Achieving Both Breadth and Depth: How Sustainability Education Is Being Integrated Across All Undergraduate Courses at La Trobe University, Australia

Abstract

In 2012 La Trobe University decided that every undergraduate student, across every discipline, would have significant and assessed experience of Sustainability Education (SE). The plan for achieving full coverage of SE at La Trobe was reported at a previous World Symposium for Sustainable Development in Higher Education conference (Hocking and Riddle in Aiming for full coverage—integrating sustainability education into all undergraduate courses at La Trobe University, Australia: achievements, lessons learnt and barriers addressed. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp. 479–493, 2015). Since then, implementing the plan has involved: adopting a university-wide definition of SE; aligned with international definitions, and adaptable within each discipline; establishing a process for tracking subjects and courses that have successfully incorporated SE; and providing education development support for staff, using strategies developed for each discipline context (Hocking in Soc Educ 2015 33(2):26–38, 2015). Across the Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce (ASSC) College (a type of super-faculty), SE has been incorporated in 38 subjects, covering 90% of courses, across all disciplines. Promoting breadth has not compromised depth of development. Two example are: (1) a new common core subject for all Business Degree students called Sustainability; (2) SE is now in five core and elective subjects in the School of Education, increasing the likelihood that students will to encounter SE more than once in education-related degree programs. These outcomes have depended on framing SE as an educational issue, integrated with other university education development initiatives, and taking whole-of-institution approaches that have involved and provided coordination of stakeholders at all levels.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Example of the Memo Used by Academic Staff to Seek Approval for ST

ESSENTIALS MEMORANDUM

DATE	[Click here to insert date from drop-down menu on right]
TO	College Coursework Committee
SUBJECT	Approval for <insert subject code> as a La Trobe Essential

<Insert Subject Code as it appears in CIMS>, <Insert Subject Name as it appears in CIMS>

• Which Essential is nominated in this subject? Please select one and delete other two.

• How is The Essential communicated to students in the Subject Description?

Please copy the subject description including information of The Essential addressed being taught. For example, append the following to the end of the Subject Description (customise as needed):

This subject addresses La Trobe’s Sustainability Thinking Essential. Sustainability Thinking entails deep appreciation of how the choices we make affects the natural, economic, social, political and cultural systems—now and in the future.

This subject addresses La Trobe’s Global Citizenship Essential. Global Citizenship entails deep appreciation of how we live in an interconnected world, being able to recognize the global context of concepts, act across cultures and boundaries, and work with diverse communities—now and in the future.

This subject addresses La Trobe’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Essential. Innovation and Entrepreneurship entails developing the ability to tackle problems creatively, generating new ideas, taking calculated risks and creating change to achieve ambitions—now and in the future.

• Where in the subject is the Essential taught?

Please specify the ILOs that incorporate the elements of the Essential and the learning activities that support achievement of the ILOs related to the Essential?

• How is the Essential assessed?

At least 25% of the assessment must directly relate to the Essential.

Please provide details of the assessment task(s) and an explanation of how the task(s) assesses the Essential.

Regards,

<Insert name>

<Insert Subject code> Subject Coordinator

School of <insert School name>

Appendix 2

Example of a Generic Course Map showing identification of which subjects Sustainability Thinking (ST) and the two other Essentials at La Trobe have been incorporated.