Engaging Students with Environmental Sustainability at a Research Intensive University: Examples of Small Successes

Abstract

The University of Melbourne’s Vision for Education for Sustainability is “To develop graduates who will lead change for a sustainable future” (University of Melbourne 2011). This goal is for all graduates and many aspects of a student’s experiences will cumulatively contribute toward this outcome. While the individual experiences of students will vary, in particular in the formal curriculum depending on that student’s specialization, there are elements of sustainability in the formal and hidden curriculum that all students will experience or can access. This chapter will first explore students’ perceptions and concerns regarding environmental sustainability, as gauged through a biennial survey, and then discuss some examples of ways that students of the University of Melbourne engage with aspects of environmental sustainability, including through research, the formal curriculum, the hidden curriculum of the campus, and campus operations.