider Academy ESD involvement including SCs and York


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