Hamilton college signs up with global sustainable education development program

Hamilton’s Mohawk College has signed on with a student-centred global movement to link higher education with sustainable development.

The college recently completed its involvement in the Responsible Futures International pilot program, a global initiative transforming higher education to support sustainable development, and has committed to ongoing membership in the British-based program.

The Responsible Futures accreditation program, which launched in 2023, supports universities and colleges around the world to make “transformative changes” to their teaching and learning, strategies, and policies in partnership with students.

Mohawk is the first college in North America to participate in the program.

“There is a strong desire among students to have sustainability included in their everyday programs,” said Kelsey Armour, a student leader on the Mohawk College Responsible Futures team. “The environment touches every single sector, no matter what job you’re in, so it’s important to have sustainability included in each program to make sure students can take those skills into their careers.”

Jonah Scrymgeour, another student leader on the Responsible Futures team, agreed, saying the program offers students a “great opportunity” to voice their concerns and priorities. “We can focus on the issues that students think are most important and take the steps to raise awareness and make change happen.”

Student surveys confirm that students consider sustainability a high priority in their lives and they want the college to be socially and environmentally responsible while preparing them for today’s global challenges. Additionally, there is a growing demand for graduates with these skills in the workforce across all sectors.

The program is also consistent with recent initiatives at the college, noted Mohawk VP of Academic Cebert Adamson, citing a Climate Action Plan introduced last year that will see the college reach net-zero emissions in direct campus operations by the year 2035; will embed sustainability across the curriculum of all programs; and will support research with community partners to develop more than 50 deployable solutions to the climate crisis by 2030.

“At the core of Responsible Futures is a commitment to student leadership in sustainability. This program is unique because students assess the college’s progress against sustainability criteria through their own perspectives,” said Adamson. “The students hold us accountable and guide us toward more sustainable practices. We are excited to move forward on the college’s decarbonization journey with student priorities guiding our path.”

The criteria within the Responsible Futures framework covers key themes such as establishing baselines and benchmarks, partnership and planning, leadership and strategy, policy and commitment, interventions and outreach.

Key milestones of the pilot project:

• The Responsible Futures Planning Team was formed, including students, student union representatives, and staff working together on sustainability efforts.
• A student-led audit was conducted, with eight students assessing progress against the Responsible Futures criteria by reviewing evidence and conducting interviews.
• A Student Sustainability Survey was conducted, reaching over 2,000 students and providing valuable insights into how students view sustainability in education.

Mohawk College received international recognition for its leadership and commitment to this initiative.

Other schools participating in the program include Queen’s University in Kingston as well as Trinity College Dublin, Murdoch University, Mykolas Romeris University, University of the West Indies and Women’s University in Africa.