Sustainability opportunities for University students gain award recognition

Published by University of Leicester Press Office for University of Leicester in Environment and also in Education

The University of Leicester has received two nominations in this year’s Green Gown Awards, which “recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges across the UK.”.

The Green Gown Awards provide universities and colleges with benchmarks for excellence and are well respected by governments, funding councils, senior managers, academics and students alike.

The University’s Student Volunteering Programme has been shortlisted in the ‘Student Initiatives and Campaigns’ category (sponsored by the Scottish Funding Council), whilst the Sustainable Futures module taught by our Centre for Interdisciplinary Science is up for Best Course (category sponsored by the Higher Education Academy).

The Environment Team’s Volunteering Programme is an exceptionally popular scheme enabling students to develop valuable skills and experience whilst being heavily involved in the University’s sustainability drive. The programme is unique in the sheer volume of students engaged as well as the wide range of volunteering opportunities offered, in a mutually beneficial arrangement to provide a greener campus and ‘green graduates’ with proven employability skills.

The Sustainable Futures Module provides an innovative and interdisciplinary approach to embedding sustainability into the curriculum. The module offers undergraduates from different degree programmes the opportunity to cover many of the very different aspects of sustainability. Students are given the opportunity to learn from industry and academic speakers, to think about stakeholders and to approach situations which will prepare them for future employment in the sustainability sector. The stand-alone nature of the units allows students to ‘personalise’ their course, giving them greater control over their own learning.

Now in their eighth year, the Green Gown Awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges across the UK. With sustainable development moving up the global agenda, the Awards are now established as the most prestigious recognition of sustainability excellence within the further and higher education sector, as well as the environmental sector.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor Christine Fyfe said: “We are delighted that the University has been recognised for the work we are doing to promote sustainability to students and to improve their employability skills when they graduate”.

Both nominations will now be resubmitted in greater detail for stage two of the awards. The winners will be announced in November.