NTSU and NTU win recognition for sustainability partnership
Nottingham Trent Student Union’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility has been recognised by the National Union of Students.
A partnership between NTSU and Nottingham Trent University has received the Responsible Futures accreditation from the NUS.
Responsible Futures is an NUS sustainability programme that supports partnerships between students’ unions and institutions to foster education for sustainable development.
NUS trained student reviewers to undertake a comprehensive audit in November 2016. NTU students Erwin Baragula (School of Social Sciences), Harry Bowden-Brown (Nottingham Business School) and Matthew Bursnell and David Robinson (School of Science and Technology) led the audit which has just resulted in the Responsible Futures Accreditation for the University-Union partnership in recognition of their achievements.
The auditors were impressed by the University-wide ‘Curriculum Refresh’ process which includes sustainability as a key area and by the support of NTU’s Green Academy team which in conjunction with NTSU is facilitating the embedding of sustainability and social responsibility across hundreds of courses in this review process.
NUS’ aim is to see students leave formal education with the knowledge, skills and attributes required to critically challenge the world around them and a desire and willingness to tackle social, economic and environmental issues and inequalities.
Professor Edward Peck, Vice-Chancellor of NTU said: “Nottingham Trent University continues to be one of the most sustainable universities in the world. As part of our curriculum refresh, every taught course at the University will include sustainability. We are therefore delighted with this accreditation which demonstrates the partnership between the University and the SU in ensuring sustainability is embedded across the institution.”
NTSU President Timi Oluwasanmi said: “I think this is a positive step towards shaping the mind of students to think about sustainability and how it applies to not only their education but to life after graduation.”
NUS Vice President (Society and Citizenship) Rob Young added: "60 per cent of students want to learn more about sustainability and Responsible Futures is making that happen. We need our graduates to meet the challenges of the century ahead of us, not to repeat the mistakes of the decades behind us. That's why I'm so thrilled that NTU and NTSU have been accredited with the Responsible Futures kite mark.”
