Student engagement

Putting sustainability first 

From the moment students arrive at the University, we encourage and support them to put sustainability first:

• Resources on the University's sustainability policies are provided during accommodation inductions. 
• Monthly pop-up stalls give students the opportunity to learn more about sustainable behaviours: from reducing carbon footprints to recycling. 
• Our online 'Introduction to Sustainability' mini-module and Global Graduate Award in Sustainability give all students a chance to further develop their knowledge of sustainability.
• The University is proactively working towards embedding sustainability into the curriculum, with many courses already offering students sustainability specific modules.
• The careers service's ethical code of practice sets out aims to actively promote employment opportunities that support a transition towards a net zero carbon future, and encourage organisations that support the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.  

Sustainability at the Students' Union

The University of Surrey's Students’ Union is taking steps to track and reduce the environmental impact of their activities, services and products.

Every year, students at the Union organise a Sustainability Week with funding and support from the University's Sustainability Team. Events during the week include guest lectures, workshops and film screenings.

To read more about the Union's sustainable commitments, campaigns and actions, please visit their website.

Get involved

• The University is actively involved in Green Impact - an engagement programme organised by SOS-UK to encourage a university-wide transition towards sustainability. To find out how students can get involved, sign up to our emails. 
• From October 2024, the University will launch Student Switch Off.
• Students can get involved in university-funded projects aimed at tackling local sustainability problems. Recent student-led projects have included tree-planting and a community-fridge. Previous projects include Transforming bins into blooms and Eco-labelling. 
• Sustainable volunteering opportunities on-campus and in the community are available for students on the Students' Union's dedicated volunteering platform. 
• Students are encouraged to feedback on sustainable progression at the University through termly sustainability assemblies, and are invited to share their ideas for sustainable development in yearly Hackathons. 
• Two community gardens on our Stag Hill and Manor Park campuses provide students with a space to grow their own food. They are also invited to support our beehives based at Stag Hill. Both initiatives are run by the University's Garden Society and VetSoc, with support from the Horticulture & Landscape team and Chaplaincy.