Atlantic TU Transitions towards a Climate Action Univeristy

On April 6, over 80 staff and students from across our eight campuses attended a virtual conference to discuss ATU’s sustainability ambitions and goals.

Panellists included staff and students from Galway, Mayo, Donegal and Sligo and reflected on how our individual experiences and unique skillsets can be brought together to drive our commitment to sustainability leadership and climate action.

The event was chaired by Dr Orla Flynn. Panellists included Dr Mark Kelly, Fiona Britton, Mary Daly, Dr Frances Lucy, Dr Deirdre Garvey, Lynda Huxley and Emily McGroary.

Dr Flynn opened the discussion and said: “The call to arms is never more important than now. We need to work together and be outward-looking beyond our campus gates.”

Dr Deirdre Garvey (Head of Department, Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences, ATU Mayo) said: “We have a great opportunity as a regional university to mobilise our students to be active and informed citizens and provide regional leadership. We can create and design a future we want in this region.”

Green Campus Committees

All ATU campuses actively participate in the Green Campus programme run by An Taisce.

The Green Campus committees on each campus are a vehicle to encourage our students to get involved in addressing climate change. Emily McGroary, (Students' Union Vice-President for Mayo Campus) urged all students interested to join one of the Green Campus Committees.

Fiona Britton (Sustainability Officer, ATU Sligo) said: Our students are facing a different and uncertain future. We have a duty of care to them to prepare for the challenges ahead. Embedding sustainability in our core values gives us more opportunity to be creative in how we respond to the climate challenge.”

Retired member of staff Lynda Huxley, spoke about her work with the Green Campus Committee on the Mayo campus. She was instrumental in the Mayo campus becoming the first Institute of Technology campus in the world to achieve Green Flag designation.

An expert in swift conservation, Lynda also coordinated the installation of Swift nest boxes on the campus. In 2012, 4 triple entrance Schwegler 17A Swift nest boxes were installed providing 12 nest sites. In 2019, an additional 2 triple boxes were installed providing another 6 nest boxes and giving a total of 18 nest sites.

Education for Sustainability

Dr Mark Kelly (Head of Sustainability, ATU Galway City) spoke about how we are embedding sustainability in our curriculum and outlined an online module “Education for Sustainability,” on offer to all ATU staff.

The Level 9 ten credit module aims to build on existing sustainability initiatives across all campuses to create a dynamic community of practice, consisting of staff, students and community stakeholders, who are committed to a holistic approach to sustainability.

The module explores research-informed and applied teaching and learning approaches, which are framed within the 5 Cs of Culture, Campus, Curriculum, Community and Collaborative research and are underpinned by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Dr John Scahill and colleagues in ATU Mayo are developing a 20 credit Level 6 special purpose award in sustainability for students consisting of 4 modules, which will be on offer next September.

ATU are currently working with educational partners DCU, TU Dublin and UCC on developing a new National Digital Badge “Introduction to Education for Sustainability.” It is funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and will be available to all higher education staff in October 2022.

External Engagement

Professor Frances Lucy (Head of Department of Environmental Science, ATU Sligo) spoke about two external sustainable future programmes, that ATU is currently involved in.

The first is a five year Human Capital Initiative project with UCC and Maynooth, funded by the Higher Education Authority. It focuses on climate action, sustainability, and decarbonisation in industry and enterprise. This project aims to empower leaders to act. Students are sponsored by their organisations to do an MSc in Sustainable Enterprise. ATU will also design Continuing Professional Development Programmes for industry partners.

The second sustainable futures programme is a well-established international summer school involving ATU, Mid Sweden University,

Applied Universities in Amsterdam, Geneva and Osnabruck undergraduate students and lecturers. Students come from across all disciplines gather annually for two weeks to work on local and global sustainability issues. This year the summer school will be in Sligo from the 8th to the 19th of August.

Dr Lucy said: “A sustainable future depends on engagement with wider society, industry, enterprise, international students, and community. We work with different teams to educate and empower in sustainability.”

Responding to a call from IBEC Food and Drink Skillnet, a Master’s programme has also been developed on Sustainable Food Systems. Students’ work-based assignments enable them to reflect on how they can affect real change in terms of sustainability for the food industry across Ireland.

Buildings and Estates

Mary Daly (Estates Manager, ATU Donegal Letterkenny) outlined how Buildings and Estates departments (B&E) across the ATU are committed to working towards a more sustainable university.

Projects underway across all campuses include energy retrofitting projects which include switching from fossil fuels to renewable fuels and improving building fabric, ventilation and comfort conditions. B&E will endeavour to ensure that new buildings will be designed to meet the highest sustainability standards and ensure sustainability is embedded in all stages of the design and implementation of projects.

Mary noted the five key areas that B&E can assist and support ATU in achieving our sustainability objectives. These include energy management and decarbonisation, water conservation, supporting active travel and migration to electrical vehicles, grounds management to support biodiversity, and supporting waste minimisation and recycling by providing waste segregation facilities, high quality drinking water dispensers and cup wash facilities to promote the use of reusable cups.

Mary said: “In addition to meeting energy targets we must demonstrate best practice as an exemplar to our staff, students and community. Students must see it to be it.”

Upcoming Education with Sustainability (EwS) Conference, 15-17 August 2022

ATU Sligo will host the 3rd International Education with Sustainability (EwS) Conference, in association with Mid Sweden University and the Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland (ESAI).

This event will address the challenges and opportunities for educators as we weave the golden thread of sustainability into all aspects of the teaching curriculum.

The conference will draw together national and international educators in focused paper sessions with thought-provoking keynote speakers and opportunities for academic staff and researchers to participate in training workshops.