CSR, Sustainability and Green IT in Higher Education: An Australian Perspective

This study aims to examine the promoting of ITS6 students’ learning and awareness towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Sustainability, and Green IT (Information Technology) specifically in higher education. Currently, businesses, governments, health, social works and education (school and tertiary) have started not to only look at, but adopt and integrate both CSR and Sustainability in their strategies to enhance their reputation seeking uniqueness in the market either locally or globally. To allow the postgraduate students to become major participants in the business world when they graduate, an Australian university developed a unit called ITS6 to improve students’ awareness of CSR and sustainability including the roles IT play in business, specifically technology waste and recycling might have on the environment. The development of ITS6 unit derived after the Global Financial Crisis of 2008/2009 as business schools were amongst those parties who have been accused of being partners in the economic, societal and environmental disappointments. The preliminary analyses of data collected via formal and informal feedback from 127 students, revealed that ITS6 assessments (i.e. reflective journals, wikis, digital presentation and report writing) managed to increase students’ awareness towards CSR, sustainability, and improve students’ personal and professional skills for their tertiary studies which they will carry forward to their workplace in the future. In addition, students demonstrated their satisfaction with ITS6 assessments, as they felt those assessments had developed specific skills such as cultural environmental awareness, cutting edge technology, and the generation of appreciation and respect in their minds for the environment.