Otago Polytechnics Journey Of Sustainability

Anna Hughes, Otago Polytechnic 2009

Otago Polytechnic’s Journey of Sustainability

Otago Polytechnic

Students 12,000EFTS ~4000

Staff 450 full time equiv.

Campuses: Dunedin & Cromwell (Central Otago)

Community Learning Centres x8

Students

Curriculum

Operations

Staff Development

Otago Polytechnic Education for Sustainability Strands

Research

Community

Communication

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

IntegrationIntegration

Modelling best Modelling best practicepractice

• Natural Resources, Central Otago Campus…

Certificate in Certificate in Sustainable PracticeSustainable Practice

Community linksCommunity links

• Midwifery…

Midwifery is Midwifery is sustainable practicesustainable practice

Integrated, starting Integrated, starting with BMSD107with BMSD107

DeliveryDelivery

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 19th May 3.30-5.30pm D104Wednesday 21st May 7-9pm G106

For information on the LivingCampus project: http://www.otagopolytechnic.ac.nz/To contact the LivingCampus email: livingcampus@tekotago.ac.nz

We look forward to seeing you at the forum.

Otago Polytechnic’s Centre for Sustainable Practice

• A business unit of Otago Polytechnic

• An incubator for sustainable practice - courses, consultancy, new thinking