education for sustainability at the university of ... · this report informs a review of education...

EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 2009-2015A REVIEW OF PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

MARCH 2015

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

1. CONTEXT 3

1.1 CONTEXT AND SCOPE OF THE REPORT 4

1.2 EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABILITY - STRATEGY AND TACTICS 6

1.3 HE LANDSCAPE - CHANGES DURING THE IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD 9

2. ACHIEVEMENTS 11

2.1 CORE INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS 13

2.2 POLICIES AND STRUCTURES 15

2.3 STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 17

2.4 STUDENT EXPERIENCE 22

2.5 EXTERNAL REACH AND INFLUENCE 24

3. CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS 27

4. FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS 31

FURTHER INFORMATION 34

This report informs a review of Education for Sustainability (EfS) at the University of Gloucestershire (UoG), as its Sustainability Strategy Promising Futures 2009-2015 concludes and its achievements are considered by an expert Evaluation Panel. Evidence points for the review include: independent feedback from an EfS expert and peer review input, as well as monitoring of actions and reflections on progress by the Sustainability Team.

The report finds evidence that the plans for institutional development in EfS have been implemented to positive effect and the core goals of Promising Futures for 2009-2015 have been achieved. It documents how EfS has been tailored to student needs and developed as a cross-institutional priority, embedded in strategy and policy frameworks, quality enhancement systems and education support.

External and peer input highlights that the ‘whole institution’ framing of EfS at UoG was ahead of its time in 2009 although it has since been imitated by other institutions. Its systemic, capacity-building approach offered a distinctive edge, which helped to establish its academic positioning and has contributed to professional development for staff and integration of EfS in the curriculum in several areas, as well as co-curriculum opportunities to improve employability and learning experiences for students.

Implementation of the EfS strategy has been achieved through externally funded programmes, to position EfS within policy and practice, build capacity and provide professional support to individuals, teams and departments. Two important examples were the Marie Curie International Fellowship Programme and HEFCE-funded project on EfS and Quality in partnership with the QAA. This led to the creation of the Learning for Sustainable Futures scheme in 2012, supporting new partnership and EfS projects across departments. Further activities have developed through EfS internships with the UNU RCE Severn and DegreePlus, as well as a range of student-facing EfS activities with the Student Union and Greener Gloucestershire initiatives across departments.

The evidence suggests multiple achievements in EfS under the Promising Futures strategy, with impact and benefits at a number of levels. The headlines include:Institutional

• Changed structures, policy frameworks and support systems to formally embed EfS so that it informs future plans and activities.

• Development of a culture of EfS practice and alignment with priorities such as employability, to add value to core institutional initiatives.

Staff• Improved staff confidence to innovate in the curriculum and improve teaching quality through

engagement with EfS and the Learning for Sustainable Futures scheme. • Income generation has provided new professional development opportunities and funds for

curriculum enhancement work.• Staff engagement and action in professional departments has been extended through EfS

projects in education support areas.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1 Education for Sustainability at the University of Gloucestershire 2009-2015 http://insight.glos.ac.uk/sustainability

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Students• Improvements to the UoG student experience through partnership work with the Student Union

and across departments.• New EfS internships have been created through the RCE Severn, extending the professional

experiences offered through DegreePlus.Stakeholders

• Raised sector profile and new scholarly outputs through leadership of innovative sector projects in collaboration with QAA, HEA and HEFCE.

• New partnerships with HE institutions through funded projects, the Learning for Sustainable Futures scheme and with regional stakeholders through the RCE Severn.

• Consolidation of the University’s dominant position in sector sustainability rankings and awards, which has led to international recognition in EfS.

At the time of this review, EfS is securely integrated at policy level and within UoG’s corporate responsibility profile. Effective professional support has been established with Learning for Sustainable Futures: the scheme is valued by Heads of Department and is informing academic professional development. Successful student-facing initiatives for employability and EfS training for students have been established, guided by student demand.The review points to the national and global recognition UoG has gained for its cutting-edge EfS work, validated by its inclusion as leading practice in key international and sector documents. This has added value for the University in external profile, sector influence, income generation and partnership development. The report captures the evolution of EfS in the UK HE landscape, as well as the partnership opportunities, invitations for expert input and strong participation levels that UoG has attracted in respect of its EfS work and activities. Research and development in EfS has generated over £1m income; this has supported the implementation process and informed national thinking and dialogues on EfS among the UK HE sector agencies. The range of local, national and international partnerships developed in EfS have provided new platforms for innovation, to keep the University at the leading edge of this rapidly expanding arena.This review of institutional development in EfS will go forward to the Evaluation Panel reviewing the Promising Futures strategy as it reaches its close in 2015. The findings point to several areas for potential development in EfS and the panel’s advice will help to establish priorities for construction of the new strategy and the next steps for EfS at UoG.

These priority areas could include:• Identifying ways that EfS can inform the development of future academic strategy • Supporting heads of department and course leads to integrate EfS into strategic planning• Increase in provision of EfS internships and co-curriculum activities for students• Consolidation of professional support, incentives and recognition systems for EfS• Development of approaches to include EfS in quality assurance systems • Income generation activity to advance EfS and the institutional profile in this area• Extending partnerships beyond the UK to take advantage of new opportunities in EfS• Development of responses to internationalization agendas through alignment with EfS


1. CONTEXT


BOX 1: EVIDENCE POINTS FOR THE REVIEW• Independent feedback from an external Expert Reviewer in EfS (Ann Finlayson)• Internal monitoring grid to record actions and progress on EfS at UoG (Sustainability Team) • Discussions and feedback at Sustainable Development Committee (UoG staff/students)• Feedback from participants in the Learning for Sustainable Futures scheme (UoG staff)• Input through University Management Group presentations (UoG Heads of Department)• Comments from expert review panels and assessors (e.g. Green Gown awards; Green League; BSI)• Feedback from colleagues leading organizational change in EfS at other institutions (external peers)• Indicators of esteem through citation in external reports of leading EfS practice (external peers)

1. CONTEXT

1.1 CONTEXT AND SCOPE OF THE REPORTIn 2015 the University of Gloucestershire (UoG) Sustainability Strategy Promising Futures 2009-2015 comes to an end, accompanied by a period of consolidation, evaluation and forward planning, to guide the institutional approach and priorities in Sustainability for 2015 onwards. The purpose of this report is to inform a review of the Sustainability Team’s work and achievements in Education for Sustainability (EfS). It collates evidence and refl ects on the intentions, approaches and progression of EfS at the University over the last six years.This report is informed by a range of evidence points (see Box 1) including independent feedback provided Ann Finlayson, former UK Sustainable Development Commissioner, who was commissioned to provide an expert assessment, based on wide-ranging experience in EfS across education sectors. This included consultation with staff involved with EfS developments and review of relevant documentation (listed in Box 2). Feedback has been obtained from key stakeholders involved in the implementation ofEfS, colleagues across University departments and external peers and advisors. The report is also informed by Sustainability Team records of progress and refl ections on the approaches adopted, successes and challenges.

GREENING UNIVERSITIES TOOLKIT

TRANSFORMING UNIVERSITIES INTO GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE CAMPUSES

Student attitudes towards and skills for sustainable development

A report for the Higher Education Academy

Authors: Rachel Drayson, Elizabeth Bone & Jamie Agombar

Education for sustainable development:

Guidance for UK higher education providers

June 2014


BOX 2: DOCUMENTATION CONSULTED FOR THE REVIEWPOLICIES AND STRUCTURES

• University of Gloucestershire Strategic Plan 2012-17• Sustainability Strategy - Promising Futures 2009-2015• EfS Strategic Progress Overview – June 2014• BSI ISO 14001 Assessment Visit Report 2014• UoG Quality Assurance Handbook• UoG Learning and Teaching Strategy 2011-2015 • Terms of Reference: Learning and Teaching Committee; Sustainable Development Committee • SDC Learning for Sustainability sub-group Minutes • Role Description – Associate Director of Sustainability (Academic) - 2008

STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT• EfS Managers Guide and EfS Educators Guide • Learning for Sustainable Futures Brochure 2013• Green Gown Awards 2013 Submission• Learning for Sustainable Futures 2014 event evaluations• Staff Induction Programme Nov 2013• UNU RCE Seminar Publicity 9 April 2014• Quality and EfS Workshop Outline 18 April 2012• EfS Action Plan – Business Management 2009• EfS & Business Management 2009-10 Summary

STUDENT EXPERIENCE• SU Greener Gloucestershire Publicity • SU and Sustainability Student Activity Web Presence• Open Voice project Publicity • EfS Internship Role Briefing - Business Education • EfS Internship Role Briefing - EfS and Employability• Blackout Event Publicity 2011• Earth Hour Event Publicity 2013• World Environment Week Schedule 2012

EXTERNAL REACH AND INFLUENCE• UoG EfS Web Presence• Local Business Event Programme and Attendance List April 2013 • Ryan & Tilbury New Pedagogical Ideas HEA Report 2013• Ryan & Tilbury HEA Policy Webinar 2013• Sustainability Research at UoG Brochure• UoG EfS External Profile Snapshot 13-14• Record of UoG Green Gown Awards Performance 2007-14

1. CONTEXT


1.2 EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABILITY - STRATEGY AND TACTICSThe University’s Sustainability Strategy, Promising Futures 2009-2015, was guided by an innovative ‘whole-institution’ approach to Sustainability, embracing teaching and research, governance and practice, student experience, partnerships and outreach. Education was central to the vision and ambition of Promising Futures, recognizing that Sustainability is in essence a learning and change process, deeply connected to the University’s core business and societal role as an education provider.Promising Futures proposed an enhancement-led, capacity-building response to the need for learning and change in support of Sustainability. The educational framework for this approach was based on internationally-agreed pedagogies in Education for Sustainability (EfS) and used five key principles1 (see Box 3).

BOX 3: EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY – KEY PRINCIPLES Futures thinkingFutures thinking engages people in imagining preferred visions for the future. It involves the exploration of assumptions and of meaningful understandings and interpretations of sustainable development. This process of envisioning futures leads people to take ownership and responsibility for more sustainable futures.

Critical and Creative thinkingCritical and creative thinking enables people to explore new ways of thinking and acting, make informed decisions, and create alternatives to present choices. It involves reflecting on how people interrelate with one other, understanding cultural differences and creating alternative ways to live together.

Participation and Participatory learningThe engagement of people is needed to build sustainable futures collectively. Engaging diverse stakeholders and communities is essential, as they value and include differing knowledge systems and perspectives. The process of participation is also important for creating ownership and empowerment.

Systemic thinkingThinking systemically is essential to sustainable development, as piecemeal approaches have proved not to work - instead resolving one issue while creating other problems. Sustainable development requires approaches which go beyond analysis in terms of ‘problem-solving’ and/or ‘cause-effect’.

PartnershipsPartnerships are a motivating force towards change. They empower people and groups to take action, to take part in decision-making processes and to build capacity for sustainable development. Intercultural and multi-sectoral partnerships in particular are often highlighted as critical in EfS approaches.(UoG EfS Educators Guide)

1These principles were reflected in the IUCN publication prepared for use worldwide during the UNESCO Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 2005-2014. See: Tilbury, D. & Wortman, D. (2004) Engaging People in Sustainability, IUCN – The World Conservation Union, Gland, Switzerland.

1. CONTEXT


BOX 4: A VISION FOR SUSTAINABILITY“ Embedding sustainability into the institutional core… and embedding sustainability learning opportunities within core courses rather than offering new optional specialist courses.”

“ The study of how we inform and engage people in change is relevant to the University’s specialist areas, which include: health, education, leadership, management, psychology, community development, local engagement, consumer studies, marketing, communication, art and media studies, amongst others. The University is in a good position to build its credentials in the area of people’s engagement in sustainability and to seek research and education funding which seeks social change for sustainability.”“�It�is�an�ambition�of�the�University�to�be�the�first�UK�institution�to�embed�sustainability�into�all�its�course�offerings. This would require providing professional development opportunities for teaching staff and support in the form of guidelines on how sustainability is relevant to their discipline. Guidelines are also needed to inform the integration of sustainability into course validation, quality enhancement and other formal processes.”

(University of Gloucestershire Sustainability Strategy Promising Futures 2009-2015: 1.2.2 p.7; 1.2.6 p.9)

This framework for strategic development promoted adoption of EfS both in the formal curriculum and the wider institutional setting. The EfS approach at UoG also incorporates best practice in ‘whole-person’ education, professional learning, active citizenship, social learning, education for change and ideas of the ‘learning organisation’. Promising Futures positioned EfS as an aspect of Sustainability in which UoG could develop a distinctive specialism. EfS was situated as a curriculum-wide imperative that could align with - and enhance - the existing academic expertise and portfolio. It offered a unique approach, using personal and professional engagement with Sustainability as a clear thematic connection point across faculties, to frame EfS with relevance to the UoG context (see Box 4).

Promising Futures outlined areas for action to develop EfS as an institutional education priority: positioning EfS within academic strategy and policy frameworks; embedding EfS into quality enhancement systems and education support areas; providing targeted professional development in EfS for staff; and extending EfS experiences for students. Initial structural changes were followed by creation of the institution’s EfS academic framework and the first wave of staff development, using EU Marie Curie funding with further strategic development taking place through a HEFCE followed by strategic development through a HEFCE-funded initiative on EfS and Quality with the Quality Assurance Agency.

1. CONTEXT


Half way through the implementation period for Promising Futures, the University released a new corporate strategy, prompting changes to the Sustainability Team’s goals and tactics. The Strategic Plan 2012-17 included clear aims for continuous improvement in EfS, strengthening the focus on curriculum development through quality assurance, professional support for staff and professional experiences for students (see Box 5).

BOX 5: REVISED STRATEGIC PRIORITIES IN EfS• Embed sustainability into the design and delivery of teaching programmes as a required

component of initial course approval and revalidation and review for all programmes. • Support academic departments through professional development opportunities for staff.• Increase student volunteering and work-focused learning opportunities in sustainability. • Align the University’s commitment to Sustainability with the ‘Degreeplus’ programme to progress

employability and business development: and link the concepts of sustainability and responsible leadership in relevant programmes.

• Work with the Teaching, Learning and Innovation team to support the latest teaching development associated with Education for Sustainability.

• Extend partnerships in sustainability, primarily through the United Nations University Regional Centre of Expertise in Sustainability Education.

(University of Gloucestershire Strategic Plan 2012-17 p.17)

1. CONTEXT

Following this reorientation of strategic priorities, the Learning for Sustainable Futures (LFSF) scheme was established in collaboration with the Academic Development Unit (ADU) in 2012. Over three years, LFSF has provided grants and mentoring for curriculum change and learning support in EfS. Further student experience opportunities were created through partnership work, providing EfS internships with the UNU RCE Severn and DegreePlus, as well as co-curriculum initiatives under the Student Union’s Greener Gloucestershire programme.The educational foundations for EfS have been articulated in relation to changing HE landscapes, using HEA Flexible Pedagogies funding. This helped to strengthen the relevance and critical edge of EfS work in the context of technological developments, changing patterns of delivery and rapid globalization of the sector. Professional development in EfS has taken on new importance at the international level and efforts have been scaled up in this area through collaborative work with the ADU and a new European Commission project.These shifts in strategic intent have increased attention to quality assurance, student experience and graduate employability, professional development and curriculum enhancement. As well as reinforcing the original aims of Promising Futures, they reflect the institutional capacity to innovate and lead on EfS and to connect EfS with its responses to changing priorities of the sector in areas such as flexible learning and internationalization.


1.3 HE LANDSCAPE DURING THE IMPLEMENTATION PERIODSince the publication of Promising Futures, EfS has evolved significantly in the HE sector, growing in visibility and sophistication. The UN Decade in Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) has provided both backdrop and stimulus for these developments, giving focus to this area of learning and its growing presence internationally. Under the DESD, significant developments in EfS in the HE context have unfolded across continents, supported by governments and key agencies as well as HE institutions. The United Nations University (UNU) committed to implementation of the DESD through the establishment of Regional Centres of Expertise (RCEs) that broker university-community partnerships and professional learning in EfS. At the European level, the United Nations Economic Council for Europe (UNECE) also committed to EfS and developed strategies for its implementation across education sectors, as well as frameworks and guidance to support this. In the UK, the prominence of EfS reflects the efforts of sector agencies to support and position it as a critical education agenda for the future of HE (see Box 6).

BOX 6: UK HE SECTOR AGENCY RESPONSES TO EfS• The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) have promoted EfS in their

Sustainable Development plans, strategies and frameworks (2005; 2008; 2014). HEFCE has also incentivized HE institutions to engage with EfS in reframing the curriculum, e.g. through its substantial investment in the 2010-12 Leading Curriculum Change for Sustainability project with the QAA, led by UoG.

• The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) has included EfS in the UK�Quality�Code�for�HE that informs standards across the sector, as a strategic education theme of importance for all institutions (Chapter B3, p8). In 2014 it released national guidelines on how EfS informs curricula and graduate outcomes2.

• The Higher Education Academy (HEA) has invested in research and development in EfS since 2005 and included EfS as a priority in its Strategic Plan 2012-16. It has resourced curriculum development and institutional change programmes, plus collaborative work with the NUS and QAA in this area.

• The National Union of Students (NUS) has researched student interest in EfS annually in partnership with the HEA since 20113, showing rising student demand in this area. It has also used its Students Green Fund initiative to enable Student Unions to develop students’ skills and understanding in EfS.

1. CONTEXT

2 http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Education-sustainable-development-Guidance-June-14.pdf 3 https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/workstreams-research/themes/education-sustainable-development/students-and-esd


4 University Educators for Sustainable Development (UE4SD) Project - North region mapping process (UK data extracts available on request). See: www.ue4sd.eu. 5 http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/change/GA_ESD_12_13/GA_ESD_info

This prominence is also evidenced by the growth of EfS activity in a wide range of institutions across the sector, with many universities now visibly engaged in the development of EfS strategies and actions:

• In 2013, of 143 institutions in the People and Planet Green League, commitments to EfS were found in Corporate Plans (35%); Teaching and Learning Strategies (46%); and Environmental Policies (80%)4.

• By 2014, 18 institutions had participated in the HEA Green Academy organisational change programme, using institutional teams to advance new cross-curricular initiatives in EfS5.

In 2009, when the Promising Futures strategy began, only a handful of institutional EfS initiatives existed in HE across the globe. At this stage, few had considered what good practice or valuable outcomes would look like at university level. The External Reviewer viewed Promising Futures as a strategy ahead of its time, such that its implementation involved a process of development, consolidation and reflection, to establish the purpose and identity of EfS in HE and to clarify effective strategies for its application. The field of EfS in HE has since matured considerably, as most universities now have institutional commitments in this area of learning. Universities seeking to make their mark in EfS can draw on leading practices, scholarly literature, insights and tools that are HE sector-specific and span the range of disciplines, demonstrating how EfS can be advanced in a wide range of institutions. One of the headline points emerging in this review is the role that UoG has played as a pioneer and pace-setter in these developments.The review of EfS at UoG therefore takes shape in a far more informed and developed climate than the context in which its approaches were devised. It is both timely and necessary to use this process to ask substantive questions about UoG’s framing and strategies in EfS, how these could evolve and how UoG can build on its established position as an EfS innovator, to inform broader academic development at the institution.

1. CONTEXT


2. ACHIEVEMENTS


2. ACHIEVEMENTS

This section outlines the key achievements in EfS work during the lifespan of Promising Futures, considering overarching progress as well as charting progression in four key areas. Headlines include:Institutional development: The aim of systemic ‘whole institution’ change in EfS has been met and UoG’s strategic progress on EfS has been commended as outstanding by external assessment exercises. Corporate positioning of the Sustainability Team as one of the professional departments may have contributed to this success.

Policies and structures: EfS has been embedded into key academic policy frameworks and committee structures. Curriculum development commitments have been made in the University’s Strategic Plan 2012-17 to advance EfS through quality assurance systems and KPIs have been established to include actions on EfS.

Staff professional development: External project funding has resourced staff development activities in EfS, using focal points such as professional practice and curriculum quality. In 2012 the Learning for Sustainable Futures scheme was set up with the Academic Development Unit, providing a highly successful approach to improve staff development, curriculum enhancement and student experience. This EfS activity is now feeding into central academic staff training with the ADU and informing new practice in academic departments.

Student experience: Student-facing EfS activities are focused on employability, through internships brokered by the RCE Severn for DegreePlus. Student demand is strong and collaboration with the Student Union has created new opportunities, generated income for SU initiatives and led to the development of EfS training for SU officers and course representatives.

External reach and influence: EfS has generated over £1m in income and led to new national and international partnerships, plus regular requests for the University’s EfS expertise from other HE institutions. High profile funded projects have supported institutional development in EfS, created strong partnerships with HE sector agencies and led to a range of external awards and recognition.


2.1 CORE INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALSAdvances have been seen in all four areas identified as mechanisms to develop institutional EfS capacity. The achievements are mapped in Box 7 as a snapshot of progress by February 2015, with examples of activities and projects. It captures the systemic nature of the achievement, establishing EfS in formal policy and grassroots practice, staff development and student experience, reaching both academic and professional departments. Achieving ‘whole-institution’ reach was the fundamental goal of Promising Futures and this depth and range of engagement was noted as significant by the External Reviewer, who underlined the significance of corporate positioning for the Sustainability Team in securing these early changes and enabling transparency:

“The current change model evident in the policies and strategies examined shows a systemic approach to organisational change, as well as using EfS itself as an open, participatory capacity building approach… The approach of placing the Sustainability Team in the corporate team rather than academic is innovative and may well have led to better adoption corporately. Evidence from other universities shows that often embedding in academic curriculum areas leads to slower adoption.”(External Reviewer Feedback, December 2014)

This institutional development has emerged through a strategic and ambitious programme of activity, thinking and practice at multiple levels. The emphasis has been on joined-up approaches that can generate collaboration across departments and stronger outcomes, as recognized by senior management:

“EfS at UoG has been ‘inward linking’. It has been about fungibility - a process of osmosis across boundaries. It has added value in a more collaborative way in places such as ICT and libraries, which has led to shared working and the development of social learning spaces… We are monitoring engaged learning instead of monitoring attendance… EfS is about excitement and a way of working.”(Maxine Melling, Pro Vice-Chancellor Operations, University of Gloucestershire)

As a result, the University’s corporate profile in EfS (not just Sustainability) has been commended in annual BSI assessments. Notably, UoG was the first HE institution to include EfS in the curriculum in its regular ISO 14001 review cycle and has been acknowledged for its strategic gains in this area:

“The University has identified sustainability as a key area within its strategic plan, from both an academic and operations perspective. Academic sustainability within course and staff development / engagement is now at the forefront of the University’s approach to meeting their stated aims and objectives.” (BSI ISO 14001 external assessment report, July 2013)

This organizational EfS expertise has also been recognized in sustainability benchmarking schemes such as the People & Planet Green League and Business in the Community (BITC) rankings. UoG’s result for the Teaching, Learning & Research component of the 2010 BITC index was 91.6% (against a sector average of 60.5%), making this an ‘Impact Area of Outstanding Achievement’ (scoring over 90%). UoG routinely achieves recognition for its organizational advances in EfS in sector awards and other measures, as outlined in section 2.5.

2. ACHIEVEMENTS


AREA STATUS DETAILS/EXAMPLES1. POLICIES AND STRUCTURESPOLICIES AND STRATEGIES EfS embedded in key documents

Established Strategic Plan 2012-2017 Sustainability Strategy 2009-2015 Learning and Teaching Strategy 2011-2015

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS EfS included in Operating Plan (KPIs)

Established EfS is reported on quarterly to Executive and annually to Council

OPERATIONAL STRUCTURES EfS represented in membership and TORs of key committees

Established Learning and Teaching Committee Sustainable Development Committee (SDC also has sub working group on EfS)

CORPORATE PERFORMANCE EfS included in BSI ISO 14001

Established – ongoing action

External assessments on EfS annually as part of maintenance of ISO 14001 status

QUALITY ASSURANCE EfS in QA handbook/systems

Initial steps –action needed EfS included in QA guidance on new course validations and in student representatives training

2. STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEW STAFF INDUCTION EfS is part of induction process


EfS is part of regular induction events cycle - new academic and education support staff receive guidance briefs on EfS

CENTRAL ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT EfS CPD support in collaboration with Academic Development Unit

Established – potential for development

- Learning for Sustainable Futures scheme – offers grants and CPD support to staff

- EfS is part of Postgraduate�Certificate in Academic Practice and online CPD toolkit

SUSTAINABILITY TEAM PROVISION EfS CPD activities and guidance materials from Sustainability Team


- University EfS Guides available online - EfS Seminars - RCE annual series- EfS web area with CPD tools/materials- Support to staff for EfS tenders/bids

3. STUDENT EXPERIENCECENTRAL SYSTEMS & GUIDANCE Sustainability Team EfS collaboration with Student Union/Student Services


- EfS in Induction Packs and Freshers Fayre- Sustainability reflected in Student Charter- Annual UoG survey on EfS with NUS/HEA- EfS training provided for SU officers

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES RCE Severn EfS internships through DegreePlus and EfS co-curriculum work across faculties/departments


- EfS appears in DegreePlus Handbook- New EfS internships established by RCE- Open Voice project (Chaplaincy)- Edible Garden (FCH Campus)- Nature on Campus (Biosciences)- Regular campaigns and events

4. EXTERNAL REACH AND INFLUENCEINCOME AND PARTNERSHIPS Institutional EfS initiatives developed with funding from HE agencies

Established - ongoing action

- Marie Curie International Fellowship- UNESCO – Cultural Diversity & ESD- HEFCE LGM Project with QAA- HEA Flexible Pedagogy Programme- EC Erasmus Networks Project

PROFILE AND RECOGNITION Awards and Recognition in EfS for the institution and for individual staff


- National Teaching Fellows- Higher Education Academy Fellowships- University Teaching Fellows - Green Gown and other awards

INDICATORS OF ESTEEM EfS expert guidance to institutions and membership of advisory forums


- Invited keynotes and CPD seminars- Range of sector advisory/expert roles (e.g. UNESCO DESD MEEG; HEA Advisory Board; UNECE expert group; NUS; QAA-HEA expert group; UNESCO UK; HEFCE; UUK)

BOX 7: INSTITUTION-WIDE PROGRESS IN EfS

2. ACHIEVEMENTS


2.2 POLICIES AND STRUCTURESA series of initial structural changes were put in place which predated, supported and informed the development of Promising Futures. The aim of these early actions was to understand the institutional context and prepare the ground for an inclusive and visible approach to policy and practice (see Box 8).

BOX 8: STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO SUPPORT EfS 2007-082007-2008 Development of Sustainability Strategy – institutional dialogues led by Director of Sustainability to identify the distinctive vision, framing, structures and goals for EfS at UoG.2007-2008 Inclusion of EfS in Policy and Reporting – embedding EfS into academic frameworks and policies, as well as committee membership and TORs for academic and corporate reporting (Sustainable Development Committee and Learning and Teaching Committee).2008 Appointment of EfS Lead Role – creation of permanent academic post (0.5 FTE) with responsibility for EfS in the curriculum and associated staff professional development work.2008 Establishment of RCE Severn - establishment of RCE Severn, a UNU Regional Centre of Expertise in EfS, to broker external partnerships and professional experience for students.

2. ACHIEVEMENTS

BOX 9: UNIVERSITY KPIs IN EfSGoal 5 Action 10 - Continue to embed Education for Sustainability into quality assurance and enhancement systems at the University.Goal 5 Action 10 - Extend student engagement opportunities and support Student Union in Green Impact and NUS project work.Goal 5 Action 11 - Continue to work with DegreePlus to create new opportunities for student experience in sustainability.Goal 5 KPI 13 – Performance in the Green League – retain First Class classification (includes EfS).(University of Gloucestershire Operating Plan 2013-14)

The evidence suggests that this groundwork has enabled and strengthened adoption of EfS corporately, creating continuous improvement mechanisms that align with academic development and quality assurance systems. Senior management support has underpinned the integration of EfS into academic practice across faculties, with specific goals and Key Performance Indicators (institutional and departmental) established for the Sustainability Team within the University’s Operating Plan, including actions specific to EfS (see Box 9).


By the early stages of Promising Futures, EfS had been embedded into key academic policies, including the University’s Research Plan and its Learning and Teaching Strategy. This positioning was reaffirmed when the new institutional Learning and Teaching Strategy 2012-15 was developed in 2011: EfS informs all four key principles with a particular focus on Learning for the Future6. Commitments in the new Strategic Plan 2012-17 aim to further develop EfS through course validation and periodic review, with a HEFCE-funded project in collaboration with the QAA supporting this process (see Box 10). The place of EfS in quality assurance policy for new course validations has been formalized and the next step would be to address the inclusion of EfS in periodic review. Training and guidance in EfS for staff in quality roles, course development teams and review panels, as well as external examiners, would be support this process and help to meet the Strategic Plan commitments. These strategic and structural changes were noted by the External Reviewer as good practice in combining transparency and flexibility, to enable further application of EfS:

“An impressive amount of work against strategic and operational objectives was noted with clear explanations of progress and the Academic Strategy and areas of Quality Assurance policy left to do. The regular reporting was noted as good practice… The focus then shifted to a whole institutional programme on embedding EfS in university teams, curriculum and departments. UoG is to be commended on taking this approach as it has allowed for new and innovative interpretations of EfS.”(External Reviewer Feedback, December 2014)

This evidence of success in locating EfS within the academic development function was underlined in external benchmarking processes such as the People and Planet Green League. In 2014, the Green League developed more stringent requirements, yet UoG continued to achieve 100% scores for EfS, in recognition of its strategic continuous improvement work across the institution.

2. ACHIEVEMENTS

6 The University’s Academic Strategy has recently been under review and the External Reviewer queried its positioning and framing of EfS, although this falls outside the time frame for the review.


2.3 STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTSupport for staff development was a priority in Promising Futures, to develop academic capacity and generate tangible legacies in the curriculum. An initial step was to include EfS in the staff induction process, to share the institutional EfS framework and guidance with new members of teaching staff.Two major initiatives served to develop the EfS framework and engage academic staff, with Sustainability Team income generation dedicated to this (see Box 10). The first initiative, funded with an EU Marie Curie fellowship, supported the creation of two EfS Guides and offered academic staff development focused on professional courses and early career researchers. The second initiative, funded by HEFCE and in partnership with QAA, focused on institutional development and the alignment of EfS with quality assurance agendas.

2. ACHIEVEMENTS

BOX 10: EXTERNALLY FUNDED INITIATIVES TO EMBED EfS2009-11 Living and Learning Sustainability Funder: Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship ProgrammeThis project supported capacity-building activities to embed EfS into professional courses and research activities across faculties, with staff development workshops; mentoring and guidance; visiting experts; an early career researchers network; professional exchanges with other HE institutions in the UK and overseas; a concentrated two-year programme of development work with the Business School; and development of the institutional EfS framework and EfS Guides.

2010-12 Leading Curriculum Change for Sustainability Funder: HEFCE Leadership Governance and Management FundThis project was the first to advance EfS as an agenda for future curriculum quality in HE, working in partnership with the Quality Assurance Agency. It supported year-long development projects to embed EfS into quality systems at UoG and four UK partner institutions. The UoG work involved mapping QA and QE systems and commitments for EfS, as well as holding internal staff development workshops and creating guidance materials and an online toolkit focused on EfS and quality.


Departmental capacity for EfS was extended with the Business School using Marie Curie funding, to strengthen recruitment prospects, employer engagement and distinctiveness in the Business Management course group. EfS was integrated into team-based student project work, supported by staff development for the teaching team and an internship to examine student learning and employer expectations in EfS. Following the HEFCE project (see Box 10 and section 2.2), the Learning for Sustainable Futures (LFSF) scheme was established in 2012, an internally resourced collaboration between the Academic Development Unit (ADU) and Sustainability Team. LFSF has provided 20 staff development and curriculum enhancement grants across academic and professional departments (see Box 11). It offers funds on a competitive basis for staff to lead new EfS projects, with 1-1 in-house mentoring and bespoke support, as well as advice from external experts.Over three years from 2012-15, LFSF has resulted in curriculum changes in Accounting and Finance; Business Management; Early Years Education; Education Studies; Fashion Design; Fine Art; Tourism Management; Philosophy and Religion; Product Design; Sports Coaching and Sports Development. It has also introduced EfS in Student Union, Chaplaincy, Placements, Library and Information Services and the Student Helpzones.This has extended professional development for staff through targeted mentoring and advice, helping them to introduce EfS through curriculum development activities, departmental action plans and quality assurance documents. It has created new programme design approaches, student learning activities, assessments and teaching tools. Bespoke support for teaching teams has been provided through special workshops in Business, Tourism and Sport.Evidence suggests that LFSF has been a notable success story for UoG, based on productive collaboration between the ADU and Sustainability Team, who co-funded its first two years. In 2014-15 ADU fully resourced LFSF in recognition of its positive outcomes. The scheme was replicated by the University of Worcester and won a national Green Gown Awards commendation.

“A comprehensive and strategic approach to CPD in sustainable development using a modest investment to develop a high impact approach with wide potential transferability.”(Green Gown Awards Judging Panel 2013 – Highly Commended – Learning and Skills)

Evidence of the professional benefits for staff has been seen in curriculum renewal, research-teaching connectivity, development of teaching capabilities, collaboration across teams, engagement with students and professional recognition (see Box 12).

2. ACHIEVEMENTS


BOX 11: LFSF - GRANTS AWARDED2014-15

• Learning and Information Services – Project Leader: Allison Davies Librarianship, librarians and EfS – developing action plans and professional responses to EfS

• Department of ICT and Computing – Project Leader: Michelle Williams Product Design curriculum development and industry experience for EfS

• Department of Fine Art – Project Leader: Katie Pratt Fine Art – PGM curriculum refresh to develop programme identity and distinctiveness

• Department of Sports and Exercise – Project Leader: Phil Shirfield Sports Coaching – placement partnerships in sustainability with external organisations

• Business School – Project Leader: Colin Simpson Business Management – development of academic strategy linked to EfS and employability

• Department of Accounting & Finance – Project Leader: Michelle Cook Accounting & Finance – curriculum development focused on professional responsibility

2013-14 • Department of Sports and Exercise – Project Leader: Abbe Brady

Sports Coaching and Development – integrating EfS principles into core UG experiences• Department of Humanities – Project Leader: Roy Jackson

Philosophy�of�Religion�–�integrating�EfS�with�flexible�online�learning�in�curriculum�development• Student Services – Project Leader: Bruce Goodwin

Chaplaincy – establishment of Open Voice initiative to enhance student experience• Department of Fashion – Project Leaders: Margaret McDonough & Nick Sargeant

Fashion Design – designing EfS into new curriculum developments• Student Union – Project Leader: Meg Baker

Student�Voice�–�establishing�mechanisms�to�strengthen�student�influence�in�EfS• Department of Sports and Exercise – Project Leader: Ben Moreland

Sports for Development – integrating co-curriculum projects into formal curricula• Department of Education – Project Leaders: Richard Millican & Tim Morgan

Education Studies – development of professional portfolios for EfS competences• Department of Tourism & Leisure – Project Leader: Angela Kalisch

Tourism Management – staff development and curriculum development planning for EfS 2012-13

• Department of Education – Project Leaders: Richard Millican & Tim Morgan Education Studies – creating graduate professional development portfolios for EfS

• Department of Tourism & Leisure – Project Leader: Angela Kalisch Tourism Management – developing an EfS framework for curriculum renewal

• Student Services - Project Leader: Yolanda Megroff Helpzones�–�connecting�EfS�with�issues�in�retention�and�motivation�of�mature�students

• Business School – Project Leader: Maggie Zeng Operations Management – curriculum renewal and external learning opportunities

• Department of Education – Project Leader: Sally Yates Early Years Education – building regional professional practice principles for EfS

• Department of Humanities – Project Leader: Dave Webster Embedding�inter-disciplinary�EfS�learning�opportunities�in�Humanities�core�curriculum (project not completed due to staff workload and institutional duties for the project leader)

2. ACHIEVEMENTS


BOX 12: LFSF STAFF DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCESMichelle Cook (Lecturer in Accounting and Finance, Business School)“The LFSF project has empowered me to experiment, to reflect and to refine my approach to teaching and learning. The network of experts I have been exposed to has been invaluable; there is always somebody to discuss ideas and issues with. I’ve only recently made the move to HE from a career in professional practice so it’s great to have this wealth of experience at my fingertips and this curriculum development work is now the case study for my MSc dissertation.”

Dr Roy Jackson (Reader in Philosophy of Religion, School of Humanities) “This project has provided me with a focus to my field of research in engaging with sustainability and producing material that questions traditional mindsets… Mentoring was invaluable in helping me to see how my discipline aligns and connects with EfS in ways I had not previously considered, clearing away the fog and seeing things in a practical, focused manner that eased my way in movement from abstract and theoretical to real and concrete results.”

Bruce Goodwin (Senior Chaplain, Student Services)“Trying to establish a space in the public domain for student engagement with deeper issues has been an exciting, challenging, frustrating and fascinating experience, but a vitally important one. If we can give students a chance to share their views in a conducive environment where they are listened to and respected, and some go away thinking differently, we will feel we have succeeded.”

Ben Moreland (Lecturer in Placements and Outreach, School of Sport & Exercise) “Collaborating with the EfS team has surpassed my expectations. It has enabled the module to develop in unexpected directions, facilitating innovative and challenging learning environments for both students and staff. 1-1 support during module development was invaluable, willingness to act as a sounding board allowed me to work through a number of interesting and thought provoking EfS concepts in a challenging but importantly constructive mentoring relationship.”

Angela Kalisch (Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management, School of Leisure)“This process has made me think more about my approach to teaching and my relationship with students, in bringing the complexities of sustainability to them. It helped to develop my clarity and a constructive process - and gave me a buzz and enthusiasm, as well as valuable opportunities to connect with colleagues.”

2. ACHIEVEMENTS


This EfS work is now informing central academic training in the PG�Certificate�in�Academic�Practice and online staff development toolkits, as well as best practice case studies of teaching and learning at UoG from the LFSF projects. This has helped to consolidate pedagogical expertise and profile development for the institution and for individual staff, as LFSF project leaders have put this work forward for professional recognition (e.g. HEA fellowships and PGCAP assessments). The online ADU toolkits and EfS web area are an important mechanism in sharing these resources and UoG’s expertise with colleagues across the institution and the wider sector. Colleagues who have drawn on bespoke guidance from the Sustainability Team have been supported in their work to achieve wider effects at the departmental and programme level. This professional support in EfS has been provided with an emphasis on curriculum renewal, engagement across teaching teams and improving relevance and market distinctiveness, to extend the impact and outcomes of EfS work:

“Fashion Design is a new subject area for the University. Right from the start we were aware that we should build on our University expertise in Sustainability so that students can explore this area more deeply, both creatively and theoretically. EfS has helped focus our attention on this and has enabled us to market the new course with EfS very much to the fore as a USP of study at Cheltenham.”Nick Sargeant (Subject Group Leader in Design, School of Art and Design)

“We were looking for a differentiated and relevant focus for the programme. The Sustainability Team offered support, developed and led staff development for tutors and provided us with bespoke resources. This went a long way to persuade me and others that it is possible to move an established degree to a more sustainable future, with vision, commitment, expertise and empathy for what we were trying to do.” Dr Jim Keane (Senior Lecturer in Economics, Business School)

“Staff in our School have come to appreciate the broader and dynamic concept of sustainability, which has inspired us to radically rethink imperatives within our curricula across all levels of taught provision. The impact we experienced was far greater than we had initially expected, inviting us to consider new ways of thinking about things we thought we knew well… We focus especially on placement modules as we know via their placement experiences our students gain much and make an enormous contribution to the local community and we hope to enhance such outcomes.”Dr Abbe Brady (Course Leader in Sports Coaching, School of Sport and Exercise)

This bespoke EfS support has been complemented by an annual LFSF event, as well as a range of seminars and conferences (e.g. Copernicus Alliance conference 2014; PRISM inter-disciplinary research conference 2011; PRSI-CEAL transformative learning conference 2009). Unexpected institutional outcomes have also emerged from LFSF in the Student Union and professional departments. The value of LFSF was underlined by the University Management Group, who made multiple requests for it to continue when asked to identify the most beneficial activities under Promising Futures

7. The External Reviewer noted the significance of the professional support ‘on the ground’ through LFSF and its potential for supporting subject communities, pedagogical innovation and professional mentoring, as well as extending income generation and generation and professional partnerships.

2. ACHIEVEMENTS

7 UoG Heads of Department ‘Breakthrough Days’ Presentation - feedback from participants, January 2015.


2.4 STUDENT EXPERIENCEStudents benefit from UoG’s EfS work through their formal studies and also through initiatives linked to employability and professional development. This alignment has been developed following evidence of student demand for EfS to improve graduate profiles and employment prospects (national research by the NUS/HEA shows consistent demand year-on-year since 2011, which is mirrored in the institution-specific datasets for UoG)8. Attention has been directed to the creation of EfS internships through the RCE Severn partnership platform, as part of the UoG DegreePlus scheme (e.g. IT Schools Africa; Furniture Recycling Project; Forest Green Rovers) and within the Sustainability Team (including the former Graduate Challenge scheme). Participants have noted the benefits for generic transferable skills and for sustainability as an important professional capability:

“The internship was of appeal as it gave real life experience... It was extremely rewarding and it was great to see that we could actually make a change. One of the important skills we developed was critical thinking and we exercised this a lot because we came up against obstacles and had to think our way around them… When applying for jobs after University, we’ll be able to talk about all the skills we have gained and stand out from the crowd. Employers want a wide range of skills, with sustainability being an increasingly important issue – it’s crucial that you have an understanding of it.”(Students’ EfS Internship Experiences, Gloucestershire County Council)

In addition, significant EfS internship and social enterprise experiences have been created for students through the Student Union Greener Gloucestershire initiative. The Sustainability Team helped to develop the bid and plans for this highly successful venture, which received £280,000 from the NUS and has engaged over 2000 students in learning and professional development for sustainability.

“Achieving impact with a modest team requires that innovation is brokered through the engagement of individuals and departments. One clear recent example of this was the way that the Sustainability Team assisted the Student Union in gaining nearly £300,000 from the NUS to progress its sustainability initiatives.”(Karen Morgan, Member of University Council)

The focus on improving understanding and action among the student body was noted by the External Reviewer as an important component of the EfS strategy. Cross-departmental partnerships have enabled students to encounter Sustainability at UoG through induction activities as well as campaigns and events on campus offered with Student Services and other departments (e.g. the Open Voice debates led by Chaplaincy).

2. ACHIEVEMENTS

8 UK Higher Education Academy website contains the national surveys conducted in collaboration with the NUS: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/workstreams-research/themes/education-sustainable-development/students-and-esd


The SU and Sustainability Team have collaborated to offer training in EfS for SU Officers and student course representatives, an initiative that emerged through LFSF. This has generated interest from the NUS and other Student Unions keen to build capacity and improve understanding of EfS among the student body, as part of the sector move to strengthen student influence on the curriculum. Students are also invited to professional development events, such as the annual RCE Severn seminar series, which creates dialogues between UoG and its surrounding community in areas such as organizational change, community gardening and social enterprise. Students regularly participate in EfS activities with staff, to extend the value of their initiatives (e.g. SU Greener Gloucestershire officers joined the EfS workshop with academic staff in Sports and Exercise, helping to build connections across sports and sustainability work streams). The External Reviewer remarked on this joined-up approach to the role of students in EfS at UoG:

“Employability and sustainability linkages… can be found in other universities. However the success here is the way students are engaged in training and then systemically in the entire change process. School reps and Course reps are seen as a vital part of the strategy as they can lobby for change, as is the initiative Greener Gloucestershire. Finally the DegreePlus initiative is to be commended… A greater take up and offer to more students, plus ways to earn credits, as many European Universities do, would incentivise this programme.” (External Reviewer Feedback, December 2014)


2. ACHIEVEMENTS

2.5 EXTERNAL REACH AND INFLUENCEThe University’s EfS profile has grown significantly during the lifespan of Promising Futures, through targeted income generation, partnership development and stakeholder engagement. Research and development in EfS has been critical to institutional progression and the International Research Institute in Sustainability (IRIS) has provided the hub for this activity, generating income of over £1m (see Box 13).

Evidence suggests this external engagement and partnership work has added considerable value in connecting UoG with both national and international arenas where EfS is expanding, helping to build reputation and create opportunities. Projects have been selected to support the EfS strategy internally but they have also helped to develop partnerships and collaborative work with a wide range of other HE institutions. These activities have ensured that the University has led and informed several high profile sector initiatives in EfS, as well as extending relationships with HE agencies such as the QAA, HEA and HEFCE (see Box 14).

Competitive Project Funding and Commissions £1,063,618Invited Presentations and Expert Sessions £50,882Total £1,114,500

BOX 13: INCOME GENERATION IN EfS 2008-14

2. ACHIEVEMENTS

BOX 14: SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN EfSHEA Flexible Pedagogy Programme – New Pedagogical Ideas (2013)National research commissioned by HEA, addressing EfS in ‘flexible learning’ and changing patterns of HE study. It was HEA’s most downloaded research report of 2013 and the focus of its 2014 national Flexible Learning seminar. It generated invitations to speak at other institutions (e.g. Leeds, Cardiff) and to inform high profile forums (e.g. HEA Research and Policy Series; Westminster Forum). It involved staff development activities and developed a pedagogical framework and guidance which is included in PGCAP CPD toolkit/training.

University Educators in Sustainable Development (UE4SD) (2013-16) EU-funded project led by UoG with 53 European HE partners, to identify and develop CPD opportunities in EfS. It uses the 2011 UNECE EfS competence framework developed by a pan-European expert group. UoG was a member of the expert group and tested the framework at in-house workshops and projects. UE4SD is also extending the dissemination of UoG’s CPD initiatives in EfS via international events, publications and an online toolkit resource showcasing the Learning for Sustainable Futures scheme as leading practice.

Lifelong Learning Programme


The University has also informed sector policy and practice in EfS through invitations to join expert forums (e.g. HEA ESD Advisory Board; UN DESD Monitoring and Evaluation Expert Group; QAA ESD Guidelines Expert Group; UNECE Expert Group in Educator Competences) and change projects (e.g. HEA Green Academy mentor; Sustainable Futures Leadership Academy). It has also received a high volume of requests and commissions to provide expert guidance, staff development activities and keynote addresses for policy forums, sector associations and HE institutions across the UK and worldwide, based on the EfS approaches it has developed.Comments from external peers point to the value of UoG’s EfS work in levering change at their own universities:

“I am familiar with the Sustainability Strategy at UoG, as well as the fine work on Education for Sustainability being led by Daniella Tilbury and Alex Ryan. I regard this Strategy as one of the very best in higher education in the UK. It is full of excitement and innovative forms of learning and is creating one of the few centres of excellence of sustainability science in the nation. I am so encouraged by the triumph of what is going on in the University of Gloucestershire that I am working to extend its leadership to my own University of East Anglia.”(Professor Tim O’Riordan, Emeritus Professor of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia)

“The University of Gloucestershire is widely recognised both nationally and internationally as having played a leadership role over a number of years in EfS, pioneering a distinctive whole institutional strategy and a model of change which has been emulated by other universities, and recently endorsed by UNESCO in its Roadmap for EfS. Its success is objectively measured by its consistent profile in the People and Planet Green League, Green Gown Awards, and high level of national and international research awards for EfS. The drive, commitment and strategic approach that Gloucestershire has embodied over some eight or so years, are clearly apparent to others in the sector striving towards similar objectives; to that end the university has been particularly influential.”(Professor Stephen Sterling, Professor of Sustainability Education, Plymouth University)

“Canterbury Christ Church University has been working with the University of Gloucestershire (UoG) on EfS both through the Green Academy (run by the HEA) and through individual peer to peer contacts. The leadership which UoG has provided has had considerable impact on what we do at Canterbury and provides an excellent example of how EfS can be embedded across a whole institution on a long term basis. UoG has gained considerable national and international recognition for its work in this area and we are delighted to have established such good links with key academics. We very much hope this association will continue and grow in the years ahead.”(Dr Stephen Scoffham, Visiting Reader in Sustainability and Education, Canterbury Christ Church University

The University’s EfS credentials led to it being featured in the UN Environment Programme Greening Universities Toolkit, launched in Nagoya, Japan, at the UN Conference on ESD in 2014. The UN DESD final report, Shaping the Future We Want 9 cited UoG in several places, one of very few universities across the globe noted for their EfS achievements. The Sustainability Team has also contributed to scholarship and profile development in EfS through publications, policy briefings and practical toolkits. This growth in the University’s profile as an EfS leader during the Promising Futures period has been reflected and celebrated in a range of awards for its EfS projects and innovations (see Box 15).

9 UNESCO (2014) Shaping the Future We Want, UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014), Final Report, UNESCO: Paris.

2. ACHIEVEMENTS


BOX 15: AWARDS FOR EfS INITIATIVES AT THE UNIVERSITYGREEN GOWN AWARDS - INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE IN EfS: Finalist 2014 – Leadership - Professor Daniella Tilbury Highly Commended 2014 – Institutional ChangeFinalist 2012 – Continuous Improvement (EfS and Quality Project - Professor Daniella Tilbury and Dr Alex Ryan)Highly Commended 2011 – Continuous Improvement (UoG Sustainability Report)Winner 2010 – Continuous Improvement (EfS Institutional Framework - Professor Daniella Tilbury and Dr Alex Ryan)Finalist 2009 – Continuous Improvement (Greener By Degrees publication – Centre for Active Learning)Winner 2008 – Institutional Change

GREEN GOWN AWARDS - EDUCATION AND LEARNING:Highly Commended 2013 – Learning and Skills (Learning for Sustainable Futures scheme)Finalist 2012 – Courses (Business Management - Dr Jim Keane)Finalist 2011 – Skills (Handbook of Sustainability Literacy - Dr Arran Stibbe)Finalist 2011 – Courses (Business Management - Dr Jim Keane)Finalist 2011 – Courses (Landscape Architecture Team)Finalist 2009 – Research (Decade of ESD Evaluation and Monitoring - Professor Daniella Tilbury)Highly Commended 2008 – Courses (Skills for Sustainability - Dr David Turner)Highly Commended 2007 – Courses (Language and Ecology - Dr Arran Stibbe)

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Finalist 2013

RECOGNITION AWARD 2013 Outstanding Flagship Project – Leading Curriculum Change for Sustainability

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD 2013Consistent 100% score on EfS in: corporate strategy, teaching and learning policy, professional development support, staffing, reporting and monitoring, incentives, projects and actions.

2. ACHIEVEMENTS


3. CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS



The achievements in EfS documented in this report depended on the creation of an of an approach to change that was strategic, inclusive, academically credible and also relevant to the current teaching and learning landscape. As noted by the External Reviewer, it has been critical to meet the challenges of reorienting thinking and practice using principles for organisational change and education innovation. The Promising Futures strategy was ahead of its time and therefore its implementation involved a process of learning and development in response to institutional scenarios. Much has been learned and some key challenges, principles applied and actions taken, are outlined below as ‘critical success factors’:

1. Developing a “systems” approach:A key challenge in the early stages was to take perspective on the whole institution and its constituent communities, to understand its education discourse and practices. The ‘whole institution’ ethos of EfS required not just support for individual innovations but a wider shift in pedagogical thinking, drawing on existing curriculum priorities and academic interests to construct a systemic approach. Actions taken: Mapping�EfS�stakeholders�and�education�influences�in�the�process�of�constructing�the�Promising Futures strategy; establishing an EfS lead role to work through existing academic channels and help to construct an institutional approach; using Sustainable Development Committee to connect across departments rather than relying on isolated champions to try and achieve institutional effects.

2. Formalising corporate responsibility:To gain credibility with senior managers and broader support for the agenda required that clear lines of responsibility were established within the organisation. It was important not to promote EfS through an ideological position, but as a corporate priority, creating accountability mechanisms that would be visible and transparent to progress the strategy and report on developments. Actions taken: Establishing the corporate position for the Sustainability Director as senior manager not just an academic lead; ensuring that accountability and reporting functions included EfS as well as Sustainability performance; tasking the EfS lead role to monitor and report on institution-wide progress in EfS through formal committee structures and external assessment or benchmarking processes.

3. Influencing central academic structures:To bring EfS into mainstream academic practice and establish its value and potential impact required an educational articulation of EfS, to effectively position it in academic policy frameworks. This meant tackling tensions across departmental, faculty and strategic levels, to create an EfS approach that was widely acceptable and not perceived to be tied to one specialist area or subject cluster. Actions taken: Negotiating an accepted articulation of EfS in Learning and Teaching Strategy and EfS presence with Learning and Teaching Committee; building collaboration with the Academic Development Unit and connectivity with central CPD provision for all academic staff; holding dialogues to situate EfS appropriately within quality assurance and understanding needs in this area.


4. Adding value and distinctiveness: Engaging both academic staff and senior managers with EfS required clarity over its academic its academic foundations and institutional value. From the management perspective, it was critical to explain how EfS could strengthen UoG’s offer against competitors. From the viewpoint of academic staff, this meant demonstration of its relevance as well as opportunities for professional recognition and and to extend partnerships, income, profile and impact, through distinctive and cutting-edge pedagogy.Actions taken: Sourcing and sharing market data and relevant directives, incentives and professional standards;�development�of�the�unique�EfS�pedagogical�framework�for�the�institution;�supporting�HEA�and�related�funding�and�recognition�proposals�by�staff�in�EfS;�creating�opportunities�to�collaborate�with�QAA�to improve alignment with its position on EfS and add credibility to the institutional strategy; addressing specific�needs�for�development�for�different�course�teams�or�curriculum�areas.

5. Localising the approach: One important task was to develop the ‘fit’ of EfS with the organisational context and strengths. This required an identification of strategic agendas for teaching, learning and student experience, such as employability, where EfS innovation could support staff in delivering on these priorities. It also meant identifying systemic needs in the institution and ways that EfS could assist in addressing these.Actions taken: Developing new EfS initiatives on employability to improve students’ professional skills; connecting with prior experience in pedagogical development through the CeAL CETL; establishing the RCE activities to support corporate efforts to extend partnerships and local/regional engagement.

6. Providing scaffolding: To develop understanding of EfS pedagogy across academic constituencies, colleagues looked for orientation on key principles and indicative guidance to apply in their subject areas. The creation of an academic framework positioned not just at policy level but at the level of practice was necessary, to explain possible entry points and help to develop local interpretations to suit different disciplines and course needs, yet still aligned with shared educational principles.Actions taken: Creation of the EfS Managers Guide to explain the business rationale for EfS and the EfS�Educators�Guide�to�explain�pedagogical�approaches;�creation�of�user�friendly�tools,�briefings�and�examples for different subjects, developing materials using staff/student consultation and dialogues with Learning�and�Teaching�Committee,�Heads�of�Department�and�Senior�Managers.The review suggests that these approaches helped to secure the success of EfS at UoG. They also featured in a review commissioned by the HEA in 2011 to share the strategies of leading UK HE institutions in EfS10. The University was selected as one of three case studies to inform this report, which explained the approaches and key actions behind effective institutional development and curriculum change in EfS.


10 Ryan, A. (2012) ‘Education for Sustainable Development and Holistic Curriculum Change: a Review and Guide’, York: Higher Education Academy.


The UoG approach has been geared to the development of ownership, incentives and support, to build staff capacity and create an enabling organizational climate for EfS innovation. This has used shared focal points and alignment with institutional trajectories, but has also respected academic freedom and allowed flexibility for local interpretations. Synergies have been encouraged across institutional, curriculum and staff development, engaging in activities that involve staff in externally funded projects and creating outputs that help to catalyse institutional change.Tailored professional mentoring and advice has been important in supporting innovation and establishing what ‘best practice’ could look like, to lay foundations for future quality assurance efforts in EfS. Bringing in external expertise has added to staff confidence and assisted the construction of new approaches. This capacity-building and enhancement-led approach has gained both internal and external recognition:

“Significant progress has been made in an important, challenging area. The initiative had very strong potential to be replicated across the sector with the University already attempting to do this.”(Green Gown Awards Judging Panel 2010 – Winner of Continuous Improvement Award)

“Our institutional investment in providing seed funds, professional mentoring and staff time to support this process should pay dividends, helping to integrate and build capacity for EfS, to realise our Learning and Teaching Strategy, and to motivate and energise staff for research-informed teaching, particularly for junior staff and areas with less history of this kind of curriculum innovation.” (Professor Stephen Hill, Dean of Corporate Learning, UoG)

“UoG is one of a few HE institutions globally that has taken a ‘whole institution’ approach to sustainability and even fewer have a policy of embedding EfS throughout the institution. As a pioneer in the field it is not a question of comparing with other universities as there are few to compare with. It was decided to review against best practice pedagogically for EfS, change models and generic models of analyzing impact. The University has one of the foremost globally accepted experts in EfS in its Dean of Sustainability, and the EfS approaches adopted demonstrate best practice as a result.”(External Reviewer Feedback, December 2014)

Finding balance between an institutional position and local application has required an integration of the needs of the student body with the priorities of different departments, as well as reconciliation of corporate and academic agendas. Some of the lessons were captured in the HEFCE-funded Leading Curriculum Change for Sustainability project, which was an important initiative in UoG’s EfS journey11. Bringing new EfS ideas to established thinking and practice has required careful navigation and many dialogues, practical ways to road-test approaches and an ability to learn lessons from the outcomes.

11 Ryan, A. and Tilbury, D. (2013) ‘Uncharted Waters: voyages for ESD in the higher education curriculum’, Curriculum Journal, Special Issue Volume 24, Number 2, pp.272-94.



4. FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS



This report has reviewed progress and achievements in EfS under Promising Futures 2009-15, capturing critical success factors and challenges encountered. In this section, closing reflections from the External Reviewer are accompanied by an identification of potential future pathways for EfS. The advice of the Evaluation Panel for the University’s Sustainability Strategy will be invaluable in helping to establish priorities and make proposals with regard to the most fruitful areas for development.The University’s approach to EfS was pioneering internationally when Promising Futures was developed; it took a bold and somewhat risky stance on EfS which was almost unknown at the time. The framing has since been imitated by other HE institutions and its strategic ‘whole institution’ vision has become commonplace for UK universities engaged in EfS. The review findings and external recognition suggest that UoG has been one of the pioneer institutions in what is now an expanding field of EfS thinking and practice in HE across the globe. The evidence suggests that testing and refinement of the EfS approaches during Promising Futures has created shared understanding and identified sound intervention points, building collaboration and confidence in EfS. Feedback from the External Reviewer pointed to the appropriateness and value of these approaches in reaching the stage where EfS practice is becoming well established and new developments can be considered:

“The participatory approach is best practice in ensuring maintenance and resilience of the strategy as well as building capacity in staff. Although slower initially, the approach at UoG ensures that investment in time and resources will be well spent. The widest engagement is essential for ownership and full adoption of innovation.

It may be essential that change models become more explicit and shared more widely in the next stage, once a tipping point of engagement and replicable practice has emerged. A move to a development framework (sometimes called a maturity model) would reflect the journey the university is on. This would also encourage those not yet engaged to see the journey and would be a contribution to scaling up approaches.”(External Reviewer Feedback, December 2014)

One of the main achievements has been in establishing the academic credibility and educational application of EfS, creating an enabling environment and grounding the institutional EfS response in policy and systems, as well as local expertise and student needs. The External Reviewer noted that the work under Promising Futures has laid important foundations for deeper connectivity between EfS and the institutional academic trajectory:

“It seems that the next step in the journey would be to design how embedding becomes integrative. The opportunity is to combine and explore the integration of learning and practice across a new Sustainability Strategy as well as the Academic Strategy. Ongoing changes in external drivers means this seems an opportune moment to reflect on the purpose of the University of Gloucestershire education offer:

Is it about employability, is it about ethics, is it about being a market leader, is it about being an EfS leader, is it about shaping society? What might be the priorities and mix of the vision and ambitions? The choices and focus from such an analysis would mean that such approaches as flexible pedagogies or employability strategies could be prioritised and thereby enhance the contribution of EfS to the overall University Academic Strategy.”(External Reviewer Feedback, December 2014)


Several important themes can be identified in this review, as areas in which EfS may be further developed to benefit the institution. The advice of the Evaluation Panel will be needed to establish appropriate ways forward, based on known successes and emerging priorities:

• Academic Strategy – as the University engages in the development and framing of its academic profile, with strong subject communities and a distinctive educational offer, EfS has the potential to integrate and add focus to the strategic direction of its academic practice and pedagogical expertise.

• Departmental Planning – there is potential to extend targeted support to Faculty Deans and Heads of Department regarding the ways in which EfS approaches can inform curriculum development planning and strengthen the market positioning of specific subject groups or new areas of provision.

• Student Experience and Employability – collaborations and partnerships that draw on EfS to help students to improve their professional skills, gain real experience and strengthen their employment prospects are likely to remain important and there is scope for more development in this area.

• Staff Professional Support Programme – there are signs of an expectation that professional support will continue to be offered in EfS, adding value to academic development and helping to generate a distinctive and future-facing curriculum offer to strengthen the institutional portfolio.

• Quality Assurance – the University broke new ground in working with QAA, who have moved quickly on EfS as interest has grown among international quality assurance bodies, which means that any future institutional audit in EfS will require an integrated institutional approach.

• Income Generation – extending the track record of the Sustainability Team in gaining funding and commissions, through bids to overseas sources and work with HE and government agencies (e.g. Austria, Belgium) that are recognising and supporting EfS as part of future HE development.

• International Partnerships – building on UoG’s established success and global reputation will help to maintain its position at the leading edge of pedagogical innovation and EfS (as UK collaborations are well established but the new opportunities are now further afield).

• Internationalisation – as UoG develops its strategies and plans for internationalization, EfS can add considerable value to ensure that globalization and global perspectives become effectively integrated into curriculum development as well as student experience, partnerships and pastoral care.



FURTHER INFORMATION:Professor Daniella Tilbury, Dean of Sustainability: [email protected] Alex Ryan, Associate Director of Sustainability (Academic): [email protected] for Sustainability at UoG: http://insight.glos.ac.uk/sustainability/Education

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