New NUS research has found that over 60 per cent of all university students want to learn more about sustainability, with 87 per cent of all students agreeing that their universities should take sustainability seriously.
This is the sixth year NUS has run the annual Sustainability Skills survey, which has received more than 30,000 respondents in total. Over the six years, despite massive changes within higher education, student demand for sustainability has remained consistently high.
This year, for the first time, the survey covered FE students, and found:
- 80 per cent of further education college respondents want their college to take sustainability seriously;
- Almost three quarters of further education respondents agree that all courses should actively incorporate and promote sustainable development
Rob Young, NUS Vice President (Society and Citizenship) said: "The survey data sends a clear, positive message that students in HE and FE care about sustainability, and want to learn more about it, and that they want be a part of the solution to our unsustainable society"
You can read the full report here.
Institutional performance
Through the survey we ask students whether they agree with various statements relating to their university or college.
This year we included two new questions to gauge student perceptions on how their institution is doing on sustainability, and how it is impacting on them as individuals.
The intention is to repeat these questions each year so we can track perceptions on institutional performance.
The two tables below present the ten institutions that got the highest percentage of positive perception from their students for each of the two questions. NB: We have only included universities that got over 100 responses (* indicates representative sample size for the student population at this institution).
- My university / college takes action to limit the negative impact it has on the environment and society
University
% that agree with the statement
Total responses
University of Sheffield
83%
394*
Manchester Metropolitan University
83%
487*
Newcastle University
80%
137
Nottingham Trent University
80%
126
University of Brighton
80%
216
Courtauld Institute of Art
80%
261*
Plymouth University
78%
776*
University of Gloucestershire
76%
205
University of Worcester
75%
585*
University of Bristol
72%
130
- Being a student at my university / college encourages me to think and act to help the environment, and other people
University / college
% that agree with the statement
Total responses
University of Brighton
70%
216
Courtauld Institute of Art
67%
259*
Newcastle University
67%
137
University of Sheffield
66%
395*
University of Bristol
65%
130
Leeds City College
64%
119
Manchester Metropolitan University
62%
487*
Nottingham Trent University
60%
126
University of Greenwich
59%
332
Plymouth University
58%
771*
Rob Young, added: "Thank you to all the institutions that helped us promote the survey to their students. Well done to those institutions that appear in the tables above. Your students think you are doing well on sustainability, and influencing them to act on sustainability."