Using quality assurance processes to embed sustainability in the curriculum at UWE Bristol

Longhurst, James; Gough, Georgina

Abstract

The paper will examine the University of the West of England, Bristol’s progress in embedding sustainable development into the teaching and learning via the Quality Management and Enhancement Framework (QMEF) of the university.
The University of the West of England, Bristol is committed to ensuring that all its students, irrespective of their programme of study, are introduced to the ideas of sustainable development during their undergraduate or postgraduate degree programme. The university recognises that a typical graduate will have some 50-60 years of life post-graduation in which the pro sustainability knowledge, skills and attributes developed at university can play out positively in both their professional and private lives. Hence, UWE considers it a key part of its mission to provide an opportunity for all students to consider sustainability within their degree programme. In the most recent year of analysis the university has confirmed that each UG and PG taught programme within the portfolio provides this opportunity for disciplinary consideration of sustainability. This has been externally verified as part of our ISO 14001 accredited EMS (which covers the teaching and learning as well as the estates management functions of UWE) and by the NUS Responsible Futures accreditation of UWE’s ESD activities. Examples of the challenges and opportunities presented by this approach to embed sustainability in the curriculum will be discussed. The requirements of the QMEF to make explicit the place of sustainability in respect of new curriculum development, annual reporting and in Periodic Curriculum Review will be presented to illustrate the systematic approach to evidencing the place of sustainability in UWE’s curricula.

• Presentation Conference Type: Presentation / Talk
• Conference Name: Implementing Sustainability in the Curriculum of Universities
• Start Date: Mar 7, 2017
• End Date: Mar 7, 2017
• Acceptance Date: Mar 7, 2017
• Deposit Date: Mar 10, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 10, 2017
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: ESD, quality management, UWE Bristol, sustainability
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/897170
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : Implementing Sustainability in the Curriculum of Universities
• Contract Date: Mar 10, 2017