Samuel Mann's keynote presentation at the Professional Development Conference 21st April 2009.

2. Contents
1. Sustainable practitioners
computingforsustainability.wordpress.com/
Assoc Prof Samuel Mann
Professional Development Conference
Keynote
April 2009

5. Sustainable
practitioner.
Are we enabling people to
do the right thing?

6. Curriculum
Research Operations
Students
Staff
Community Development
Communication
Otago Polytechnic Education for Sustainability Strands

9. Sustainable practitioners

10. Imperative.
Why?

11. Contents

12. Contents

15. The skills and values of Otago Polytechnic graduates contribute to every
sector of society. Our curriculum, teaching and learning therefore is
pervasive and influential with global impact. The Otago Polytechnic
sustainability vision is that our graduates, our practitioners and our
academics understand the concepts of social, environmental and
economic sustainability in order for them to evaluate, question and
discuss their role in the world and to enable them to make changes
where and when appropriate. Our goal is that every graduate may
think and act as a “sustainable practitioner”.
Moreover, 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.
Creating a philosophy of Education for Sustainability will be enhanced if
undertaken within a context of institutional operational practice.
We will then be seen to be modelling good practice.

16. The skills and values of Otago Polytechnic graduates contribute to every
sector of society. Our curriculum, teaching and learning therefore is
pervasive and influential with global impact. The Otago Polytechnic
sustainability vision is that our graduates, our practitioners and our
academics understand the concepts of social, environmental and
economic sustainability in order for them to evaluate, question and
discuss their role in the world and to enable them to make changes
where and when appropriate. Our goal is that every graduate may
think and act as a “sustainable practitioner”.
Moreover, 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.
Creating a philosophy of Education for Sustainability will be enhanced if
undertaken within a context of institutional operational practice.
We will then be seen to be modelling good practice.

17. Curriculum
Research Operations
Students
Staff
Community Development
Communication
Otago Polytechnic Education for Sustainability Strands

21. • every graduate
• hidden curriculum
• top down and bottom up

22. Contents

30. Hall & Klitgaard, 2008

32. Contents

33. Contents

34. Own footprint: Paper
• 1. Total number
of pages?
• 2. Number of
pages per
student?
• 3. Size of the
stack of paper?

37. Doing good
• Doing less bad not the same as doing good
– Michael Braungart

39. Contents

40. Contents

41. Curriculum development support

44. Contents

45. Contents

46. Role of designer
reimagined

47. Transparent
communicator
Role of designer
reimagined

48. Role of designer
reimagined

49. Integration

51. Models best practice in
transformation of discipline
understanding of social justice. Key is
social justice and sustainable
relationships within contexts.

52. Integrated
throughout

53. Law, Treaty, workplace
practice, working with
others…

54. IPENZ code of ethics rule 4
Sustainable Management and Care of the
Environment: Members shall recognise
and respect the need for sustainable
management of the planet's resources and
endeavour to minimise adverse
environmental impacts of their engineering
activities for both present and future
generations.
Under this clause you should have due
regard to:
4.1 Using resources efficiently.
4.2 Endeavouring to minimise the
generation of waste and encouraging
environmentally sound reuse, recycling
and disposal.
4.3 Recognising adverse impacts of your
engineering activities on the environment
IPENZ: and seeking to avoid or mitigate them.
4.4 Recognising the long-term imperative
Professional of sustainable management throughout
your engineering activities. (Sustainable
society Management is often defined as meeting
the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future

55. Dublin Accord and
ABET embedded

56. Applied projects and
community engagement

57. Sustainability will be integrated into the delivery of the programmes and will be modelled
directly for students by the behaviour and attitude of teaching staff. Thus teaching staff
must use resources responsibly in the classroom and in their personal work.
• Demonstrating a continuing commitment to best practice through stressing those
hospitality methodologies that have been found to be most efficient and productive for
example reducing power outputs, using seasonal products, composting waste and
reducing washable linen usage.
• Using local products where available and coffee that is roasted in New Zealand.
• Demonstrating a commitment to and encouraging students to consider the advantages
of recycling and using environmentally friendly products.
• Maintaining intellectual currency in the discipline.
• Encouraging the construction of professional networks and support structures.
• Encouraging ownership and responsibility. Students need to realise that social
sustainability is the result of everyone’s actions, and each of us must consider the
impact we are having. Students will at times be making choices and decisions on their
own (rather than simply taking instruction from staff), and will see the outcomes of these
decisions, both good and bad. They can experience this in a safe and controlled
academic environment. When they are then faced with similar decisions in the ―real
world‖, they will better understand the causal relationship between their behaviour and
the state of their communities. will have an awareness of
Graduates
sustainability issues in the hospitality
.
industry and will be able to apply
principles in practice

58. Systems view of
manufacturing and service

59. Immersed in best
practice

61. Opportunity
(and need) to
educate
customers

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68. Contents

69. Contents

70. Multidisciplinary.
Because systems thinking
requires systems teaching

77. Sustainability to front of house
The LivingCampus is an exciting place where
sustainability comes alive. We want to inspire
curiosity and encourage the integration of
sustainability into normal life and business
practices.

84. Contents

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88. Contents

93. Contents

94. Contents

95. Contents

96. Contents

97. Contents

98. Intake.
Who are we dealing with?

100. • 155 male
• 369 female

102. n=67
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

104. 16
14
12
10
NEPSingle
8
6
4
2
0
Certificate Degree Diploma
Qualification

105. 16
14
12
10
NEPSingle
8
6
4
2
0
0 ABE COT CVT DES HSS ICT ISA MID NUR OCC SAB SOS VET
School

107. • Do it, say nothing
– Nothing if I wanted to keep the job.
– Shut up and put my head down.
– If I hadn't been there long I would do it
– Do what you got to do and get on with it.
– Shut up and do the job. Can't make waves
when you are starting.

108. • Resign
– Find a new job. It isn't hard and I'm not going to
work for some evil corporation
– Tell him to get someone else or I'll leave
because its against my beliefs

109. • Talk and do it
– I would tell him/her my point of view but still do
it - would need the job.
– Do it but question them about it after.
– State that you think this is an unsustainable
practice and do what you are told regardless-
they are your supervisor, you do what they say.
– Do it, the boss is the boss so I wouldn't kick up
a stink about it, but if I thought it was bad
enough I would talk to him about it.
– Tell them. If they don't care I would do the task.

110. • First talk alternatives
– Discuss my reluctance with them and
brainstorm for possible solutions
– Raise the relevant issues, informative
conversation
– Give them another more sustainable option
about how I could perform the same task
– Tell them that I don't agree and suggest ideas
of improving or doing it a different way
– Tell them I didn't feel comfortable doing this
task and ask if someone else could.

111. • Don’t do it
– Refuse to carry out the task.
– Tell them my own reasons for not doing the
practice and refuse.
– Be honest, say no

113. Questions?
Samuel Mann.

115. ―Maintaining our quality of life in the decades ahead
requires that all graduates have a deeper understanding of
our dependence on our natural capital; our
waters, atmosphere, soils, forests, seas and other
species, than any previous generation. Otago Polytechnic
is truly a 21st Century tertiary education leader, embracing
sustainability teaching and learning like no other New
Zealand institution.‖
Dr Morgan Williams NZ Parliamentary
Commissioner for the Environment 1997-2007, Chair The Natural Step Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand

116. Bob Willard
Stage 1: The company feels no
obligation beyond profits. It cuts
corners and tries not to get caught if it
breaks the law or uses exploitative
practices that cheat the system. It
ignores sustainability and actively
fights against related regulations
practitioners
2. Implementation

117. Bob Willard
Stage 2: Stage 1: exploitative
The business manages its liabilities by
obeying the law and all
labour, environmental, health, and
safety regulations. It reactively does
what it legally has to do and does it
well. Emerging environmental and
philanthropic social actions are
treated as costs, projects are end-of-
pipe retrofits, and CSR is given lip
service.
practitioners

118. Bob Willard
1: exploitative 2: compliance
Stage 3: The company moves from defense to
offense. It realizes it can save expenses with
proactive and incremental operational eco-
efficiencies, cleaner processes, and better
waste management. It recognizes community
investment and social marketing can
minimize uncertainty, enhance its
reputation, and help maximize shareholder
value. However, sustainability initiatives are
still marginalized in specialized departments
— they are tacked on as ―green
housekeeping,‖ not built in and
institutionalized.

119. Bob Willard
1: exploitative 2: compliance 3: efficiency
Stage 4: The firm transforms itself. It re-brands
itself as a company committed to
sustainability and integrates sustainability
with key business strategies. It captures
added value from breakthrough sustainability
initiatives that benefit all stakeholders.
Instead of costs and risks, it sees
investments and opportunities. It makes
cleaner products, applies eco-effectiveness
and life-cycle stewardship, and enjoys
competitive advantages from sustainability
initiatives.

120. Bob Willard
1: exploitative 2: compliance 3: efficiency
Stage 4: The firm transforms itself. It re-brands
itself as a company committed to
sustainability and integrates sustainability
with key business strategies. It captures
added value from breakthrough sustainability
initiatives that benefit all stakeholders.
Instead of costs and risks, it sees
investments and opportunities. It makes
cleaner products, applies eco-effectiveness
and life-cycle stewardship, and enjoys
competitive advantages from sustainability
initiatives.

121. Bob Willard
1: exploitative 2: compliance 3: efficiency 4: integrated
Stage 5: Driven by a passionate, values-based
commitment to improving the well-being of
the company, society, and the
environment, the company helps build a
better world because it is the right thing to
do.

122. Sustainable Tertiary Education in New Zealand
UNESCO backed
In 2014, all NZ tertiary graduates will understand
the principles, values, and practices of
sustainability.

123. computingforsustainability.wordpress.com/
smann@tekotago.ac.nz

125. Doing good: