ARU close to achieving Responsible Futures accreditation

The National Union of Students (NUS) is working with universities around the country to embed sustainability into the curriculum of every student in education today through a new accreditation scheme: Responsible Futures.

The scheme involves students examining what their university is doing and awarding them if they see enough evidence that students are being prepared for the emerging low carbon economy and that they are being given the tools to become effective change agents for a better future.

Anglia Ruskin’s Education for Sustainability (EfS) Team have partnered up with the Students’ Union to sign up for this scheme and together we are working to achieve this accreditation.

There is a workbook of criteria which the SU and EfS team are currently working through and at the beginning of the next academic year (2016-17) we will be looking for volunteer student auditors who will be trained by NUS to verify the workbook.

We are confident that we will be successful in gaining our accreditation, for we can already tick off a many of the requirements, for example we have already:
• conducted an Institute-wide audit of courses – read the reports here
• created a communications strategy to keep everyone up to date with news and events – follow EfS on Twitter or take a look at the Global Sustainability Institute’s magazine
• provided funding through our ‘Be the Change’ grant scheme where we give away 3x £1000 a year to fund sustainability in curriculum – find out more and read reports from last year here

Please let us know if you would like to help, either by gathering evidence for our workbook or as a student auditor.

Student experience of sustainability

As part of our Responsible Futures accreditation and also as part of a research project within the Global Sustainability Institute, the EfS team and Students’ Union will soon be undertaking a student survey, questioning the attitudes and experiences of sustainability in the curriculum of our students in Cambridge and Chelmsford.

Communicating and researching sustainability

Sustainability is a complex thing and difficult to understand and communicate effectively. We want to get the message out about what it means and what people can do, through actions, events, posters, social media and other means. If you would like develop your research and communication skills in a fun and productive way, get in touch.

By Grace Philip
EfS Coordinator, February 2016