Partnership approach to topic selection of first year university assessments in sustainability

Engaging engineering and agriculture students to sustainability principles has changed from a marginal issue to mainstream with time. Current professionals in engineering, agricultural and environmental sciences require a clear understanding of the principles of sustainability; supported by accredited bodies such as Engineering Australia. At this regional university these students are required to complete two units of study in sustainability of rural environment, the first of which will be discussed in this paper, which outlines the unique Australian environment. To understand the concept of sustainability, students need to see the relevance in their lives and chosen career. Therefore care needs to be taken in the choice of topics for assessments such as 1500 word essay; and in this article how these topics are chosen will be discussed. This article will outline the process of topic selection that follows a partnership approach between a lecturer, first year advisor and librarian. Placing such importance, on the sustainability of Australia in first year of such a diverse group of students shows innovation in the higher education sector. These degrees that fall within the School of Environment and Rural Science whose aim it is to save the planet, feed the world.