Curriculum for the future: Sustainability is a must!

It is widely acknowledged that students of the 21st century require new knowledge to be able to operate effectively in a changing world (Orr 2004). Sustainability education (or Education for Sustainability) is becoming increasingly recognised across all education sectors as a crucial component of this new knowledge, evidenced at an International and National policy level (Commonwealth of Australia 2009); (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation 2016). The following research questions were used to frame a research project to investigate experiences and perceptions of sustainability at the University of Tasmania: ‘How important is sustainability to the student cohort and how embedded is sustainability in courses?’ An online survey of the student population was undertaken that was informed by relevant institutional policy documents and delivered via survey monkey (ethics approved H0015525). The survey findings indicate that students recognize sustainability will be essential for the future and for gaining future employment. Additionally, while students recognise that sustainability is important to have in their courses at University (78%), they are currently unsatisfied with or unaware of sustainability in their courses (69%). This poster will make specific recommendations that include embedding sustainability into all courses and utilising existing programs, such as the Sustainability Integration Program, for embedding sustainability in the student experience.