FROM “SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS” TO “ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY”. ADAPTING SENSITIZATION SUBJECTS TO THE NEW DEGREES

Since the Bologna Process started and the new common European University rised by the appearance of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), one of the areas where more effort has been done is the homogenization of subject content. In the specific case of the Spanish University, the effort of standardization has been evident and a hard work has been conducted to get an effective standardization of the matters in the Engineering Degrees given in Universities throughout the State. This goal has showed undoubtable benefits in the field of equalizing and leveling studies in all the Spanish Universities and also in improving the efficiency of the Higher Education process.

In an educational point of view, one of the most remarkable benefits of these changes has been the new Higher Education subjects’ perspective that has turned from the objectives of knowledge to be reached in each matter to the acquisition of skills and abilities across the whole degree. This innovation has certainly served to make the university more dynamic, modern and closer to the needs of society and enterprises.

On the other hand it has also derived in an intricate problem when adapting subjects and matters (and also education methodologies) to the new requirements of Bologna. Important efforts have been done by the University staff to adapt them to the EHEA, but the way this adaptation has been carried out has led to the emergence of several doubts and questions on the suitability of certain matters to the new degrees and requirements.
In this study, the specific case of the extinction of the subject “Sustainable Development and Environmental Ethics” and the rise of the new one “Environmental Technology” is introduced. This is an example of the process to adapt environmental sensitization subjects to the new Engineering Degrees in the ETSID (Design Engineering School) at the Universitat Politècnica de València.