Introducing Universities that CountSimon Cooper

• Management tool for integrating CR• Framework for a systematic approach to

managing, measuring and reporting social and environmental performance

• Benchmark for comparing an University’s management processes and performance with those of others in the sector/Index

• Method for engaging board members and raising awareness of CR risks and opportunities

• Communication tool with external stakeholders

What is the CR Index?

UTC History

• HEFCE LGM Pilot Project 2005-07 25 HEIs involved

• HERDA-SW LGM Regional Project 2007 – 11 HEIs

• UTC approved in June 2008 for 3 year tapered funding

Who runs UTC ?

• EAUC – Project manager• CSR Consultancy - Project delivery

partner• Business in the Community - Index

software provider• Arthur D. Little - Project Assurance• Advisory Board – chaired by Patricia

Broadfoot, Univ. Gloucestershire

The four pillars• HE is recognised for its Environmental activity

– But there are 3 other pillars:– the workplace

• the way staff are employed, developed and rewarded

– the community• the hinterland of the University and the economic, cultural and

social effects of students and university staff on their neighbours

– the marketplace• the relationship with students and other ‘customers’, the way

the University’s suppliers are treated, what is taught and researched - ESDGC

Taken together, these are Corporate Responsibility

Environmental CSR

Sustainability & Responsibility

Positive or Negative?

• Accentuate the positive impact of the sector – uses a different mindset to reducing negative impact

Continuous improvement

• Benchmarking gives you an annual fix on how you are doing compared to peers

• Where you are leading, teach others• Where you lag, learn from others• Benchmark – improve – benchmark

again

How do you do it?

• Through measuring and benchmarking your performance on each of the 4 pillars

• Revealing your strong points and areas for improvement

• Achieving the right balance between the 4 pillars

Who’s taking part?

• 56 Universities & Colleges– 31 Environment Index– 25 Corporate Responsibility Index– Including HEFCE

• More than 100 practitioners attended workshops

• Online survey, two-way reviews

CR Index Model

The results• Detailed Feedback Report

– Fantastic improvement tool– Packed with comparative information– Individual ‘live’ feedback for HEIs

• Annual benchmarking process– To be shared with stakeholders– Improvements implemented– Report as basis for next Index

Overall Results - CR

Overall Results – Env.

Spread of Results

The key issues

Participant feedback• Q3. What was: (a) the best thing about taking part in UTC

for you this time round?• Two thirds of respondents answered that the best thing with taking

part in UTC was that it provided an opportunity to look at how CR and environmental issues are addressed within the university, identifying strengths and weaknesses and highlight gaps. This is probably best summed up by the respondent who said: “Learning much more about my organisation”.

• A large number of respondents also answered that the best thing about taking part had been engaging other colleagues in CSR and gaining senior management buy in.

• Respondents who had previously participated in the UTC pilot project highlighted that the best thing had been getting evidence that they had made significant progress.

Participant feedback• Q3. What was (b) the worst thing about taking part in

UTC for you this time around? • More than two thirds of the comments related to the amount

of time and effort it took to complete the survey and gather the required evidence. The second largest group of comments related to difficulties in getting the internal support necessary to complete the survey, e.g. getting relevant colleagues to prioritise it.

UTC 2009/10

“The greatest contribution Higher Education can make to sustainable development is by enabling students to acquire the skills and knowledge that allow them to make a critical and lasting difference. What they learn and what they are taught is therefore critical.”

HEFCE Strategic Statement and Action Plan on Sustainability

Index launch – 30 November 2009Deadline for completion – 26 February 2010

Just because you have the data…

It doesn’t mean you know what to do with it…

Introducing Universities that CountSimon Cooper