February 1, 2016, by ICCSR

Sustainability students begin new experiential learning module

Students on the ICCSR’s MSc in Sustainability began work last week on a new experiential learning module called Managing for Sustainability, which aims to help develop the skills that will allow them to embed sustainability in various types of organisations.

The module combines experiential learning and creative experimentation in the way it is taught and delivered. The teaching approach enables students to interact with organizations (both profit and non-profit) in their understanding of how to embed sustainability into organizational practice. We are working collaboratively with organizations such as Nottingham City Council to achieve this.

The module kicked off with discussions on ‘Rethinking business responsibility and why sustainability matters’ facilitated by the ICCSR’s Dr Judy Muthuri. She was joined by Helen Ross of the Strategy and Commissioning Directorate of Nottingham City Council, who spoke on the theme of ‘sustainable care homes’ and shared the City Council’s experience and strategy in that area.

The sustainability of care homes is becoming an increasingly important area owing to the growing older population in the UK. Throughout the module, students will have an opportunity to learn all aspects of sustainability using care homes as a case study.

They will work with different care homes in Nottingham to assess their sustainability performance. Care homes are run by both the public and private sector, and examining them will therefore allow students to think ‘outside the box’. As part of their assignment, the students are expected to develop and explain the business case in financial, environmental, social and health terms to the Nottingham City Centre, and to care home owners and managers to help them build a case for integrating sustainability in the way they manage their care homes. They will be closely mentored by Dr Muthuri and Helen Rose.

The module has other interesting and engaging sessions. This week students will look at how to envision a sustainable organization, and in subsequent weeks they have the chance to examine subjects such as sustainability and governance, as well as how to develop the skills needed to be a ‘social change agent’. They will also undertake some field studies as part of engaging with practice.

The module consists of 11 three-hour lectures, around 37 hours of self-directed learning, and approximately 80 hours of coursework preparation. Other lecturers are ICCSR director Jeremy Hall, Stefan Gold (Assistant Professor in Sustainability Management, Systems and Reporting) and Stelvia Matos (Associate Professor in Sustainability).

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Google+
• Share on LinkedIn