We partner students with institutions to
work together
to embed sustainability in
all
student learning
We have a proven record of helping institutions catch up to student demand for sustainability education through a whole-institution approach.
Responsible Futures was created 10 years ago to support students and staff to work in partnership to integrate sustainability and climate justice through the formal, informal and subliminal curriculum using a tried-and-tested framework of criteria.
With expert support from the team and shared cohort learning across all participating institutions, universities and colleges are supported to make transformative changes to their teaching and learning, strategies, and policies in partnership with their students.
Through
the Responsible Futures audit, students are supported to have a voice in sustainability, which is something we cherish so
much.
Student auditor
Coventry University and University of Worcester audit, 2022
82%
89%
67%
So, how does it happen?
We support you to:
- Embed sustainability and climate justice in all student learning
- Monitor your progress and reflect on impact
- Celebrate your achievements
- Advance your work meaningfully, building on learnings and recommendations from students.
Responsible Futures framework
The Responsible Futures framework, developed by pilot institutions and sector bodies, assists partnerships to legitimise and mainstream education for sustainable development as a tool for delivering an education.
The criteria used in Responsible Futures framework provide a roadmap for actions - they are not prescriptive and seek to recognise individual partnerships' different approaches.
The criteria within the framework cover key themes including:
Baselines and benchmarks
- Gaining an in-depth understanding, knowledge, and familiarity with ESD across the institution
Partnership and planning
- How you work to ensure capacity for and continuity of work related to Responsible Futures
Leadership and strategy
- Institutional leadership and gaining buy in through statements of support and strategy
Policy and commitment
- Committing appropriate resources to the agenda and aligning this with existing processes
Interventions
- Specific interventions used to engage students and staff
Impacts and outcomes
- •Reflecting on impact of your work
Outreach
- Sharing what you have done and learning from others
Self-defined criteria
- Highlighting unique good practice
- ☯
Partnerships are supported throughout to engage with the criteria and deliver key impacts and outcomes through a whole-institution approach.
If you’re interested in looking through the Responsible Futures framework to see how it can support you, please get in touch (responsiblefutures@sos-uk.org)
Ongoing individual support
Responsible Futures year-long membership includes bespoke SOS-UK support.
SOS-UK works with the partnership to first explore your aims and priorities. We then work with you to deliver a bespoke support that aligns with your priorities and helps you to meet your goals.
Some examples of bespoke support we have delivered include:
- Workshops
- Attending/chairing planning meetings
- Research
- Mock audits
- Gap analysis of Responsible Futures criteria
- Speaking on panels
- Feedback on strategies, policies etc.
- Creating resources
Network learning
Since its pilot in 2013, over 39 institutions and students' unions have participated in Responsible Futures, representing nearly 700,000 students across the UK.
The launch of the international pilot sees 6 new universities added to the network, reaching over 100,000 students globally.
Please see the UK and international pages to learn more about participating institutions.
Responsible Futures Partnerships are encouraged and supported to make use of this extensive network of partnerships representing a broad range of experiences with embedding sustainability in learning, and share learning between partnerships through regular network catch up calls, support afternoons and webinars.
We are happy to connect you with individuals involved in the programme so you can ask them about Responsible Futures directly.
Student-led audit
Partnerships work through the Responsible Futures toolkit over one to three years. Once they indicate they are ready, partnerships have a two-day student-led audit facilitated by SOS-UK.
The audit determines the partnership’s accreditation – either the full accreditation or a ‘working towards’ recognition – and provides both the partnership, student auditors and SOS-UK with valuable findings resulting from criteria and documentary evidence review, interviews, and student focus groups. This is consolidated into an individualized audit report outlining findings, successes, and opportunities for improvement.
A critical aspect of the audit is the learning and development of the student auditors. The SOSUK staff member is there as a facilitator, but the process is very much led by the students.
We have an evidence base from delivering over 46 audits that it is a unique, and impactful opportunity for students to develop knowledge and skills re: sustainability. Students across institutions have described the experience as “immersive,” “uplifting” and “eye-opening.”
Accreditation
The Responsible Futures mark is awarded to institutions that pass the score threshold in their student-led audit. This mark is a demonstrable commitment to embedding sustainability across all aspects of student learning and is valid for two years.
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Let's talk
We want to learn more about your institution and how we can work together on Responsible Futures
We
are very proud of this accreditation and what makes it special is that our students audit our performance. Our students are our harshest critics and strongest allies and partners in making
progress.
Rachel Colley
Students’ Union at UWE SU Community Manager 2022
"Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and programs like Responsible Futures are pivotal in cultivating a generation of students who are not only academically capable but also socially responsible and environmentally conscious. As the General Secretary of the All-Africa Students Union (AASU), I see these programs as essential in our mission to democratize education across Africa and ensure that it is inclusive and equitable."
"[Responsible Futures] helps us bring universities across the world to share learning and best practice through a common framework. The programme provides a common language - a way to focus on addressing issues of sustainable development. It's advantageous to have a programme like this, which ensures from the start that students can be engaged without having to go through the internal design through the university. They can collaborate with students from other universities and share learning."
"Responsible Futures is a fantastic initiative, offering collaboration between our students and staff to assess our sustainability credentials and examine where improvements can be made. The accreditation demonstrates our commitment to promoting sustainability to our students and gives our student base a voice in which to shape the way we operate. It has been great to be involved in the programme and be challenged by our students on the way we go about being sustainable. We would recommend it to other universities who are developing as a sustainable institution.”
"Most of the crises that humanity has to face are the consequences of human decisions, taken in a professional context, by "normal" (intelligent and not evil) and often educated people. By improving sustainability literacy (knowledge, skills, and mindset), higher education institutions enable people to act more relevantly and effectively, with a clear conscience. By working with students, Responsible Futures contributes actively to transform the sector toward a desirable future."
"Responsible Futures is a powerful tool for understanding the current sustainability position of an institution and for planning and implementing enhancement action. The process and outcomes should be integrated into an institution’s quality management processes and then reported throughout the organisation’s deliberative and executive functions including the senior team. In this way, understanding of the shared responsibility for ownership and identifying potential enhancement opportunities is maximised. Ultimately, Responsible Futures should become a process that engages the whole institution in sustainability action."
"Responsible Futures has been instrumental in helping institutions develop holistic learning experiences that respond appropriately to the climate emergency, which students increasingly demand from their time in higher education. This transformative framework has empowered the student voice through allowing students to hold their institutions accountable. "
“Equipping learners for their futures, by ensuring they develop the sustainability knowledge, skills and behaviours they need, is one of the most important things an education organisation can do to shape society for the better. Responsible Futures is a great programme for making that happen.”
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ABOUT
Responsible Futures is a supported change programme and accreditation partnering students with their institutions to embed sustainability in all student learning, delivered by SOS-UK.
The programme was shortlisted for the 2024 Okayama ESD Award.
