On October 23rd, I wrote to Hefce's CEO, Professor Madeleine Atkins, about the Council's new (but still draft) Sustainable Development Framework. My purpose was to say that I hoped that a sentiment which Hefce expressed in 2009 would be included in the 2014 document. This sentiment was:
It remains our view that the greatest contribution that universities and colleges can make to sustainable development is through the values, skills and knowledge that students learn and put into practice.
My original letter is here, and the response from Hefce is set out below. My reflections on the response are at the foot of the post.
Dear Bill
HEFCE, Sustainable Development and Student Learning
Thank you for your email which Madeleine and I have discussed; Madeleine has asked me to reply on her behalf.
I think I should start by saying that the style of the new framework is quite different to the 2009 document and it is also substantially shorter. We have tried to make it more engaging and to make points through case studies and examples of what we and others are doing. The specific assertions that you highlight are not included however I hope you will feel that the new document is consistent with them and that they are supported by the actions we report.
The new framework has been structured so that one of the three sections covers HEFCE’s role in engaging students in sustainable development. To give you a flavour of this section, it includes; NUS commitment; a figure showing the results of the HEA:NUS survey of students; the HEA and the Green Academy and continuing encouragement for their work; the ‘Leading Curriculum change’ project at Gloucester; the QAA guide; case studies on Education for Sustainable Development in the formal and informal curriculum, the £5M Students’ Green Fund (which will engage 50,000 students); the NSS and examples of Green Gown winners. We also confirm that the ‘Catalyst Fund will continue to be open to innovative sustainability projects where these meet the criteria for the fund.’
I hope these comments go some way to allaying your concerns. The framework will be published at the end of November and I would be happy to meet after that if you would like to do so. The intention is that we can use the framework – and the other good things going on in the sector – to make further progress.
Best wishes
Yours sincerely,
Steve Egan, Deputy Chief Executive
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So, what can we make of this? As everyone taking part in the various consultations around this document knows, this sentiment was omitted from the original draft of the document – something I pointed out to Hefce at the time. On being told that there was still no sign of it in the latest (October) draft, I wrote the letter to see whether, at this late stage, they might be nudged into inserting it. I realised it was a long shot.
You now have to wonder whether Hefce still thinks this about student learning. A generous reading of Steve Egan's letter (particularly the 2nd paragraph) might lead you to suppose that this remains the case. On the other hand, now that what I have called a sentiment, Steve now terms an assertion, you do have to wonder.
It is hard to see what Hefce has gained by all this.
Respond