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PAPERS AND REPORTS

CHES Annual Conference 23rd June 2008
writingThe aim of this conference was to summarise Phase 1 and embark on Phase 2 of Mapping the Environmental Landscape. The start of Phase 2 involved a group of environmental scientists interrogating the report in order to examine trends and issues and to make recommendations for the evolution and future direction of the discipline. The discussion had 3 objectives, which were to:

- identify key challenges facing the Environmental Science (ES) higher education community
- anticipate the future shape and structure of the ES landscape
- formulate recommendations for future provision.

Download the Phase 1 background briefing given by Jennifer Blumhof here (pdf 1.4MB)
Download a summary of the initial Phase 2 discussions at the Conference here (Microsoft Word 400KB)

Please contact CHES if you would like to be involved in any further discussions concerning Phase 2.


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Mapping the Environmental Landscape: An investigation into the state of the environmental science subject in higher education by Jennifer Blumhof and Phil Holmes (March 2008).

Download this report here (Microsoft Word 1.7MB) or read the Executive Summary below.

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Planet Special Edition, Issue 19, January 2008: Retention and Recruitment in the GEES Disciplines.

Planet is the bi-annual publication of the GEES Subject Centre. Its aims are to:

  • Identify and disseminate good practice in learning and teaching across the three disciplines of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences and present examples and case studies in a "magazine" format.
  • Provide a forum for the discussion of ideas about learning and teaching in the three discipline communities.
  • Provide information for readers on Subject Centre activities and on related resources, conferences and educational developments.

Download this publication here (pdf 900KB). For other issues of Planet, please go to the GEES website.

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Science Education in Europe: Critical Reflections by Jonathan Osborne and Justin Dillon, King's College London. A report to the Nuffield Foundation (January 2008).

This report is based on two seminars held at the Nuffield Foundation in London in 2006. Download this publication here (pdf 223KB).

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Planet U: Sustaining the World, Reinventing the University Micheal M'Gonigle and Justine Starke (2006, New Society Publishers).

This book places the university at the forefront of the sustainability movement. Questioning the university's ability to equip society to deal with today's serious challenges such as economic growth, democratic citizenship and planetary survival, it calls for a new social movement to take a lead in reforming the university. The book reviews the university's 900-year history from medieval religious philosopher, to Renaissance nation-builder, to its modern function as training grounds for the world's managerial class and the world's largest industry. It examines diverse campus initiatives across North America and Europe and their traditional concerns of green buildings, renewable energy and transportation demand management. But it also demonstrates the promise for social and ecological progress open to the "planetary university" once the university takes its place seriously and discovers its new mission: to create diverse models of local and global innovation centred around tough new questions about what universities -- and their societies -- can achieve: How might the university help move us to a post-automobile, energy-saving society?; How might universities help refashion the city to be sustainable?; How might universities be governed for sustainability? Lively, engaging and perfectly timed for the UN Decade for Sustainability in Education launched in 2005, "Planet U" will have wide appeal.

View a preview of this book or order it here.

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M’Gonigle M, Starke J C, 2006, "Minding place: towards a (rational) political ecology of the sustainable university" Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 24(3) 325 – 348

This paper is a praxis-based, theoretical analysis of the political ecology of place. The paper grew out of a multiyear activist project to redirect campus planning at our university onto a more sustainable footing. In our engagement with the unique institutional character of the university, we were required to address, on the one hand, its resistant power structures and, on the other hand, its real potential for fostering progressive social change. On the basis of this practical work, we develop a theoretical perspective on place-based change and articulate a situated conception of what we call ‘social rationality’. Turning from analysis to prescription, we then suggest a strategy of ‘comprehensive local innovation’ to allow universities to open up their potential to become working precedents that can address global issues through local action. Although the present paper does not articulate detailed proposals for specific institutional reforms, we consider such proposals in a related book.

Order this article here.

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mapping landscape

Mapping the Environmental Landscape: Executive Summary

Formal environmental science (ES) education in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the UK has been developing over forty years. The aim of this two phased project is to try and map this complex landscape over time by investigating recent provision from a number of perspectives and to make recommendations as to future directions and work. The complex landscape was illustrated in the Venn diagram in the recent revised Subject Benchmark Statement for Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies (ES3) (www.qaa.ac.uk).

Phase 1 of the report identifies issues with using JACS (Joint Academic Coding System) which, due to multiple changes in the way ES has been coded, makes detailed longitudinal studies very problematic. To try and address this problem undergraduate single honours programmes calling themselves Environmental Science were drawn from the plethora of JACS groups and used as an indicator to reveal 5 year trends. Additionally subject groups were joined together as the ‘ES contingent’ (JACS F850/851/890/900/990).

Not only was the statistical data interrogated but surveys were also undertaken with ES in HEIs, providers (lecturers and programme leaders) and ES professionals. Use was also made of a recent report on the current agenda of sustainability in the higher education curriculum.

Findings from the investigation can be grouped under the following aspects:

  • Recruitment
  • Changing structures
  • Skills and Employment
  • Future Provision
  • Education for sustainability

The main findings of the project include:

  • applications and enrolments have seen a very minor decrease against an overall increase in
    recruitment to HE
  • there has been a reduction in the number of institutions offering ES as a single honours programme (currently 45),overall there has been a growing ‘core’ and shrinking ‘periphery’
  • at present there are approximately 18000 students studying ES and closely aligned subjects which includes approximately 2200 students studying ES as a named single honours programme
  • postgraduate provision has increased with approximately 4800 students studying in ES and aligned subjects in 2005
  • academic structures have been undergoing change to cope with pressures such as student numbers,
    staff resources and new agendas
  • providers felt concerned or uncertain about future provision though no dramatic change was thought
    to be on the horizon
  • many ES providers saw the popularity of environmental issues in the media as a method of increasing recruitment
  • many employers felt that whilst students had broad knowledge they were lacking in specialised skills relevant to the work place
  • there is not a surplus of graduates and employers are still recruiting
  • employers would like more input into the higher education curriculum.

Overall the ES landscape was found not to be in dramatic decline or rapid expansion and that there is scope and a platform for reigniting interest. As one respondent stated there is “the chance to make a real difference”.

Phase 2 will involve a panel of ES higher education providers interrogating the findings in order to examine trends and issues, make recommendations for the direction of the discipline and further study. This work is being led by the Committee for the Heads of Environmental Sciences (CHES) and supported by the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (GEES) and the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES).

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