Community and Engagement

Alongside environmental strands, the University supports a number of campus-focused social responsibility initiatives. While some of these activities are overseen by the University's Advisory Group on Sustainability and Social Responsibility, many are not. 

Strands such as Equality & Diversity; Health, Safety & Wellbeing; and Healthy Working Lives are all pursued and championed in different parts of the University. 

Equality & Diversity

With a remit to consider equality issues in both the student and staff communities, the University's Advisory Group on Equality & Diversity works to mainstream these issues across campus, including the University's pursuit of Athena SWAN accreditation.

For full details of Equality and Diversity activity at the University, visit our dedicated Equality & Diversity website. Queries regarding Equality & Diversity issues can be directed to Janine Chalmers.

Health, Safety & Wellbeing

Our core HSW team is supported by a network of local safety advisers who work to ensure that our campuses are safe places for staff, students and visitors. Their work is overseen by an institutional Health & Safety Committee chaired by a Vice-Principal. Further details are available on the Health & Safety website.

Healthy Working Lives

In 2013 the University secured a 'Silver' award in the Scottish Government's Healthy Working Lives programme. Designed to promote health, safety and well-being, the scheme provides an institutional focus for the development of a range of initiatives that encompass occupational health, physical and mental health, well-being and more. The University is now working towards Gold accreditation.

Full details are on the Healthy Working Lives website and queries can be directed to healthyworkinglives@abdn.ac.uk.

The University also supports a wide range of social responsibility initiatives that encourage our staff and students to think about their local, national and international responsibilities. 

These range from promoting social justice in the developing world through our Fairtrade commitments, to the provision of an extensive and vibrant events programme closer to home.

Fairtrade

Having secured Fairtrade status in 2007, the University continues to be an active supporter of Fairtrade issues. A joint steering group of staff and students oversees our activities, while the University is delighted to support Aberdeen's wider Fairtrade endeavours, having played our part in Scotland becoming a Fairtrade nation in 2013.

Our dedicated Fairtrade website contains further information.

Volunteering

The University has, since 2008, had a Staffing Policy on Volunteering. As well as detailing University procedure for incoming volunteers, the policy outlines how staff can seek authority to take time off to support voluntary activity.  Organised 'team' events have also taken place in the Seaton Backies, at Cordyce School and in the Seaton Community Woodland. 

Payroll Giving

The University supports a pay-as-you-earn scheme that allows individuals to make tax-efficient donations to the charities of their choice. Read more for further information on how to give.

Computers for Africa

Established in 2008, the University's partnership with Reusing IT has seen several hundred pieces of ex-University IT make their way to educational projects in the developing world. This link was renewed in 2013 and we continue to support this worthwhile cause with periodic donations, most recently in 2016.

Work Placement Schemes

Whether it is the award-winning Aberdeen Internship scheme operated by our Careers and Employability Service for undergraduate students, or a series of community-focused work placement partnerships developed by Human Resources, such as the exciting and widely acclaimed Project Search that helps young adults with additional needs gain work experience and workplace confidence, there are an array of opportunities that allow individuals to benefit from work experience placements in the University.

The Public Affairs, Stakeholder Engagement and Events (PASE) team aims to:

• Guide, initiate, map and support partnership working with key stakeholders, communities, businesses, and a wide range of sectors and partners across the North East, Scotland and beyond
   
• Deliver profile raising and positive reputational impacts through a series of engaging events throughout the year
   
• Deliver impact for the University through advocacy and collaboration with colleagues and political stakeholders such as local councillors, MSPs and MPs

You can find out more about the PASE team, what they do and how to contact them here.

The University supports an extensive and eclectic range of public events. 

As well as showcasing the research activity of our academic colleagues through our public engagement with research programme, members of the public can experience a wide range of visiting lectures, musical recitals, multi-disciplinary festivals, exhibitions featuring our rich historic collections and much more besides.

Full details of all public events are available at the dedicated 'What's On' pages of the University website.

The University is part of a number of sustainability networks. These enable us to share information within and across sectors and keep in touch with partners. Among those networks are:

Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges

We are an active member of the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) and a strong supporter of its activities in Scotland. We were an early signatory of EAUC Scotland's Universities and Colleges Climate Commitment for Scotland (UCCCfS).

As part of that commitment we signed the UCCCfS declaration and submitted a Carbon Management Plan (produced in association with the Carbon Trust). This sector-wide initiative successfully engaged all of Scotland's Universities and Colleges in tackling institutional sustainability issues.

North East Scotland Climate Change Partnership

As well as sector initiatives, the University is an active member of local cross-sector initiatives. The North East Scotland Climate Change Partnership (NESCCP) is an amalgam of public and private sector organisations coming together to discuss climate change issues in the region and to share best practice.

The Partnership has, since its inception, been administered by the two local authorities (Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils). Further details can be found at: 

• Remit
• Declaration
• Background

Sustainable Scotland Network

More recently we have joined the Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN). Originally established to support the sustainability work of Scotland's local authorities, the SSN is now taking a more hands-on role in providing assistance to all public sector bodies, in part as a consequence of the now statutory requirement to undertake Climate Change reporting under the Public Bodies Duty.