Ulster University and Students' Union achieve Responsible Futures accreditation

Ulster University and Students’ Union have been attained Responsible Futures Accreditation by SOS-UK. This accreditation, awarded by students following a two-day audit led by six students, recognises the institution's commitment to embedding sustainability in all teaching and learning.

Students were impressed by the plethora of formalised processes designed by staff to embed sustainability into the formal curriculum, including mandatory professional development for new Ulster educators. They were also impressed by the appointment of different staff who have responsibility for sustainability.

Auditors recommend the Partnership focus on more concrete collaboration between the University and Students’ Union to support one another on events and initiatives for sustainability, and to engage more students.  

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Dr Amanda Platt, UU Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) lead and Chair of UU Responsible Futures Working Group:

“At Ulster University, we are committed to placing sustainability at the centre of what we do. Indeed, our longstanding endeavours around ESD began in 2018, and our success in achieving the Responsible Futures Accreditation mark demonstrates our collective progress and ongoing commitment to the University-wide embedding of sustainability into the formal, informal and subliminal curriculum. Guided by the Responsible Futures framework and online toolkit, this fantastic achievement has been delivered through a proactive partnership approach engaging staff and students from across the University, ensuring sustainability explicitly features in diverse aspects of the student experience.”  

Professor Ian Montgomery, Dean for Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility:

‘It is a significant step to be the first Northern Ireland based university to receive this prestigious student audited Responsible Futures Accreditation. This is testament to our perseverance in the lead up to the submission, student-led audit and interviews, and the tenacity and vision of the whole Ulster University Responsible Futures team in delivering such a fantastic result. It really is an endorsement of our ongoing sustainability work across learning, teaching and the student experience, in our research, and across the wider professional services family.  Just fabulous!’

The future

This accreditation marks a significant milestone, but the journey does not end here. Through valuable feedback captured through the audit, SOS-UK will continue to work with Ulster University and their students to further develop a learning environment that equips both students and staff with knowledge and skills to shape a more sustainable world.

For more information on the Responsible Futures framework, visit the programme website. To learn more about sustainability efforts at Ulster University and Ulster University Students’ Union, please visit Sustainability at Ulster University.

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