1. ESD – Empowering Students as Agents for Change in HE
Meg Baker, Senior Project Officer – Education for Sustainable Development

2. Vision for our sustainability work
Students leaving tertiary education as part of the solution to sustainability challenges rather than part of the problem
Our core business is students as we represent the voices of our membership which

3. By working with students and engaging with stakeholders outside of the formal education system (i.e. employers, policy makers, governing bodies) we want to change this.

4. Student Demand
86% of students consistently agree or strongly agree that “sustainable development is something which universities and colleges should actively incorporate and promote”
70% of students consistently agree or strongly agree that “sustainable development is something which university and college courses should actively incorporate and promote”
57% of students consistently agree or strongly agree that “sustainable development is something which I would like to learn more about”
NUS Sustainability Research (2010 – 2018)
We know that students want to see more sustainability in all areas of their learning experience as a result of 8 years of cumulative research
From students across all academic disciplines including FE and HE – not just the keen beans!

5. The breadth of sustainability
SDGs provide a breadth of opportunity for students, staff and society to identify meaningful ways of contributing towards making progress for sustainability.
Critical discussion around the SDGs is positive and beneficial as although they may not be perfect they offer an inroad to thinking about and taking action for sustainability in a tangible way.

6. From another perspective
This way of looking at the SDGs links back to the three pillars idea and that sustainability is made up of environmental/biosphere, social/society, and economic/economy factors.
This also shows that the economy only exists within society, and likewise, society within a functioning biosphere – in the same way as we need all three pillars we also need a healthy biosphere and a healthy society to enable a healthy economy to exist
Partnership is shown as the ‘golden thread’ throughout all three – much like Responsible Futures! Partnership is at the core of success in achieving sustainability aims.
We now offer a support package to work with institutions on mapping their curriculums against the SDGs – link to an intro webinar for this is at the end of the presentation

7. What is ESD?
Knowledge
Skills
Attributes
Education for sustainable development is the process of equipping students with the knowledge and understanding, skills and attributes needed to work and live in a way that safeguards environmental, social and economic wellbeing, both in the present and for future generations.
HEA QAA ESD guidance 2014
Discuss the definition of ESD
It’s not just about knowledge, but also skills and attributes
Knowledge without skills can be disempowering – we need students to be equipped to be problem solvers, not just aware of the challenges that exist – going beyond Education about Sustainability challenges
Not just content but also pedagogy
This means we have adopted this definition of Education for Sustainable Development.
So we don’t see education as simply knowledge acquisition. It’s about ensuring our graduates have the skills, attributes, and values to do something with that knowledge in their personal and professional lives.
Building on this we need to work with students and vice versa to ensure education is being made meaningful, relevant and interesting.

8. Student pathways

9. Embedding sustainability across the student learning experience

10. What knowledge, skills, attributes, and values will students need to meet the Global Goals?
To be able to identify areas of the student learning experience that could be built on or reformed meaningfully to create a more ESD oriented education system, it is useful to start by exploring what knowledge, skills, attributes and values students need.
10 mins (depending on time) in groups/pairs and then share back

11. What do students want their education to achieve?
This is a useful activity that students and staff could use either together or independently.
Course/School reps may benefit from working with their course mates over a lunchtime etc to do this with a focus on their formal curriculum/ a course or module
It could also be run within the SU by officers with other students to explore opportunities within the informal/ subliminal curriculum

12. ESD in the Formal Curriculum
Global Goals mapping at University of Winchester – covers formal and informal curriculum as well as supporting the University to move forward with embedding ESD and the SDGs in the curriculum at a whole institution level. See: for more information on how this has been done. Link in final slide for a webinar giving more details of this.
The project was aligned with 3 funded (student-led) research projects / involved a student intern, connected with a PhD student’s research, had involvement with 11 students in Go Green week (informal curric), additional student participation on a voluntary basis for which students gained volunteering credits.
Living Labs at Leeds involve students, staff and researchers. This is led by the Estates team and provides opportunity for students/ staff and researchers to approach the Estates team with applied research ideas as well as offering project opportunities for students to connect with operational staff and the community for applied learning and research that benefits the institution/ community.
Living Labs are happening at lots of universities across the UK providing opportunities for students to gain valuable learning experiences and empowering them to contribute to their university’s or wider community’s sustainability. Great examples come from Keele, Queen’s, Leicester, Gloucestershire, Exeter, Edinburgh… the list is extensive.
Keele – Root and branch approach to sustainability is about embedding sustainability learning in all that they do. They offer a range of formal, informal and subliminal curriculum engagement with ESD. From clearly signposting sustainable energy updates on campus to having a student-led allotment, to offering all first year undergraduates the opportunity to take up a sustainability module as one of their elective modules. They also embed sustainability learning in the undergraduate business management course, empowering business students to realise their own potential to drive forward sustainability change as future professionals and global citizens.

13. ESD in the Informal Curriculum
24 hours with the Global De Montfort University

14. ESD in the Subliminal Curriculum
Communicating Divestment
Meat Free Mondays
Reducing/eliminating single-use plastics on campus
Shady the Dog at SRUC is a mental health and well-being campaign supporting and encouraging students and staff to talk more raise awareness of the support services available. This is part of the subliminal curriculum for ESD as Shady the Dog (the sculpture) and communications messages and posters/ social media are displayed around campuses making students and staff aware that SRUC takes individual well-being and mental health seriously. (This links to SDG - “Global Goal” 3)
WOO Bikes at University of Worcester are actually part of the formal, informal and subliminal curriculum. Students have been able to connect this new bike loan scheme (supported by a £10,000 grant from Nesta) with their studies through Living Laboratory style learning. Undergraduate students have carried out research to monitor and evaluate the engagement of staff, students and the public with this new scheme that allows 48 hr loans of standard and electric bikes from the university in partnership with Worcester City Council. This is seen as part of the hidden curriculum as promotion of the bike scheme highlights the university’s commitment to cutting carbon as well as promoting better health and well-being through active travel.

15. Mapping SDGs to the formal, informal and subliminal curricula
This would be a useful exercise for you to undertake either collectively or independently:
List the activities, initiatives, opportunities, curriculum content and assessments connected with the formal/informal/subliminal curriculum for each of the 17 SDGs
Campaign/ Activity linked to each Goal
What aspect of formal curriculum fits with each goal
How is the subliminal curriculum connected to each SDG

16. Subliminal Curriculum
Our vision is to see all students leave formal education with the knowledge, skills, attributes, and values needed to create a more just and sustainable future for all.
Formal Curriculum
Informal Curriculum
Subliminal Curriculum
NUS’ vision for our sustainability work is to see all students leave formal education with the knowledge, skills, attributes, and values needed to create a more just and sustainable future for all.
This means embedding sustainability through all parts of the student learning experience: formal, informal, and subliminal curricula.
DISCUSS:
What do you think formal curriculum encompasses?
Your course, research, dissertation, etc.
What do you think informal curriculum encompasses?
Societies, clubs, volunteering, activities like becoming an RF auditor!
This type of learning is equally valuable to what you do in your course!
What do you think subliminal curriculum encompasses?
Prompt: based on that term, take a guess!
Subliminal curriculum is sometimes also called the ‘hidden’ curriculum
It’s the social norms and the culture of an organisation
You might say, “oh that’s just the way we do things here at the University of X”
E.g. cycle parking, fairtrade goods being sold, vegetarian/vegan options easily available, keep cups being used, and also for social factors like the diversity of the readings in your syllabus
So if we’re going to tackle the SDGs, and we know that our university graduates are a key part of this, how can we ensure they’re prepared?
We need to be embedding sustainability through all parts of student learning. This means it needs to be embedded in the formal, informal, and subliminal curriculum.
Formal: course-based learning, research e.g. discussion about fairtrade being included in a lecture
Informal: volunteering, campaigning, activities across campus, clubs and societies e.g. students campaigning for their instititution to stock more fairtrade products
Subliminal: the social norms and practices within an organisation e.g. is fairtrade part of the university’s regular communications? Is there marketing material about fairtrade on campus?

17. Where does your SU/ institution connect to the goals?
Formal Curriculum
Informal Curriculum
Subliminal Curriculum
Share campaigns/ activities/ assessed work linked to each Global Goal?
Where does this sit in the formal, informal or subliminal curricula?
Depending on size of group, can divide workshop into groups for each type of curriculum and get them to identify as many activities, initiatives and campaigns across the 17 SDGs

18. Identifying opportunities for change
With the person next to you (5 mins)
What are the current practices or systems for making change at your institution?
What skills, knowledge and attributes would be useful to be an effective change agent?
Recognise institutional culture
Do something radical!
Identify existing systems for change within the institution
Create a movement – recognise the power of collaboration
Manage expectations (this is 2 way) – time, policies, procedures
Be informed
Take time to listen

19. A Global Framework – NUS Support package
Mapping the Global Goals.
A NUS support package for mapping the UN Sustainable Development Goals across the formal curriculum through a student-led audit (see our rate card for more information).
A global framing and set of globally agreed goals for this work has been created in the form of the UN SDGs/ “Global Goals for 2030”.
Launched in 2015 by the United Nations to supersede the Millennium Development goals, used as a roadmap to embed sustainability in the way communities, governments and businesses operate. Each goal has a series of targets and indicators associated with them.
All 17 goals depend on one another
Important to understand the breadth of sustainability
This demonstrates how linked social justice issues are to environmental challenges
UN Sustainable Development Goal 4.7 “By 2030 ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.”

20. Resources
Education for Sustainable Development: Guidance for UK higher education providers (QAA & HEA)
UN Sustainable Development Goals – ‘Global Goals for 2030 (website)
UN Global Goals Mapping Support Package – Introductory Webinar
Teaching Sustainable Development Goals
NUS Student Skills and Sustainability Longitudinal Research
NUS Responsible Futures (Whole institution framework for ESD)
NUS sustainability engagement programmes rate card (includes overview of support on mapping the Global Goals)
SDG Accord (Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC))
Living Labs resources (EAUC)

21. For more information and to stay in touch
On NUS’ sustainability work:
nus.org.uk/sustainability
Find out more and sign up to our programmes: NUS Sustainability Rate card
Dissertations and Projects for Good
Meg Baker, Senior project officer – Education for Sustainable Development, NUS -