Business and sustainability - a shared experience

One of the aims of university education is to prepare young people to be responsible citizens for the future. In the business world, the notion of sustainability is increasingly recognised as an important agenda. Both the Higher Education Funding Council (2008) and the Quality Assurance Agency (2014) acknowledge the critical role of higher education in educating socially responsible and ethically aware graduates. In line with this trend, many business schools have responded by offering sustainability related subjects and exploring pedagogical tools for engagement. Developing sustainability literacy (Stibbe 2011), shifting mindsets (Stubbs and Cocklin, 2008), developing critical thinking skills (Brookfield, 2011) and creating significant learning experiences for students (Dee Fink 2003) are just some examples of approaches which have proved successful. However, such initiatives and the concept of sustainability itself pose some difficult educational challenges for both educators and students.
This paper explores the impact of an innovative module on business and sustainability entitled Develop Sustainable Enterprises which is offered as an option to second year students in the Business School at Canterbury Christ Church University. This is the second year that the module has run and sixty five students elected to participate. Evidence of impact has been gathered (a) using a pre and post module questionnaire; (b) through the ‘voices’ of four students who have responded to the module in different ways. Tutor reflections provide an additional viewpoint. The student contributions make this an unusual and strongly grounded presentation which will illustrate a shared experience between students and tutor on a learning journey.