Embracing Sustainability as a Strategic Priority
The Sustainability agenda is becoming increasingly relevant to higher education. Universities are now considering the current and future impact of its educational, research, outreach and operational activities. Universities are motivated by the academic challenge, social responsibility and moral concerns as well as by the opportunities sustainability offers for income generation.
The University of Gloucestershire is not alone in actively pursuing sustainability. Our University is perhaps unique in having committed to this area for over 20 years - having formally been acknowledged as a sector leader since the early 1980s.
However, the higher education landscape is changing. ‘Greening Spires’ (UniversitiesUK 2008) documents how Universities are now being challenged to extend their sustainability actions - such as the greening of campus operations and the reduction of our carbon footprinting or going beyond the teaching of environmental programmes to embed sustainability issues and skills into core courses.
In response to this challenge the University of Gloucestershire has developed ‘Promising Futures: A Sustainability Strategy 2009-2015’. The Strategy commits the University to a process of continuous improvement which extends activities across the campuses and facilities. It provides a sustainability vision for the University which is focused on ‘shifting mindsets’ as well as ‘changing unsustainable practice’. Its ultimate goal is to contribute through its educational, research, outreach and operational activities to a more promising future for all.
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‘’In our vision, the future is underpinned by a socially just, healthy, prosperous and biodiverse world.’’
UoG’s Sustainability Strategy |
Promising Futures
Below is a summary of the key ambitions of ‘Promising Futures’
Q. What does it mean?
- It means sustainability is a core activity of the University
- It means more than greening the campus
- It means a focus on mainstreaming across all portfolios
- It means investment in establishing monitoring and accountability systems
- It means investment in capacity building
- It means strong alignment with the core strategic priorities of the Universities
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Framing this vision are ambitions associated with :
- embedding sustainability in the curriculum
- developing cross-faculty research expertise in people engagement with sustainability, and:
- linking international and capital development
initiatives with sustainability |
Q. How will it show?
- Sustainability is in all key policy documents - Strategic Development Plan; Teaching and Learning Strategy; Research Plan; Public Engagement Policy, etc.
- University has a sustainability accountability system
- Procurement decisions are influenced by sustainability
- Student work experience in sustainability
- Public engagement programme in sustainability
- High profile opportunities for academic debate in sustainability
- Postgraduate Research network in Sustainability
- Carbon strategy and Carbon management plan
- Programme for FE partner colleges
- Formally embedded in course validation
Q. How will it happen?
A Sustainability Team will be established to facilitate the actions. However, the implementation of the proposed strategy requires engagement from staff and students across all campuses.
It is however important to recognise that:
- This will not happen overnight. Recognising it is a journey of continuous improvement
- There is a need to be inclusive and seek engagement of staff and students as well as external stakeholders
- There is a need to be systemic and not just strategic when implementing this new strategy
Above all this ambitious strategy requires continuous commitment from the Senior Management of the University.
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If you have relevant information for this webpage please
contact Ms Seek Pang (spang@glos.ac.uk)
Other Relevant Webpages:
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