Responsible Futures is a whole-institution supported change programme and accreditation mark to make all aspects of student learning more sustainable. The Responsible Futures externally assessed accreditation mark has been developed and audited by students to assist tertiary education institutions in helping students gain the skills and experience needed to thrive as global citizens.
All participating institutions, universities and colleges are supported to make changes to their teaching and learning, strategies, and policies. Due to being in partnership with students, these changes are transformational.
Exeter University have signed up to their programme and will be undergoing the audit this term. As part of the work for the interns for Responsible Futures, Exeter have been creating resources for students and staff on different areas of sustainability. Most recently, they have been working on a student empowerment initiative, including the release of a zine and the creation of a workshop. The zine contains information about what empowerment looks like at Exeter, including information about protests that have occurred on campus and how we can use our Student Guild.
Becky Rowe, one of the interns has said: “My experience with Responsible Futures has been amazing. It has been so lovely to have students being paid to hold the university to account about their sustainability. A lot of the time, in activism, you don’t get paid. So this feels like a really important part to play in auditing the university and also being paid to do that. It’s been amazing to work alongside the sustainability team who have been incredibly supportive and helpful of all of our work, particularly Beth Lewis, who is the Sustainable education manager.”
It has been so lovely to have students being paid to hold the university to account about their sustainability
Becky Rowe
“Responsible Futures has also offered the opportunity to create resources from dissertation work. I got the opportunity to create resources for staff and students on emotions, what they are, and how to cope with them. These are really critical resources for staff and students to have at their disposal, and without Responsible Futures, I wouldn’t have had the funding to be able to create them. It’s allowed creativity within academia and the sharing of resources and experiences in creative artistic ways which has been lovely too.”
The workshop will be held online from 1-3pm on Thursday the 20th of June and will be instrumental in allowing students to express themselves and make real, meaningful change at Exeter. If you are interested in attending the workshop, email r.rowe3@exeter.ac.uk for further details.
