University-wide routine for sustainable development in education within the scope of the environmental management system

ROUTINE
Decision-maker: Sustainability Manager
Effective from: 22 Feb 2019
Changes effective from: 1 April 2021
Registration number: V-2019-0216-01
Responsible for supervision and questions: KTH Sustainability Office

1. Purpose

The routine describes KTH's systematic work to take sustainable development in education into account within the scope of the environmental management system. This follows from requirements set out in the Environmental Management Ordinance (SFS 2009:907) and the international environmental management standard ISO 14001:2015.

The purpose of the routine is to contribute to the UN's global sustainability objectives and achieve KTH's overall sustainability and climate objectives related to education. The routine aims to create efficient working methods and processes that create value for employees and students.

2. Scope/delimitation

The routine describes how the environmental management system is integrated into KTH's planning and follow-up process and into KTH's quality system for education. The routine describes the education process and how indicators for monitoring and measuring the sustainability and climate objectives related to education are adopted.

3. Definitions

Chapter 1, Section 5 (1) of the Higher Education Act requires higher education institutions to promote sustainable development in their activities, ensuring a healthy and good environment, economic and social welfare, and justice for current and future generations.

In Appendix 2 to the Higher Education Ordinance, there are overall intended learning outcomes for all degrees. Some of these concern the environment and sustainable development.

UA - University Administration

KTH - KTH Sustainability Office KTH SO 

4. Responsibilities

Responsibilities are based on the Delegation Procedure of the President and the Heads of School. The University Board, President, Head of University Administration, Vice Presidents, Dean of Faculty, Heads of School, and the Sustainability Manager are responsible for ensuring that sustainable development is taken into account in education.  

5. Sustainable development in education within the scope of the environmental management system and the quality system for education  

1. Within the scope of the environmental management system, the University Board adopts a sustainability policy. The President decides on overall sustainability objectives related to education. The overall sustainability objectives related to education are established for a certain period of time. Following interaction with responsible functions, the Sustainability Manager and Vice President for Sustainable Development prepare changes to the sustainability policy and the sustainability and climate objectives related to education.
2.  Within the scope of the environmental management system, the Sustainability Manager decides on processes and routines for sustainable development in education. The Vice President for Sustainable Development decides on indicators to measure and follow up on the sustainability and climate objectives related to education. Decisions on routines/processes and indicators are made following interaction with the relevant Vice Presidents and with the Faculty Council.
3. President decides on sustainable development in education within the scope of KTH's development plan and annual operating plan. The Head of University Administration, Sustainability Manager, and Vice President for Sustainable Development draws up an annual operating plan for University Administration to the President and the Heads of School regarding the work on sustainable development in education. This is done following interaction with the relevant functions.
   
   President addresses the school's work on the sustainability objectives related to education in connection with the school dialogue. Dean of Faculty addresses the outcome of the work on sustainable development in education in connection with the quality dialogue with the schools. This is done within the scope of a discussion based on adopted indicators and other relevant information.
4. Head of School decides on the school's development plan and the school's annual action plan for sustainable development in education.
   
   The school's development plan and action plan for sustainable development in education are implemented within the scope of the regular operational planning and follow-up of the school's activities. The action plan is the basis for the programme analyses and the school report produced in connection with the internal annual monitoring within the scope of the quality system for education. Head of School is responsible for publishing the action plan on the school's intranet.
   
   With the support of Sustainability Manager and Vice President for Sustainable Development, Head of School follows up the action plan and decides on new action plans for the following year. This is done in connection with the management review at the school, but no later than by 31 March each year. In connection with the management review, Head of School decides which issues the school wishes to discuss in the quality dialogue led by Dean of Faculty.
5.  Sustainability Manager monitors the overall work on the sustainability objectives related to education in connection with the management review for the President, Vice President for Sustainable Development, and the Head of University Administration. The Sustainability Manager and responsible Vice Presidents present the results of the schools’ review to the President and the Heads of School at the President's Strategic Council.
6.  Sustainability Manager is responsible for coordinating the overall work with the internal and external environmental audits. In connection with internal and external environmental audits, environmental auditors follow up on systematic environmental management work by auditing the work on considering sustainable development in education. Within the scope of the quality system for education, there is on-going monitoring of sustainable development in education.
7.  In cooperation with Vice President for Sustainable Development, Sustainability Manager prepares a comprehensive sustainability report and supports schools in their reporting at the school level. The sustainability report is reported to the University Board.

In the annual report, KTH's environmental and sustainability work is reported to the Ministry of Education and Research, and a report is filed with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with the Environmental Management Ordinance. Reports are also submitted to international networks and ranking institutes. The reports are communicated to internal and external stakeholders and published on the intranet and externally on our website.

6. The education process

The education process can be described in a comprehensive manner and where sustainable development should be taken into account. KTH's and the schools' delegation order and other governing documents describe the responsible functions.

Comprehensive education process and separate process for step 6: implementing programmes and courses.

1. External and stakeholder analysis - Reflection on sustainability aspects relevant to the programme.
2.  Dimensioning degree programmes and securing resources – ensuring availability of relevant teacher competencies and other resources.
3.  Creating awareness and recruiting students – Reach new student groups and highlight the education's contribution to sustainable development and that this is an important issue for KTH.

6. Implementing programmes and courses – Ensure that the issues relating to sustainable development are included and examined. Learning activities with respect to sustainable development.

7. Annual Quality Dialogue – Analysis of the work on integrating sustainable development within the programme.

8. Evaluating, following up, and improving – Alumni questionnaire and mid-year survey.

The process of implementing programmes and courses - separate process for step 6 in the above comprehensive process

6.1. External and stakeholder analysis - Reflection on sustainability aspects relevant to the programme and courses.

6.2. Developing and auditing programmes and courses – Ensure that sustainable development is integrated at programme level and into relevant courses and discuss the progression within the programme. What needs and opportunities for improvement exist and what needs are there for regulations or guidelines for the work. Ensure that relevant courses are environment and sustainability
labelled.  

6.3. Implementing programmes and courses – Ensure that sustainable development issues are included and examined based on established intended learning outcomes for sustainable development. Learning activities with respect to sustainable development.

6.4. Examination – Are there intended learning outcomes within sustainable development in the course or study programme being examined?

6.5. Course analysis and programme analysis – To what extent is sustainable development integrated into the programme? Is there progression in content and in examination of the intended learning outcomes regarding sustainable development between courses at different levels (first cycle, second cycle, and third cycle level)?

6.6. Following up, evaluating, and improving programmes and courses

The purpose of describing the education process above is to:

1. Contribute to KTH's sustainability and climate objectives related to education and the UN's global sustainability objectives (Sustainable Development Goals).
2. KTH shall be a leader in sustainable development.
3. Take sustainable development into account in the courses and study programmes, where relevant.
4. Get an overview of where it is relevant to consider sustainable development in the education process.
5. Create a starting point for discussion on how to improve the work of integrating sustainable development into education.
6. Gain an increased understanding of which indicators should exist to follow up, evaluate and report on the work on sustainable development in education.

7. Indicators for sustainable development in education 

Monitoring and evaluation of sustainable development in education is carried out using indicators. The indicators are meant to highlight and reflect the quality or efficiency of education in terms of sustainable development. Indicators shall support management and employees to improve efforts to achieve the sustainability objectives related to education. The indicators are decided by the Vice President for Sustainable Development following interaction with the relevant functions.

Monitoring of the sustainability objectives using indicators is done in connection with the management review for the President and in connection with the management review at school level for the Head of School's management group.

Monitoring using the indicators also takes place in connection with the annual quality dialogue and school dialogue that the Dean of Faculty and President conduct with the schools. KTH Sustainability Office coordinates the overall work with indicators and supports schools in developing indicators at school level. The annual follow-up, using indicators, is presented at a comprehensive level and at school level. The results are reported both internally and externally and in connection with various sustainability reports. 

8. Documentation

• KTH's development plan 2018 - 2023 and KTH's operating plan, annual.
• KTH's sustainability and climate objectives 2021 – 2025(2045).
• Development plans of the University Administration and the schools.
• The schools' sustainability objectives and action plan.
• Centrally implemented risk analysis for sustainable development.
• Campus Plan 2018 - 2023.
• Quality policy and regulations for quality assurance of education.
• Decision of the Vice President for Sustainable Development regarding indicators for sustainable development in education. 

9. Appendices

Appendix 1 Indicators for sustainable development in education

Appendix 1

Indicators for sustainable development in education

The indicators below are those in use at the time when this routine is adopted. The work on developing indicators is continuously carried out in relation to national and international development. The indicators may therefore be updated without updating the routine.

• Number of ESD-labelled courses (first cycle, second cycle, and third cycle level).
• Number of students registered with final grades on ESD-labelled courses.
• Number of degree programmes with a main focus on the environment and/or sustainability measured by keywords in the programme title.
• Number of graduate teachers in the pedagogical course "Learning for Sustainable Development".
• Number of student theses (degree projects in Diva) with a focus on sustainable development/total number of degree projects at second cycle level. 
• Questions in the mid-year and career surveys.
• Number of faculty positions (professors) with a sustainability focus in the subject area.
• Number of announced faculty positions (Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors) with a sustainability focus in the subject area or teaching and research duties.

10 Change log