1. Embedding Sustainability in
Education
Linda Brown
Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Director TAFE

2. Swinburne’s Approach
Our multifaceted, embedded whole of business approach to:
> Build value for students, community, industry and business
 large variety of delivery with strong outcomes – dual sector advantage
 strong community and business engagement – real reduction in carbon
> Contribute to policy and its implementation
 key contributions to state and national working parties
 helping other HEd/VET providers – sharing our expertise
> Lead sustainability skills education
 innovative teaching and learning is our differentiator
 significant contribution to national curriculum development
 investing in our own program development – getting there first
> Achieve strong organisational commitment & performance
 University wide Sustainability Strategy – high level accountability
 connecting and empowering our people - cultural change


3. Our Strategy
Swinburne will embrace
sustainability across all its
dimensions. Making
sustainability at Swinburne a
key driver in all behaviours,
future planning and service
delivery outcomes.

4. Strategy Priorities
The six priority areas are:
> Culture and Stewardship
 signatory to the international Talloires Declaration
> Teaching and Learning
 VC’s Student Award for Sustainable Communities
which encourages the sustainability skills and
attributes in our graduates
> Research
 post-graduate pro-actively identify sustainability
foci in concert with other key thematic areas

5. Strategy Priorities Cont’d
> People Development
 Vocational Grad Cert in Education and Training for
Sustainability
> Social and Community Sustainability
 develop a model for Swinburne’s sustainability
educational community
> Business and Environmental Sustainability
 annual targets for energy, water, air travel, vehicle
travel, recycling, landfill and carbon achieved

6. Sustainability Scorecard
> 6,892 students enrolled in sustainability /
environmental training from 2007 to 2010 YTD
> 12,275 Unit enrolments 2007-2010 YTD
> 11 new courses 2009-2010
> 204 courses and units in sustainability and
environment
> 73% staff have personal KPI about sustainability
> 764 staff undertaken sustainability related PD
> 4.6GJ/EFTSL – most efficient University in
Melbourne
> 1.1ML water collected across all campuses

7. Our Credentials

8. Our Credentials
Some fundamentals:
> Outstanding Specialist Centre – funded by Skills
Victoria in 2002
> Guideline Competency Standards in Sustainability
> First Australian qualifications in sustainability
> Professional development – internal and external
> Graduate Certificate in Education &Training for
Sustainability
> Business Transformer - carbon and $$ savings
> Community sustainability programs – 5 Local
government areas
> Bringing research to life

9. Excellence & Innovation
Multifaceted + Embedded = Whole of Business

10. Rapid Growth in Available Courses

11. Achieving Genuine Innovation
Strategies:
> Working with industry & government
> Integration into strategic planning
> Leading curriculum development
> Engaging staff and students
> Sharing with other providers

12. Investing in Our People
> Professional development is
core to our growth in
sustainability
> Staff engaged in:
 Diploma and Graduate
Certificate in of Sustainability
 accredited and non-
accredited development
activities
 industry release program
funded by the TAFE
Development Centre
 development of VGD in higher
education teaching with
embedded VGC

13. Leading Sustainable
Practice in Tertiary
Education
Leadership in the sector = Proactive Change

14. Technology Enhanced Learning
> Graduate Certificate and Diploma of
Sustainability delivered nationally via
blended learning – combines the use of
Web CT, Blackboard, Elluminate and
face to face
> Flexible multi-sector learning resources
are available anywhere 24/7
> Currency maintained and shared
through global communities of practice

15. New Programs
> Diploma of Carbon Management
> Diploma of Sustainable Landscape Design
> Vocational Graduate Certificate in Education and
Training for Sustainability
> The Bachelor of Arts (Sustainability Management)
> Bachelor of Science (Environmental Sustainability)
> New courses in electrical vehicles -
 Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Servicing and
Maintaining, to be available this year
 BEV Retrofitting, awaiting new Australian Design
Rules regarding EV conversion

16. Value Add – Pathways & Dual
Qualifications
> Diploma of Nursing + Diploma of Sustainability
> Master of Business Administration + VGC
Sustainability
> Bachelor of Engineering + Diploma of
Sustainability
> Diploma of Sustainable Environment
Management  Bachelor of Social Science

17. Our Work Practices
Connecting + empowering people
(bottom up and top down) = cultural
change
> Swinburne Sustainability Strategy driving
change on all fronts
> Sustainability integrated into our Performance
Development and Review processes
> Green Office and Planet Swinburne –
changing behaviour through networks
> Major partner in the 1 Million Women
campaign, national initiative which aims to
inspire practical action on climate change

18. Committed to the Environment
>Setting strong targets
>Participating in benchmarking (TEFMA)
>Challenging the kilometres travelled
>Monitoring performance 18

19. Leading in the Sector
> International Behaviour Change
Conference people attended
from education, local
government and business
> Voc. Graduate Certificate in
Education & Training for
Sustainability for VET and HEd
> State wide professional
development through the TAFE
Development Centre (450)

20. Leading in the Sector
> Guideline Competency Standards in Sustainability with
ISCs
> Capacity building across Australian institutions /
Government agencies
> Member of National Quality Council – Skills for
Sustainability Working Group
> Providing advice for National VET Sustainability Action
Plan
> Representing TDA on National Green Skills Agreement
Implementation Plan
> Business Skills Victoria – Go-Green apprenticeships
> WPC Group Green Skills – nationally funded green skills
project

21. Sustainability Linked
Research
Research+ Education = Behavioural Change

22. Research / Skills Nexus
> A collaborative joint venture between
Swinburne and Victoria-Suntech
Advanced Solar Facility (VSASF)
aims to develop the next generation
of solar cells
> Swinburne’s Power Engineering
Group is focused on renewable
energy systems, power system
development and economics
> Collaborative project with CSIRO and other universities
to research and develop lightweight battery-charged
electric cars

23. Research / Skills Nexus
> Researcher Dr Monzur Imteaz of Swinburne’s Centre
for Sustainable Infrastructure developing an internet-
based tool to establish domestic rainfall capture
capacity
> Advanced Manufacturing Centre linking higher
education, research, vocational training and
manufacturing sectors
> Boeing and Suntech Power Holdings will be foundation
partners in the Centre which will incorporate a
demonstrator ‘Factory of the Future’ where students will
be trained in the latest manufacturing techniques,
transforming engineering education at Swinburne

24. Thank you
Global Citizenship and Sustainability are key drivers