Exeter’s commitment to sustainability recognised with Responsible Futures reaccreditation

The University of Exeter has renewed its accreditation with an international body devoted to integrating sustainability across all levels of the curriculum and campus life.

Awarded jointly to the University, the Student Guild and the Falmouth and Exeter Students’ Union, the Responsible Futures accreditation was confirmed following a student-led audit in June.

Exeter became the first Russell Group member to have full accreditation when it was first audited two years ago, and since then, has taken steps to further strengthen its good practice.

This included launching the Sustainable Solutions Pathway as part of the Curriculum for Change transformation, and a new sustainability education and engagement initiative called Green Seeds.

Professor Liz Jones, Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience), said: “I am delighted that we have renewed our Responsible Futures accreditation, which reflects our commitment to building effective partnership working to integrate sustainability into the whole student experience at the University of Exeter.

“I was privileged to be interviewed as part of the auditing process, and I was deeply impressed by the critical engagement and passion for sustainability demonstrated by our student auditors. Accreditation is testimony to the breadth of dedication from staff, students and our wider community in transforming both learning experiences and our institutional culture surrounding sustainability.”

Responsible Futures accreditation reflects a shared commitment by the institutions and student unions to embed holistic sustainability across all aspects of the university. [EW1] 

The two-day audit featured a review of documentary evidence and interviews with several key individuals across the University and student body. The University was then scored across different criteria relating to areas such as Policy and Commitment, Partnership and Planning, and Leadership and Strategy.

Within a diverse pool of evidence reviewed by the students, several specific examples made important contributions to the successful accreditation.

On a strategic level, the launch of the Sustainable Solutions Pathway has introduced new modules across Years 2 and 3, which task students with analysing complex sustainability challenges through collaborative problem-solving and communication. Opportunities for students to learn about climate and sustainability challenges have also been expanded, including through collaborative, project-based programmes Green Consultants and Grand Challenges.

Green Seeds, meanwhile, is designed to address feedback from students who said they wanted a greater sense of belonging to a sustainability community of practice at the University. So Green Seeds sessions are co-designed and facilitated by student interns in the team, and provide an inclusive, interdisciplinary, informal learning space where students and staff can explore and discuss a range of sustainability and social justice topics and develop associated skills.

Responding to feedback from the previous audit, newly elected Guild members now receive training from the charity Students Organising for Sustainability. The University also received credit for hosting an online international conference for members of Responsible Futures, which brought together staff and students from HE and FE institutions to share forward-thinking practice.

Professor Ewan Woodley (University Sustainability Education Advocate) and Sara Agbenro (Sustainability Education Assistant) led the work for Responsible Futures re-accreditation. They said: “Building the case for re-accreditation demonstrates not only the amazing transformations in the formal curriculum, but also success in growing our staff and student sustainability communities, increasing what we can achieve through partnership working.”

Edie Ruston, Student Life & Communities Officer for Exeter Students’ Guild, said: “It’s fantastic to see that we have maintained accreditation from Responsible Futures. Sustainability is an ever-pressing issue impacting our students and the wider community, and we’re proud of the progress all our teams have achieved so far.

“We know there are always more steps we can take towards a greener future. This year, our newly introduced Sustainability Officers will be working on the issues students have told us they are most concerned about, including environmental initiatives on campus, climate action, and sustainability policies. We’re excited to continue our collaboration with the University and the Cornwall SU.”

And a spokesperson for the Students’ Union added: “We are delighted to have achieved Responsible Futures re-accreditation, in collaboration with the University of Exeter and Exeter Students’ Guild. Being an SU that leads on sustainability is a key objective of the SU’s 2030 Strategy, with Responsible Futures re-accreditation a central part of our work towards this.

“Over the past two years, our team has worked collaboratively with students and key campus and local partners. Our Board of Trustees has demonstrated a commitment to embracing, embedding and expanding sustainable practices throughout the SU. The SU is grateful for the support of partners during the Responsible Futures re-accreditation process.”