Otago Polytechnic Simple Pledge keynote

Contents

1. Sustainable practitioners

computingforsustainability.wordpress.com/

Assoc Prof Samuel Mann

Professional Development Conference

Keynote

April 2009

Sustainable practitioner.

Are we enabling people to do the right thing?

Students

Curriculum

Operations

Staff Development

Otago Polytechnic Education for Sustainability Strands

Research

Community

Communication

Sustainable practitioners

Imperative.

Why?

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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.

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.

Students

Curriculum

Operations

Staff Development

Otago Polytechnic Education for Sustainability Strands

Research

Community

Communication

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

Contents

Sustainable Practitioner-Futures-Behaviours-Responses

Graduate Profile• Course descriptors

• Learning outcomes

Student Learning

- Cross discipline

- Initiatives

Institutionalpractice

Community

Community

Environment

Hall & Klitgaard, 2008

Community

Environment

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Own footprint: Paper

• 1. Total number of pages?

• 2. Number of pages per student?

• 3. Size of the stack of paper?

Doing good

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

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Curriculum development support

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Role of designer reimagined

Transparent communicator

Role of designer reimagined

Role of designer reimagined

Integration

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

Integrated throughout

Law, Treaty, workplace practice, working with others…

IPENZ: Professional society

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 and seeking to avoid or mitigate them. 4.4 Recognising the long-term imperative of sustainable management throughout your engineering activities. (Sustainable Management is often defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs).

Dublin Accord and ABET embedded

Applied projects and community engagement

Graduates will have an awareness of sustainability issues in the hospitalityindustry and will be able to applyprinciples in practice

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. .

Systems view of manufacturing and service

Immersed in best practice

Opportunity (and need) to educate customers

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Multidisciplinary.

Because systems thinking requires systems teaching

Sustainability to front of houseThe 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.

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Intake.

Who are we dealing with?

• 155 male

• 369 female

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• 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.

• 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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

Questions?

Samuel Mann.

“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

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

practitioners2. Implementation

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sustainable Tertiary Education in New Zealand

UNESCO backed

In 2014, all NZ tertiary graduates will understand the principles, values, and practices of sustainability.

computingforsustainability.wordpress.com/

smann@tekotago.ac.nz

Doing good: