Otago Polytechnics Journey Of Sustainability

Anna Hughes, Otago Polytechnic 2009 Otago Polytechnic’s Journey of Sustainability

Otago Polytechnic Students 12,000 EFTS ~4000 Staff 450 full time equiv. Campuses: Dunedin & Cromwell (Central Otago) Community Learning Centres x8

Otago Polytechnic adopted The Natural Step Framework to ‘put their house in order’ first

International NGO – Sweden 1988

Our Vision is of a sustainable human society.

Our Core Purpose is to develop a genuine commitment to, and competence in, sustainable development throughout society.

Strategic approach

Scientific consensus

Develop learning organisations

New Zealand companies that have used The Natural Step Framework:

Food & beverage e.g. Comvita, Phoenix Organics, Heinz-Watties

Tourism e.g Sustainable tourism in Wanaka, Central Otago, Queenstown

Manufacturers e.g. Tait Electronics, Interface NZ

Recreation e.g. Les Mills

Construction e.g. Jasmax Architects; Eden Park, University of Canterbury

Tertiary e.g. Otago Polytechnic

Local govt e.g. Central Otago District, Christchurch City

Dr Morgan Williams NZ Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment 1997-2007

Dr Gilliam Wratt CEO Crawthorne Research Institute

Phil Ker CEO Otago Polytechnic

Dr John Craig Auckland University

Dr Wayne Cartwright Auckland University Business School

Dr Lin Roberts Environmental Research Associates Ltd, Christchurch

Wendy McGuiness McGuiness and Associates Ltd, Wellington

Steve Henry Otago Polytechnic Centre for Sustainable Practice

Simon Harvey BusinessLAB Auckland

TNS Foundation

Tertiary Institution Operations management view? Inputs and Outputs – can apply to an individual, organisation, society… Other strands: Transport – to/from campus Good examples: Harvard, Colorado, etc The Polytech does not exist in a vacuum…Community, City, Country

Recycling as a Priority? Sustainable? – “We don’t even recycle our milk bottles” Operations management Dealing with people, each with individual needs, desires, experience etc.

Retrofit B Block

Permanent interpreted display of technologies to retrofit houses

40,000 in Dunedin

Transport

Otago Sustainability Newsletter

What’s Best Expo

Otago Futures Forum Engage key Otago organisations Get Councils to communicate Step back and look at the bigger picture Develop a vision and a framework for achieving it

Educators must take a lead in sustainability so that our graduates can be encouraged and supported to promote sustainable practices in their chosen career. This can primarily be achieved by fostering education for sustainability in all our qualifications and by re-visioning and changing our approach to teaching and learning to model a transformative context for all learners.

As a consequence sustainable practice becomes a context and a process for learning and recognised as a core capability within each discipline.

Our goal is that every graduate may think and act as a “sustainable practitioner”.

every graduate

hidden curriculum

top down and bottom up

Examples from departments

Design…

Role of the Designer Re-imagined

Integration

Modelling best practice

Natural Resources, Central Otago Campus…

Certificate in Sustainable Practice

Community links

Midwifery…

Midwifery is sustainable practice

Integrated, starting with BMSD107

Delivery

Engaging Community Invitation to the LivingCampus forum Community involvement in the LivingCampus is a key element of the project There are two public forums: Monday 19 th May 3.30-5.30pm D104 Wednesday 21 st May 7-9pm G106 For information on the LivingCampus project : http:// www.otagopolytechnic.ac.nz / To contact the LivingCampus email: [email_address] We look forward to seeing you at the forum.