Higher Education and Sustainable Development

Responding to the global and unprecedented challenge of capacity building for twenty-first century life, this book is a practical guide for tertiary education institutions to quickly and effectively renew the curriculum towards education for sustainable development. The book begins by exploring why curriculum change has been so slow. It then describes a model for rapid curriculum renewal, highlighting the important roles of setting timeframes, formal and informal leadership, and key components and action strategies. The second part of the book provides detailed coverage of six core elements that have been trialled and peer reviewed by institutions around the world: - raising awareness among staff and students - mapping graduate attributes - auditing the curriculum - developing niche degrees, flagship courses and fully integrated programs - engaging and catalysing community and student markets - integrating curriculum with green campus operations. With input from more than seventy academics and grounded in engineering education experiences, this book will provide academic staff with tools and insights to rapidly align program offerings with the needs of present and future generations of students.

Cheryl Desha has a degree in Engineering (Environmental, first class) and a PhD in rapid curriculum renewal. Her research focuses on building capacity for sustainable development within tertiary education. She is a Senior Lecturer in the Science and Engineering Faculty, QUT, and a Principal Researcher with The Natural Edge Project (TNEP). Karlson 'Charlie' Hargroves has a degree in Engineering (Civil/Structural) and is undertaking a PhD in carbon structural adjustment. His research focuses on opportunities for transformational change towards sustainable development. He is a Senior Research Fellow in the Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute and a Principal Researcher with The Natural Edge Project (TNEP). Cheryl and Charlie are members of The Natural Edge Project, a sustainability think-tank which operates as a collaborative partnership for research, education and policy development on innovation for sustainable development. TNEP's mission is to contribute to and succinctly communicate leading research, case studies, tools, policy and strategies for achieving sustainable development across government, business and civil society. Working with the TNEP team, Cheryl and Charlie have co-authored four books on sustainable development, published in four languages.

Forewords: Mr Barry Grear, Professor Goolam Mohamedbhai, Professor Walter Leal-Filho, and Dr Tony Marjoram. Our One-Minute Pitch Preface: The Natural Edge Project Introductions: Professor Stephen Sterling, Dr Debra Rowe and Emeritus Professor Robin W. King Part 1: A Compelling Case for Rapid Curriculum Renewal 1. Higher Education in Urgent and Challenging Times 2. Drivers and Barriers to Education for Sustainability 3. Deliberative and Dynamic Curriculum Renewal Part 2: Strategic Transformation through Rapid Curriculum Renewal 4. A Whole of Institutional Approach (Curriculum Helix) 5. Informing a Curriculum Renewal Strategy Part 3: Key Considerations for Each Element of Curriculum Renewal 6. Identifying Graduate Attributes 7. Mapping Learning Pathways 8. Auditing Learning Outcomes 9. Developing and Updating Curriculum 10. Implementing the Program Appendix: Staging the Curriculum Renewal Strategy Glossary Notes Index