Increasing Student Participation and Engagement in Sustainability Projects in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Through Kampus Sejahtera and WSU101: Sustainability Course for Undergraduates

Abstract

In 2008, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) which re-aligned its major and long term focus towards sustainability was selected by the Ministry of Education, Malaysia to participate in the Accelerated Program for Excellence (APEX), a fast track program that would help the university achieve world-class status. In order to mainstream sustainability within the campus, increased student participation and engagement in sustainability projects are essential. One of the easiest ways to encourage student participation and engagement in sustainability is through co-curricular and extra curricular activities. This paper presents a concentrated analysis on how USM increases student participation and engagement in sustainability projects in campus through its co-curricular and extra curricular activities specifically the WSU101 Sustainability Course for Undergraduates and the Kampus Sejahtera program. A special emphasis is given to the challenges and barriers that affect student participation and engagement in sustainability projects. Finally, the paper highlights the lessons learnt as well as the successful strategies implemented to ensure increased student participation and engagement in sustainability projects. This paper will be useful to anyone interested to increase student participation and engagement in sustainability projects in their respective institutions of higher learning.