School of Veterinary Nursing
Veterinary nursing practice teaching is based on use of best practice standards. While these are largely health and safety focussed, there are elements of sustainability.
The school took a paper to the Animal Nursing and Technology Board on the subject of sustainability in relation to our veterinary nursing programmes and what we are doing to ensure the veterinary industry is producing graduates that are sustainably confident. We suggested to ANTECH that they could approach their ITO to specifically include sustainability within the national qualifications.
As a result we have now been advised that NZQA are developing sustainable practice unit standards and that these will be included in the national qualifications shortly.
Firstly, sustainability should not be looked at in a defined box; it should be looked at "holistically" in conjunction with health and safety, Treaty of Waitangi, internationalisation, flexibility in teaching and facilitation, financing, resourcing, teaching, curriculum development and in particular developing all of these areas into the core competencies. If these things are being done responsibly this should lead to sustainable practices.
Specific behaviours include a commitment to innovation. Working effectively for the future means constant adjustment to future needs within the veterinary and animal-related industries, as they are developed or identified. Progress in veterinary science and veterinary technology, animal welfare, academic thinking and current best practice within education and the veterinary industry will be reflected in the updated content of all components of the National Diploma in Veterinary Nursing and all programmes offered by the school.
The term “intellectual sustainability” may be new, but the concept is not. For many years, a cornerstone of Otago Polytechnic philosophy has been the production of a “life-long learner”. The National Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (as all programmes in the School) is inherently focused on the production of life-long learners. Specific behaviours include engendering a commitment to students taking responsibility for their own learning and developing values such as self-awareness and self motivation to stay up-to-date in a fast, challenging and ever changing industry.
Sustainability is hidden within all our veterinary nursing programmes however it needs to be articulated more within the curriculum and through assessment. When we are teaching health and safety, and ethics, sustainability is inherently taught - without saying it - we need to start "saying it"!
This has been now been included within the 2009 business plan around curriculum and assessment strategies.
The school has expended considerable resources and continues to work in conjunction with Educational Development Centre (see Appendix 15) and incorporate into its Business Plan new initiatives and strategies to ensure maximisation of sustainability practices. All staff within the School of Veterinary Nursing encourage students daily to take responsibility for and perform to “best practice standards” and become aware of the effect and/or impact on the environment of “non-best practice standards” within the veterinary industry. In particular, students are encouraged to think about the choices they are making on a daily basis and how this will affect other students, the community and the future.
All staff implement environmental sustainability by using resources carefully and respectfully. Waste is minimised, correct disposal methods are practiced to avoid damage or harm to the environment or others, and recycling and/or reuse is encouraged by all staff and students. All course materials have been redeveloped to be compatible with electronic delivery whether face-to-face or via distance. This ensures continuity of information to students taking advantage of the differing modes of delivery, and the proposed future development of the National Diploma in Veterinary Nursing as a fulltime programme.
Specific behaviours include a commitment to innovation. Working effectively for the future means constant adjustment to future needs within the veterinary and animal related industries, as they are developed or identified. Progress in veterinary science and veterinary technology, animal welfare, academic thinking and current best practice within education and the veterinary industry will be reflected in the updated content of all components of the National Diploma in Veterinary Nursing and all programmes offered by the School.
At a practical level, the school has introduced a new scheme whereby all rubbish bins and paper recycling trays were removed from all offices. Rubbish is now disposed of at a central hub within the school and there are four bins - recycables, white paper recycling, food recycling and rubbish that cannot be recycled. Initially this was a bit of a challenge however everyone is now in the swing of things (it would be great if a few other schools hopped on board!)
Key Points
- Sustainability already embedded into programmes but needs to be articulated more clearly.
- Raised with ANTECH the issue of sustainable practice, and have written draft sustainability statement for the industry
- All applications and enrolments are scanned – no paper!
- Assessments and marking conducted electronically
- Growing chickweed in gardens for animals in the animal haven
- Scoped potential for an animal hospital on-site to avoid sending animals to Christchurch for treatment.