Student and staff representation

Student Voice Representatives can help to identify where sustainability is embedded within their course and ask for further exploration on how their subjects link to sustainability. Visit the Keele SU website to find out more.

The Keele 100 is our student forum, giving students from across our Keele community the opportunity to have their voices heard.

The Keele 100 is a joint project run in partnership between the University, Keele SU and the Keele Postgraduate Association (KPA).

Click here to find out more.

The Climate Cafe is a student-led pop up space to open dialogues where no one is an expert and everyone has a voice. The Climate Cafe is a fantastic way to meet with like-minded people, and brainstorm ideas which could be carried out here, on the Keele campus.

Keele took part in a pilot of the People Powered University's programme looking to encourage more voices to be heard from staff, students and the community, especially around sustainability decisions. Initial forums have taken place and feedback has been fed into the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Celebration of the Possible. 

If you have any sustainability suggestions, please get in touch with us a sustainability@keele.ac.uk.

KeeleSU is recognised as an independent student union. Students are automatically members of Keele SU.

KeeleSU is a membership-led organisation which means that students get a say in how the Students' Union is run through voting for officers and putting forward suggestions on how the SU do things.

KeeleSU aims to be a students' union of the highest quality in representing and supporting students to get the most from their time at Keele University.

KeeleSU is committed to sustainability and has declared a climate emergency and enacted a Sustainability Action Plan. These can be viewed here.

Staff Sustainability Representatives are the point of contact for the Sustainability Benchmark Audit. The audit includes 20 criteria which relate to sustainability activities linked to energy, waste, wellbeing, education for sustainability, procurement and transport, but also include communication, engagement and leadership. The criteria were developed in partnership through focus groups and are designed to enable Schools and Directorates to focus on projects which link with their activities rather than becoming a tick-box exercise.

There is also a large amount of innovative work taking place across the campus, embedding sustainability into operations, research, the curriculum and more, and we want to recognise and celebrate this. By being part of the Sustainability Benchmark, your School/Directorate can also become eligible to apply for funding towards a sustainability project, which can align with one or more of the Benchmark criteria, and enables your team to be nominated for a Sustainability Innovation Award.

Student auditors are trained to partner up with Schools/Directorates and explore the evidence submitted. This provides a great opportunity to engage with university processes and operations outside their formal curriculum, and to gain insights into the practicalities of embedding sustainability into a higher education institution.

If your team is unable to complete all the criteria, we encourage you to still get involved as your School/Directorate will still be able to engage with the auditing process and will receive the 'Working towards the Benchmark' award.

The introduction of Staff Sustainability Representatives aims to improve the implementation of environmental sustainability in all Schools and Directorates across the University. Five main responsibilities will make up the Staff Sustainability Representative role to enable this aim to be achieved:

• Encouraging colleagues to get involved with sustainability activities
• Co-ordinating sustainability activities within the School/Directorate
• Instigating ideas to improve sustainability within the School/Directorate
• Co-ordinating the Sustainability Benchmark Audit
• Contributing to the Staff Sustainability Network

These five responsibilities will be achieved through communication and engagement activities within Schools/Directorates, completion of the Sustainability Benchmark Audit, and engagement with the Innovation and Best Practice in Sustainability Awards scheme. It is anticipated that Staff Sustainability Representatives will spend an equivalent of 30 minutes per week / 2 hours per month completing tasks as part of this role.

Visit the staff intranet to find out more.

Sustainability awareness and engagement is covered in staff inductions from line managers, as well as Welcome to Keele induction sessions.

Line managers should ensure that new colleagues are aware of Keele's sustainability vision as well as policies and strategy - including campus-wide recycling, energy management, sustainable travel, and opportunities to get involved with sustainability inititatives.

A sustainability stand is also present at face-to-face Staff Marketplace events.

The Sustainability Team is available to run workshops for any teams or departments who would like to find out more about sustainability.

Contact sustainability@keele.ac.uk or visit the Staff Intranet if you have any questions.

Trade Unions are represented on the Transport and Travel Group, whilst the establishment of the Union Environmental Group provided a mechanism to update representatives on environmental estates activities. 

The Sustainability Team will contact Trade Union Environmental Representatives to input on plans and developments through future meetings. If representatives have any questions, please contact sustainability@keele.ac.uk.

The Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Community of Practice is an informal group of educators and professional services staff who are interested in sustainability education. The group meets regularly to share good practice and discuss challenges and solutions to embedding sustainability in education and the student experience.

Here are Alana's reasons why you should become a Sustainability Intern... 

• To learn first-hand how sustainability can be involved in everything, everywhere. Sustainability is incredibly interdisciplinary linking to subjects such as politics, law, media, geography, literature, medicine and beyond! 
• The opportunity to grow networks and find opportunities which you may not have heard about otherwise. 
• Experience the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of some flagship projects across the university and in the sustainability sector. 

Biography

Alana’s motivated and passionate on the topics of the environment and the local community. Whilst at Keele she studied for a BA Geography degree and continued with a Masters looking into sustainable communities in Staffordshire. Alana volunteers for the environment, community, and local area through positive environmental action and youth engagement. Through these experiences she gained a knowledge of climate change issues and developed her project management skills, communication and inter-personal skills and working with different stakeholders and organisations to achieve mutual goals.

Legacy and projects worked on

Throughout her time as intern, Alana assisted us through carrying out a variety of roles. From helping with the SOS-UK Student Eats campaign, organising the first Keele Schools Climate Summit, presenting at the Friends of the Earth youth conference, helping with Keele Green festival, widening student participation through outreach and social media, and filming and editing videos for university campaigns, the Green Gown Awards and the Student Eats Conference.

Her networks gained through the role were essential for her kickstarting the Hedgehog Friendly Campus campaign at Keele University through the Keele Wildlife Society. Working with the grounds team, estates, schools, the Students Union, and the Sustainability team, we achieved Bronze and Silver.

Here are Molly's reasons why you should become a Sustainability Intern... 

• Gain valuable experience from working with a range of different people across the university 
• Personal growth - throughout my internship, I have discovered a lot about myself I didn’t know and as a result I’ve grown as a person and in confidence! 
• Who wouldn’t want to join the International Sustainability Institution of the year Sustainability Team? 

Biography 

Molly’s passion for sustainability started while she was at secondary school working on an eco-school’s project and continued to get involved in sustainability projects such as the NUS Green Impact at university level. Molly also had opportunity to do a year abroad at Malmo University, Sweden (through her undergraduate degree) where sustainability was embedded into chosen courses and integrated within the Swedish culture. She chose to tailor her dissertation around sustainability and study a master's in MSc Environmental Sustainability and Green Technology. In addition to her academic studies Molly has integrated sustainability into other areas such as volunteering with Girl Guiding UK and working with the Keele Postgraduate Association. Through these experiences she has been able to widen her knowledge of sustainability, work with a range of stakeholders and organisations while developing a range of skills such as communication, problem solving and leadership.

Legacy and projects worked on 

During her internship, Molly has assisted us through a wide range of activities, helped facilitate sustainability events and assist with sustainable food projects such as Student Eats and food waste reduction. She has also had the opportunity to liaise with other stakeholders across the university such as the Keele University Environmental and Sustainability Steering Group and Students' Union. One of her successes being that she secured a grant for Keele Students Union by writing funding applications for the enterprise Weigh to Go, a zero waste shop and securing £1842.35 for a social space adjacent to the zero-waste shop to support future sustainability activities run by students for students.

Here are Ashleigh's reasons why you should become a Sustainability Intern...

• You get to understand the applicability of sustainability in a university setting.
• You get to initiate sustainability projects with the guidance of the Sustainability Project Officer and Environmental Manager.
• You get a chance to develop your own career interests and build connections within the university.

Biography

Ashleigh studied for a degree in BSc Geography and Geology at Keele University.

Legacy and projects worked on

During her internship, Ashleigh helped with the Green:Keele social media, and embedded sustainability messaging throughout the university halls accommodation. She supported the Sustainability Halls Representatives and created content for the Live Green webpages. Ashleigh also worked on university policies looking into transport, plastics, and more.

Biography

Lucy studied for a degree in BSc Environmental Science at Keele University. In 2019, Lucy lived in the Sustainability Bungalow where she looked after the raised garden beds and polytunnel. She designed a living garden with a specifically designed wildlife-friendly bed in order to supply herself and future residents with their own grown produce. Lucy created numerous educational materials to promote the bungalow and share her experiences with other students. Lucy worked on installing an irrigation system funded by the Water Conservation Trust to ensure the polytunnel will be able to sustain itself. Lucy also worked as a Recycling Ambassador at Keele through completing audits around the student halls of residence.

Legacy and projects worked on

Lucy was responsible for all food sustainability projects on campus; from planning, to promotion and execution. Her role as Food Project Intern involved working with key sustainability staff including the Sustainability Project Officer, Environmental Manager, Head of Catering, Commercial Manager in the Students’ Union, Executive Chef and Accommodation Managers. Lucy supported planning and organising activities and events, promotional and communication activities, and analysis and evaluation to measure impact.

Lucy supported the launch of Eat, Rinse, Repeat a pilot scheme aimed at reducing reliance on single use containers across campus. Lucy worked on the Student Eats allotment beds and the Sustainability Bungalow.