| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.71 |
| Liaison | Rosemary Potter |
| Submission Date | Nov. 28, 2023 |
TAFE Queensland Robina Campus
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Bianca
Mandalios Manager, Communication & Engagement TQGC |
Does the institution have at least one sustainability committee?:
The charter or mission statement of the committee(s) or a brief description of each committee's purview and activities:
Overall sustainability coordination and decision-making at Robina Campus sits with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) made up of the General Manager and a group of Executive Directors/Directors across the internal teams of the TAFE Queensland Gold Coast region. The SLT oversees the work of a number of sub-committees which meet monthly. The work of these sub-committees i.e. finance, facilities, etc impacts the operations of the Robina Campus.
A sub-committee to oversee the operations of the five (5) live training at Robina Campus focus on running the venues as commercial services. These venues not only provide hands-on learning for our students in a commercial environment but also connect us with community and industry partners. As commercial entities, students can also secure employment during and post their studies. The minutes of all sub-committee meetings, along with action registers, are maintained on the SLT Team site.
Robina Campus has developed its own Sustainability Strategy document which helps all committees to align their work to meet the selected UN SDGs. The campus strategy is in line with the TAFE Queensland Gold Coast Operation Plan which includes the goal of 'A Sustainable and Socially Responsible TAFE Queensland' as the umbrella of 'Connecting with our stakeholders to continue to achieve financial, social and environmental sustainability goals'. The regional plan aligns with the TAFE Queensland Social and Environmental Sustainability (SES) action plan which is aligned to the broader TAFE Queensland Strategic and Operational Plans.
The Robina Campus Sustainability Committee supports the driving of projects, processes, and campaigns focussed on supporting and enhancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as they apply to all aspects of the Robina Campus operations. The role of the Committee is to align Committee activities with the TAFE Queensland Social and Environmental Sustainability (SES) action plan and the work of that committee. The Robina Campus committee focuses on opportunities to educate and engage staff, students, and the community, by promoting awareness and alignment to the UN SDGs and how they relate to sustainability issues in both the campus operations and the industries aligned to Robina training delivery.
The Committee actively seeks to promote awareness and participation in a range of relevant activities and events for staff and students both on campus and in the community that both demonstrates and enhances TQs commitment to Sustainability. The Committee seeks to report and communicate ‘best practice’ examples of staff/student and community/industry collaboration on sustainability issues and share these stories at events and via social media. Where possible, positive staff and student behaviours and practices demonstrating sustainability are encouraged and where possible rewarded.
Minutes of meetings are kept on the STARS Team site with an actions register tracking the work of the committee. Other Team sites such as the Robina Campus Community of Practice and the Faculty Team site, are used to post notifications and inform staff about good news stories.
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
The membership of Robina Campus Sustainability Committee comprises 12 members (plus invited guests) from a broad spectrum of operational areas representing our staff and student bodies across both educational and commercial operations.
• Manager, Engagement and Communications - Chair
• Events and Engagement Officer
• 4 TQGC staff from a range of delivery areas
• 6 TQGC Robina students from a range of different courses
Other attendees:
• Other guests may be invited at the discretion of the Chair
• General Manager will attend the initial meeting and either the Executive Director, Education and Training or Director of Faculty will be in attendance at each meeting thereafter.
Secretariat:
• Services provided by the Events and Engagement Officer at the discretion of the Chair
Role of the Chair
• Approve the Agenda
• Manage the Committee’s Program of work
• Facilitate the flow of information before, during, and after meetings
• Invite expert advice/ guest speakers as required
• Approve draft minutes no more than 3 days after each meeting for circulation to members
• Escalate issues and risks in accordance with TAFE Queensland’s Risk Management Framework
• Report on activity and achievement to Robina Campus Steering Committee
• Review Committee structure, operations, and performance every six months
Members
• Actively participate in the work of the Committee and demonstrate a visible commitment to the Program of Work
• Contribute ideas and feedback representative of the staff and student body
• Liaise with others to assist the Committee to fulfill its purpose
• Endorse minutes of each meeting
Secretariat
• Compile and distribute the agenda and any supporting papers at least 3 working days prior to each meeting
• Prepare and circulate minutes (approved by Chair) to members for endorsement within three days of each meeting
• Recordkeeping in accordance with the TAFE Queensland’s Record Management Policy and Procedures
• Monitor Committee Actions
• Maintain the Committee’s Terms of Reference
Does the institution have at least one sustainability office that includes more than 1 full-time equivalent employee?:
A brief description of each sustainability office:
The STARS project officer's workspace sits amongst the educators so that communication can flow freely. At this point, Robina Campus does not have a physical office available to the student body however the many breakout spaces and meeting rooms, do provide ample opportunity for staff and students to connect.
Full-time equivalent of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
Does the institution have at least one sustainability officer?:
Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Does the institution have a mechanism for broad sustainability coordination for the entire institution?:
A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
The overall direction for campus coordination comes from the General Manager of TAFE Queensland Gold Coast with the Director of Faculty providing the day-to-day coordination across the education teams and live training venues in cooperation with employed commercial service staff. The support services of administration, engagement, and operations are coordinated by other Directors for the region. These Directors work closely with the Director of Faculty.
The Robina Campus has a Sustainability Committee made up of 6 staff and 6 students. This committee has coordinated a large number of events and weekly schedule lunchbox sessions. A sample of these events and sessions are attached. A project officer has been appointed to work across internal teams to gather the evidence for STARS accreditation. This is the first submission and therefore requires the coordination of a project management approach.
The journey to plan, build and open this purpose-built campus commenced three (3) years prior to opening the building which provided enough time to consider governance, priorities, key features of the build and fit-out, and how to build the right culture to align our operations to sustainability practices. The plan involved having a clear vision with a senior leader (General Manager) driving the project, adequate lead-in time, excellent project management, recruiting incredible talent, keeping our organisation in the loop, and engaging with as many stakeholders as possible.
From this leadership, Robina Campus is now the flagship campus for TAFE Queensland on everything sustainable. The campus has won 2 silver medals from the World Federation of Colleges & Polytechnics (WFCP) awards in construction (2022) and contribution towards the SDGs (2023). In addition, the research study on Robina Campus, being completed by the Danish Institute on ‘The Role of Centres of Vocational Excellence in the Green Transition’, will also inform international best practices. At this point, Robina Campus senior leaders have been chosen to present at 2 conferences - the International Congress on Sustainable Development 2023 and the Australian International Education Conference 2023. A number of conference abstract submissions and award applications are pending.
Job title of the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
TAFE Queensland Gold Coast has appointed a project officer to work with senior leadership, internal team leads, and in particular the staff at Robina Campus, on the STARS accreditation process. There are different components to this role including:
* identifying and collecting relevant data and evidence for STARS
* identifying the gaps in evidence and developing a plan to implement actions to address the gaps
* working with internal teams to set up Bi reports
* referring Robina Campus staff to relevant research, good practice examples and ideas, and connecting with identified community and industry contacts
* identifying and facilitating networking opportunities to grow partnerships
* representing, as a staff member, on the Robina Campus Sustainability Committee and the TAFE Queensland Social and Environmental Sustainability Committee
* representing Robina Campus on the AASHE Australian Network Meeting groups
* submit conference abstracts and award nominations to help share the Robina Campus story
Job title of the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
Job title of the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability coordination is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The Robina Campus Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TAFEQueenslandRobina/ highlights the number of activities being coordinated on the campus along with good news stories.
The Robina Campus Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TAFEQueenslandRobina/ highlights the number of activities being coordinated on the campus along with good news stories.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.