SHARING INFORMATION ON PROGRESS Plymouth Business School – Plymouth University 2016

  1. Executive Summary

Plymouth University (PU) has a longstanding commitment to education for sustainability dating from 1973 when it pioneered one of the UK’s earliest interdisciplinary programmes in environmental sciences. The embedding of ethical and sustainability education across other disciplines was recognised in 2005 when the UK government funded the establishment of a national Centre of Excellence called the Centre for Sustainable Futures (CSF), which leads the university’s on-going commitment to embed environmental, sustainability and ethical education across the subject spectrum, with the result that some 49% of all programmes reflect sustainability principles.

In parallel with the University strategy Plymouth Business School (PBS) has continuously reviewed its curriculum to reflect core values. In 2011 PBS initiated a first year curriculum review and launched the Inspiring Futures Projectwhich attracted UK governmental funding via the Higher Education Authority (HEA). The review incorporated sustainability as part of the core curriculum in part delivered through classroom interventions and in part through the delivery of a live community-based consultancy projects underpinned by sustainable planning principles. In addition the Faculty offered a number of co-curricular sustainability modules which attracted high student demand – withover 400 students undertaking an intensive co-curricular CertificateinSustainable Business. This curriculum has now been embedded as a for-credit Stage 2 elective entitled Shaping The Future which involves students developing knowledge, strategic auditing and practice-based sustainability skills.

This SIP provides a full account of the University’s strategic approach to the principles, its curriculum and research activity and stakeholder engagement. The activity reported underpinsthe PRME principles and highlights the activity of the Plymouth Business School (the PRME relationship owner).

  1. Overview Plymouth University’s Approach to Sustainability

In terms of corporate responsibility, the university is leading by example. Sustainability is a forward-looking corporate commitment at Plymouth formalised by:

  • establishing the inter-disciplinary Institute for Sustainability Solutions Research in 2011
  • publishing an annual stakeholder-written Sustainability Report (since 2011)
  • the creation of a new Executive Directorate (Finance and Sustainability) responsible for delivering sustainability,
  • including sustainability in the university’s 2020 strategy, which adopts a tri-cameral approach linking teaching, research, and estates functions relating to sustainability
  • establishing governance structures to oversee the University’s sustainability performance through the Sustainability Advisory Group, accountable to the University Executive (UEG).
  • making self-leadership for sustainability training available to all staff
  • maintaining funding to the CSF to further drive to embed sustainability across all the university’s functions
  • CSF is maintained as a key part of the university's Teaching and Learning Support

Additional information about the University’s strategic incorporation of the principles of sustainability is available at:

A comprehensive report of the University’s sustainability performance across all areas can be found here:

Further links to sustainability education at Plymouth is available at:

  1. Overview of Practical Actions

Full details of the University and PBS actions are highlighted in section 4 below. However in summary the University continues to include sustainability and ethics within its corporate 2020 strategy. It provides central funding to the Centre for Sustainable Futures thereby ensuring that the principles of environmental, sustainability and ethical education guide and inform our approach to research, teaching and practice. For example, as part of this strategy the University has supported a series of self-development workshops on sustainable leadership.

In 2013 the University provided strategic support to establish theUniversity of PlymouthHartsookCentre for Sustainable Philanthropy– a research and teaching institute committed to raising the profile of global sustainable and ethical fundraising.

In addition the central University facilities and services support the Plymouth Business School in delivering transformative business education premised on the principles of sustainability, ethics and flourishing leadership. This is in part evidenced through the establishment in 2011 of the Futures Entrepreneurship Centre which is integral to the PBS curriculum and the University of PlymouthHartsook Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy.

  1. Assessment of Progress Made in the past reporting period

4.1PRME Principle 1 – Purpose

An extract form Plymouth University’s Transforming Lives Strategy 2020 sets out the mission as follows:

Through teaching, learning, research and innovation we work in partnership with our students, staff, community, busies and the professions to drive social inclusion, economic prosperity and sustainability in Plymouth, across the nation and throughout the world.

Our values are centred on being: spirited, connected, creative, pioneering, expert, empowering and enterprising.

Further detail on the strategy is available here:

The Faculty of Business (FoB) 2020 vision is to be recognised worldwide for the enterprising culture, sustainability orientation and socially responsible values of our research and learning environment that allows us to produce and disseminate useful knowledge. Such recognition will be reflected in the FoB’s enhanced performance as regards the KPIs agreed locally within the Faculty, the UoP, and those dictated nationally/internationally.

At PBS the purpose is to graduate students who understand the principles of socially responsible leadership and who are able to exhibit the skills and competences to deliver social value to organisations. To support this objective ethics, sustainability and environmental awareness are a core component of two first year modules in PBS - STO 100 The World of Enterprise and ENT1000PP Entrepreneurial Thought and Action). These modules introduce students to the concepts of social enterprise, sustainability and ethical business and culminates in students completing a live consultancy project (Inspiring Futures) which is external client facing. This curriculum approach is premised in the principles of Education for Sustainability (EfS) as it engages students in and connects them with community-based learning.

4.2PRME Principle 2 Values

The following extract from the University’s 2020 strategy sets out the strategy and values:

Through teaching, learning, research and innovation we work in partnership with our students, staff, community, business and the professions to drive social inclusion, economic prosperity and sustainability in Plymouth, across the nation and throughout the world.

Our values are centred on being: spirited, connected, creative, pioneering, expert, empowering and enterprising.

The University has undertaken a number of structural changes to foregroundsustainability across aspects of service delivery.The Dean of Science and Engineering holds the executive brief for sustainability within the University Executive Group (UEG), the prime decision-making body for the University.

This accountability ensures that the principle of sustainability remains integral to University planning.

In addition the University has established a new executive directorate responsible for delivering sustainability, Finance and Sustainability. Sustainable procurement is within the auspices of the Finance directorate, but since the last PRME submission, further operations have been undertaken under Estates and Facilities. The University's overall sustainability performance is monitored and supported by the cross-institutional Sustainability Advisory Group, which is a sub-committee of the University Executive Group (UEG).

A commitment to sustainability is central to the University’s 2020 strategy, which adopts a tri-cameral approach linking teaching, research, and estates functions relating to sustainability. Further, a new Strategic Framework has been produced since 2013 which underlines the University's commitment to reducing its environmental impact and to 'hardwiring sustainability into our teaching, research and operations'.

PU’s commitment to values-based action is further supported through the provision of centrally funded staff development workshops. Self-Leadership for Sustainability training is available to all staff and since 2013 a series of 8 hour intensive courses have been delivered to 165 PU staff with a further 6 student development courses delivered to 117 individuals. PU has disseminated this knowledge and expertise by delivering 4 externally delivered programmes to 122 regional business participants. Building on this experience new 8 hour intensive courses on Self-Leadership for Resiliencewere developed in 2015, which have, to-date been delivered to 75 PU staff.

The University’s commitment to a sustained level of staff development premised in the principles of sustainability, the environment and ethics, coupled with a commitment to delivering programmes for students and external stakeholders is evidence of the level of commitment to the principles which underpin PRME.

4.4.PRME Principle 3 – Method

An audit of University programme provision (undertaken by CSF in 2012) demonstrates that 49% of all programmes include sustainability education.

Further detail provided in this report refers to the activity in the Plymouth Business School (the PRME relationship owner).

In 2011 the Sustainability in the Curriculum project established the objective of including at least one sustainability learning outcome at each level of programmes and to include sustainability objectives within all module descriptions across the School. Additionally a co-curricular strategy was undertaken to stimulate the selection by students of sustainability oriented modules in the curriculum.

Since the launch of the Certificate in Sustainable Business in 2011 over 400 students have completed the programme and in 2013 a Stage 2 elective module Shaping the Future was introduced to the business curriculum. Since 2013 the module has attracted over 70 students annually.

In 2012 the Business School launched theFutures Entrepreneurship Centre. The key objectives of Futures are: to create a sustainable entrepreneurial eco-system (which includes the national Social Enterprise University Enterprise Network (SE-UEN); to develop an curriculum premised on the concepts of sustainability and social enterprise; and to provide a focal point for curriculum and practice-based research. The Futures Centre is completely focused around the creation of sustainable programmes and networks of activity designed to deliver regional and national economic impact.

Since 2014 the work of the Centre has: supported over 17,000 people; worked with over 300 organisations from public, private, social enterprise and the community sector; has worked with over 4000 pupils in 26 schools; engaged over 700 students in live community consultancy projects; secured over £100,000 of social investment to help local enterprises grow; through curriculum interventions developed a wide range of business skills and created a better understanding of leadership, sustainability and global business; invested £6,000 in student-led businesses and improved networking for students, businesses and the University across local, national and international markets.

Some key interventions include:

  • Farm Shop Kenya – securing Comic Relief grant funding to set up social enterprise franchisee farm shops to support Kenyan farmers.
  • Global Social Storm 24 Hour Hackathon – connecting students across UK, Tasmania, Canada, USA , UAE and China to solve global problems as part of the UN’s initiative to make primary education universally available
  • British Council India – a project to facilitate social enterprise dialogue across HEI’s in India
  • Certificate in Sustainable Business: See The Big Picture - extracurricular programme delivered to c.100 students annually
  • Catalyst – support for students to undertake a 5 day leadership course (founded in principles of sustainability) provided by Embercombe a social enterprise in Devon
  • Collaborative Leadership for Sustainability: Green Thinking – delivery of a 10 week extracurricular course for students focussed on global citizenship and flourishing leadership
  • 500 word School Essay Competition – over 80 school children participated in an essay competition focussed on principles of ethics and sustainability
  • Plymouth Community Health Care Leadership Development – a longitudinal executive and team development programme focussed on transforming and flourishing leadership with over 150 participants engaged in action learning projects
  • Digital Safety in Schools Programme – worked with approximately 2,000 young people and 200 adults in the region to understand the principles of digital citizenship and safe on-line behaviours.
  • BETA Enterprise Programme – a longitudinal support programme (with up to £1,500 investment potential) for student led enterprises with sustainable enterprise being a core focus
  • Inspiring Futures – a curriculum based programme to provide students with live community based consultancy projects

More information about the Futures Entrepreneurship Centre can be found at:

4.5.Principle 4 Research

The FoB and the Plymouth Business School have a growing reputation in the fields of sustainable and ethical research. A recent example of the University and FoB commitment to sustainability and ethics has been the launch in 2014 of the University of Plymouth HartsookCentre for Sustainable Philanthropy (HCSP). Two key professorial appointments (Professor Jen Shang and Professor Adrian Sargeant) lead the Centre which is focused around best practice knowledge and skills transfer in the field of sustainable fundraising and philanthropy. The HCSP delivers industry and academic programmes (including doctoral programmes) and undertakes research in a niche field of sustainable decision making. It is the only academic Centre in the world with an explicit focus on growing philanthropy. It aims to achieve that growth by enhancing how donors and philanthropists experience philanthropy around the world. To that end the Centre is proud to be the home of the new field of philanthropic psychology and in 2015 created the world's first psychology lab to be focused on conducting experiments specifically in this domain. Since its inception the Centre now has around 600 participants comprising students, members of the British public and fundraisers from around the world. The Centre also established the fundraising think tank Rogare. Rogare is a network of professional fundraisers from around the world who come together to highlight and discuss issues that are either 'under-thought' or 'under-researched' in the domains of fundraising and philanthropy. In 2017 the network will expand into North America andwill have upwards of 120 professionals who have competed for a place on the panel. The panel makes recommendations for research projects the Centre will undertake, undertakes discussions/projects of its own and helps us disseminate both strands of thought back out to the professional community. Rogare ensures that our work is both rigorous and practically relevant.

The Centre conducts bespoke research in the USA, Canada, Australia, Norway and the UK. In addition it has a number of global projects, notably a partnership with the Resource Alliance to look at how 'Tomorrow's Philanthropy' might be engineered to make it more sustainable in the face of increasing global challenges. In 2017 the Centre will also be working with ten nonprofit partners to conduct a major new study of how relationship fundraising is practiced and to conduct a large scale series of field experiments, deliberately engineering fundraising communications to enhance the quality of the donor experience.

The Centre is also working with professional associations around the world to create for the first time a global network of professional qualifications, allowing fundraisers to be exposed to a body of knowledge appropriate for their current or planned role. We have built a Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Fundraising and our programs are now taught in multiple countries around the world including the United States. At Plymouth University the Centre is working to build an undergraduate pathway that will prepare students for a career in the voluntary sector as either a nonprofit marketer or fundraiser.

More information about the HCSP can be found at:

The Business School is also an active participant in the global 50+20 forum which is setting standards for the review of curriculum and programmes to include globally responsible practices and sustainability as overarching research and teaching practice themes. This compliments the work of the Futures Entrepreneurship Centre.

FoB supports a wide number of PhD students engaged in sustainability pedagogy and sustainable leadership linked to the Futures Entrepreneurship Centre the UoP Harstook Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy, the Centre for Sustainable Futures and across the FoB disciplinary teams.

In 2015 Dr Hilary Duckett the Director of the Plymouth Business School contributed a chapter on ‘Building Better Business Schools for a Changing World’, to a book entitled Systemic Entrepreneurship: Contemporary Issues and Case Studies, (Maas, G and Jones, P. (Eds) (2015) Palgrave MacMillan: Hampshire. ISBN 978-1-137-50979-6). The chapter focused on the three core principles underpinning curriculum design within the School –Education for Sustainability; Education for Humanity and Education for Life. In the chapter these principles are presented as an alternative hegemony to techno-rational systems of business education and position business schools as an entrepreneurial eco-system for transformative learning.

At an institutional level since 2014 the Institute for Sustainability Solutions Research (ISSR) was subsumed into a new research institute, the Sustainable Earth Institute, in 2015.

4.5Principle 5 – Partnership - description of stakeholder engagement and partnership

PBS is committed to building partnerships to support the vision and values of the Faculty and University and establishing mutually beneficial ways of connecting students with practice through a focus on work-based and problem-based learning.

PBS has extensive examples of staff and section 4.4 of this report has illustrated a number of ways in which partnership working is adding value to curriculum design and research and consultancy. Some specific profiles of staff engaged in PRME related partnership activity include:

  • Professor Salima Paul – A Professor of Credit Management, specialising in Credit Management, Treasury Management and Corporate Finance, Salima focusses on the principle of ethical and sustainable credit management and has published various papers in the fields of trade credit management, late payment and credit risk/rating. She also promotes knowledge exchange and her research is used by both academics and professionals. Salima’s recent work relates to the “Evaluation of the Trade Credit Enterprise Finance Guarantee” (TCEFG) pilot, commissioned by the British Business Bank (BBB), looks at the operation and performance of the pilot scheme and assesses the trade credit market. The recommendations from this study were adopted by the BBB (at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, BIS) and the scheme was duly discontinued (Report can be found at: and the response of BBB to the report can be found at::

Salima’s work on late payment (funded by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) was launched by BIS which, together with the Chartered Institute of Credit Management, the Forum of Private Business and Experian, published a summary of her research entitled "Getting Paid – Lessons For and From SMEs" as a brief guide for business owners and managers. (Further details from: