Campus Engagement
Introduction
Engaging in sustainability issues through co-curricular activities allows students to deepen and apply their understandings of sustainability principles. Institution-sponsored co-curricular sustainability offerings, often coordinated by student affairs offices, help integrate sustainability into the campus culture and set a positive tone for the institution. Faculty and staff members’ daily decisions impact an institution’s sustainability performance. Equipping faculty and staff with the tools, knowledge, and motivation to adopt behavior changes that promote sustainability is an essential activity of a sustainable campus.
Featured Resources
New Resources
Seize the Grid for 100% Clean Energy
- Sierra Club (DC)
Join this hands-on workshop where you will learn how to spark a youth-led movement for energy democracy on your campus. We are at a turning point in history. The clean ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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NWF EcoLeaders Helps Students Gain Project-Based Leadership Skills and Explore Career Pathways
- National Wildlife Federation (VA)
National Wildlife Federation's EcoLeaders Program is a career and leadership development program for college students and young professionals. NWF's EcoLeaders provides students with the virtual space to initiate ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Leading Climate & Resilience Action on Your Campus & Community!
- Second Nature (MA)
- National Campus Leadership Council (DC)
Students have long been the champions and implementers for campus sustainability efforts. NCLC & Second Nature will engage student leaders on emerging climate issues, providing tools/support to make a ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Herding Cats? How to Engage Your Whole Campus Community in Sustainability
- National Union of Students
Sustainability is engaging, empowering & enabling, but sometimes getting other people on board is a bit like herding cats - frustrating, resource intensive, and with no one correct way of ensuring ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Fair Trade Advocacy: Connecting Campuses & Local Communities
- Fair Trade Colleges & Universities
This session will explore the Fair Trade movement in the U.S. Students will learn how Fair Trade campaigns on campuses collaborate with local communities to increase Fair Trade purchasing ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Decarbonizing the Global Economy: Student Coalition to Garner Higher Ed Support for Widespread Carbon Pricing Legislation
- Swarthmore College (PA)
Scientists and the United Nations agree that we urgently need to decarbonize the world's economy to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. Unfortunately, developing a cohesive policy ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Conscious College: A Framework for Campus Chapters to Inspire, Educate, and Activate Students Around Sustainability
- Turning Green (CA)
What do you need to bring sustainable thinking and action to your campus with real, lasting impact? The Turning Green team has been working with students for over eleven years ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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KEEPING WATCH: Locally Produced Films for Art, History and Public Awareness
- University of North Carolina, Charlotte (NC)
The University of North Carolina Charlotte will present and discuss the use of a series of locally-produced short films used as components of a highly successful public awareness program called ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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The Future of Sustainability Workforce Preparation and Hiring: A Networking Session
- The GREEN Program (PA)
The GREEN Program will be hosting this networking session. The GREEN Program offers short term, career accelerating, abroad opportunities on topics connected to sustainability and sustainable development for students & ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Beyond the Library: Librarians Team up With Campus Partners for Sustainability Education and Outreach
- Colorado Mountain College (CO)
- University of Arizona (AZ)
Collaborate with your library to disseminate and implement sustainability solutions - on campus and beyond! Join us in this networking session to share your ideas and experiences and learn about exciting ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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AASHE International Networking Meeting
- Portland Community College (OR)
- AASHE (MA)
Members of the international community who are attending the AASHE conference are invited to join in a networking meeting to share ideas and successes in their countries. Let's discuss ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Connecting with community for striking a sustainable balance: a documentary about student experience in a biosphere reserve
- University of Saskatchewan (SK)
- Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve (SK)
Striking Balance is a documentary series, launching Fall 2016, to celebrate Canada's 16 biosphere reserves-learning sites for research and education about biodiversity conservation and sustainability. Created by UNESCO, biosphere ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Sustainability Officers: The Dream, The Sometimes Harsh Reality, The Reasons You Want Us on Your Leadership Team
- University of Vermont (VT)
- Sustainability Curriculum Consortium (MD)
In 2015, we recognized an urgent need to capture and communicate the stories of campus sustainability officers - whose many hats, skills and unique abilities are often not realized by the ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Frederick Law Olmsted: Environmental Visionary
- GardenComm International (NY)
A dramatic presentation on the life of the father of Landscape Architecture who created cities out of the American wilderness and began a sustainable conservation movement still challenging the world ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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John Bartram: America's First Botanical Pioneer
- GardenComm International (NY)
America's first and foremost botanist and plant collector is again on the speaking circuit. Close friends with Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington as well as many of ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Academia is a Training Ground: Applying the 6 Pillars of Holistic Sustainability to Build Within and Move Beyond the Campus
- Sierra Nevada College (NV)
Teachers must foster the role their students play in theorizing sustainability, implementing sustainability lessons, and applying work from their classrooms outside of academic settings. After the celebratory, supportive, and important ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Starting the Conversation: Bridging Diversity and Sustainability in the California State University System
- California State University, East Bay (CA)
- California State University, San Marcos (CA)
At AASHE 2015, California State University East Bay shared efforts to build partnerships between campus diversity and sustainability programs. Over the past year, this discussion has expanded into the California ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Building Bridges: An Institutional Initiative to Create Dialogue Around Issues of Environmental Justice, on Campus and Beyond
- Washington University in St. Louis (MO)
The Office of Sustainability is currently seeking to educate, engage, and mobilize the Washington University campus on issues pertaining to environmental justice. In our presentation, we will outline the strategies ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Identifying alignment between common institutional priorities and sustainability objectives: one higher ed network's findings
- Dartmouth College (NH)
- Johns Hopkins University (MD)
- Princeton University (NJ)
- GreenerU (MA)
As higher education grapples with a shifting landscape of priorities for the 21st Century, common themes across institutions are emerging. Simultaneously, regional or peer-group sustainability networks continue to seek effective ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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The Purdue Recycling Project (PuRe): Developing a Scientific Approach to Study Recycling Signage
- Keep America Beautiful (CT)
- Purdue University (IN)
The Purdue Recycling Project (PuRe), funded by Keep America Beautiful, has three major goals: 1) The first goal is to test recycling behaviors in a controlled lab study in which ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Wearing Dual Town-Gown Hats: Catalyzing Ambitious Action as Elected Officials & Sustainability Professionals
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
- Elected Officials to Protect America (SC)
The US and China made history by ratifying the Paris Agreement, signed by 196 countries in December at COP21 (or the Paris 2015 Climate Conference). President Obama said,'our willingness ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Campus Cycling: Beyond the Kiosk
- Florida State University (FL)
- Portland State University (OR)
- University of Florida (FL)
Campus Cycling: Beyond the Kiosk' is an exploration of current best practices among leaders in campus cycling programming that will present alternatives to the popular, but resource intensive, kiosk bike ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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What the bleep?
- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (IL)
This year's conference focuses on solutions in surrounding communities and the world. This assumes that 'higher education (HE) institutions have been modeling sustainable solutions on their campuses for many ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Piloting RecycleMania's 'Race to Zero Waste' competition: How to implement zero waste practices building by building
- Brigham Young University (UT)
- Harvard University (MA)
- University of Nevada Las Vegas (NV)
- Keep America Beautiful (CT)
This session will report on efforts to reduce waste in specific buildings on several campuses providing focused insight on the challenges and opportunities for waste reduction on college campuses. In ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Using the Campus as a Living Learning Laboratory: Methods for Informal Sustainability Education
- University of Michigan (MI)
This panel will explore how new and existing sustainability projects at the University of Michigan are being integrated into a pathway for student sustainability engagement and leadership as we aim ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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DC Climathon at GW: University Partners With City to Innovate on Climate Solutions
- George Washington University (DC)
- District of Columbia Government (DC)
DC Climathon cultivates social start-ups and provides experiential and collaborative learning to self-identified students, social entrepreneurs, and pioneering professionals to provide climate change solutions for their cities. As part of ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Techno-philia and Sustainability: Oxymoronic Bedfellows?
- Natural Sustainability (MA)
Modern society is techno-philic- automatically in-love with the next gadget. Yet critiquing technology, merely raising awareness of real positives and negatives, labels you 'technophobic' or a 'Luddite.' Even mainstream sustainability ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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From Wisconsin to Utah: Utilizing Deep Engagement and Adaptive Management Strategies for Changing the Driving Culture
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (WI)
- Utah State University (UT)
Deep institutional changes in transportation takes a new way of doing things, innovative partnerships throughout the community, and planning that follows through with action. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Utah ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Beyond Buzzwords: Deconstructing Justice within Sustainability
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
Diversity, equity, and inclusion have become tokenized buzzwords within sustainability in higher education. As sustainability professionals, how do we deconstruct these words to the systemic issues of racial, ethnic, economic ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Exploring the Confluence of Race, Class and Gender Issues and our Campus Sustainability Work
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- University of Rochester (NY)
- University of Vermont (VT)
- Hackman Consulting Group
This panel session explores the powerfully important ways that dynamics of race, class and gender (RCG) impact the efficacy of our campus sustainability work, and then explains how a racial ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Prioritizing Co-curricular and Curricular Strategies to Create Sustainability Literate Graduates - and how to Measure Success
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- University of California, Santa Barbara (CA)
- University of California, Irvine (CA)
- Purdue University (IN)
What are the most effective strategies and programs for creating sustainability literate graduates who are ready to go beyond the campus? What do we mean by effective-and how do we ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Engaging Your Campus Through Eco-Reps: Evaluating the Success
- Clark University (MA)
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
- Pomona College (CA)
- University of Denver (CO)
- University of Missouri (MO)
The goal for participants during this panel discussion will be to examine successes and challenges for peer to peer sustainability education programs. With 15 years of program history, how well ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Oh no, my president is leaving! (aka Institutionalizing Sustainability for Long-term Impact)
- Harvard University (MA)
- University of Minnesota, Morris (MN)
- Second Nature (MA)
Senior Leadership transitions can cause significant challenges for maintaining the work of staff responsible for carrying out climate action plans. When a president leaves, this can result in past efforts ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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The Power of Dialogue: The Role of Student-led Initiatives in Shaping Climate Policy
- Boston University (MA)
- Macalester College (MN)
On April 4, 2016, college campuses in thirty state capitals across the country engaged in simultaneous open dialogues with state officials on implementing the EPA's Clean Power Plan. While ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Creating Global Partnerships for Sustainability through Middlebury's Schools Abroad
- Middlebury College (VT)
This panel is about the development and implementation of a new program at Middlebury College to bring sustainability into the programming and curricula at its 17 schools abroad. The program ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Bridging the gap: The Next-Generation of Sustainability in Higher Education
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
- Swarthmore College (PA)
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- University of British Columbia (BC)
The sustainability movement in higher education has helped to establish our role as sustainability professionals and over the years significant gains have been made. Pioneering efforts have led to the ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Next Level Sustainability Planning: Action Planning, Social Indicators, Community Partnerships, and Long-Range Planning
- Washington University in St. Louis (MO)
- Yale University (CT)
- University of British Columbia (BC)
Washington University in St. Louis, Yale University, and the University of British Columbia have recently undergone extensive sustainability strategic planning processes that have produced significantly more sophisticated and far-reaching plans ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Aligning Efforts and Increasing Outreach Through the Sustainable Development Goals
- Portland Community College (OR)
- United Nations University
- KEDGE Business School (Bordeaux)
Sustainability efforts continue to grow around the world; however, achieving a sustainable future requires increasing our collective impact by aligning efforts with broader initiatives and increasing our outreach. This panel ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Building a College Culture of Inclusion, Equity and Diversity: Sustainability Across Curriculum & Programs
- Portland Community College (OR)
This panel presentation will feature two colleges' approaches to building institutional cultures of inclusion, equity and diversity by integrating sustainability curriculum and programming across all departments. Specifically, this panel presentation ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Collaborative Initiatives that Work
- Arizona State University (AZ)
Inspiring and empowering sustainability engagement and practices on our campuses is one of Arizona State University's primary goals and creating a culture of collaboration has served as a key ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Student Experience Elevated: How high impact sustainability engagement raises the bar on student success
- Boston University (MA)
- North Carolina State University (NC)
Research has shown that high-impact educational experiences complement classroom learning, increase student retention and engagement, and maximize the collegiate experience. The proof of learning is no longer just a degree ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Financing Sustainability and How to REALLY Talk to the Business Office
- Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (PA)
- Slippery Rock University (PA)
- National Association of College & University Business Officers (NACUBO) (DC)
Two experienced vice presidents of finance will briefly discuss some of their accomplishments in sustainability and their partners at the campus that have helped or hindered. They have changed laws ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Organizational Design for a Living World: Unleashing Agility, Engagement, Idea Flow and Purpose
- Harvard University (MA)
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
All too often our best efforts to achieve deeper levels of engagement and change in higher education are hampered by underlying organizational barriers. Sources of our undoing can include finance ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Creating a Community Conversation for Sustainability Strategic Planning
- Emory University (GA)
- University of Alberta (AB)
Strategic planning for sustainability requires broad outreach and engagement to mobilize, empower, and inspire community members. This panel presents the outcomes of two successful sustainability strategic planning efforts that focused ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Net Zero Water: not a dry Topic
- Williams College (MA)
- Bruner/Cott Architects (MA)
- Integrated Eco Strategy
- Berkshire Design Group (MA)
Construction often negatively impacts the natural balance of water cycles. Even regions with historically abundant quantities of potable water are depleting aquifers, while record rainfall provides destructive amounts of storm ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Open Sesame: Low-Cost Sub-Meter Data Visualization
- Macalester College (MN)
Learn how Macalester, as the next step of the College's sub-metering initiative, has leveraged no-cost and open-source solutions through HTML and XML, Google Apps, and Tableau to display utilities ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Engaging Laboratories in Sustainability
- Harvard University (MA)
- Stanford University (CA)
- My Green Lab (CA)
Laboratories contribute significantly to a university's environmental footprint. At research institutions they can account for more than half of the campus energy consumption, consume hundreds of thousands of gallons ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Beyond the Campus: Developing Students into Employable Graduates
- Lehigh University (PA)
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
- Princeton University (NJ)
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
Recent research suggests that 87% of employers give positive weight to sustainability skills when making hiring decisions. The concept of 'green careers' continues to expand as a professional niche including ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Demystifying Residence Life: Guidance on Partnering from Sustainability Professionals within Housing
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
- University of South Carolina (SC)
- University of Arizona (AZ)
Residence Life is often an isolated unit on campus, with a very unique culture and lots of policies. It can be difficult for sustainability professionals to partner with these units ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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Creating Cultures of Sustainability and Diversity, On and Off Campus: Stories from Three Institutions
- Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
- Oberlin College (OH)
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
This session will present stories from three institutions--Georgia Tech, Oberlin College, and University of Illinois at Chicago--that are creating sustainability cultures by building on campus and community assets. Drawn from ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.
EN 1: Student Educators Program
- Percent of students served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program
- Description of the student educators program (1st program)
- Description of the student educators program (2nd program)
- Brief description of the student educators program (3rd program)
- Hours worked annually by trained student sustainability educators per students served
- Website URL - Student sustainability educators programs
EN 2: Student Orientation
- Percent of entering students that have an opportunity to participate in sustainability-inclusive orientation activities and programming
- Description of how sustainability is included prominently in new student orientation
- Website URL - Information about sustainability in student orientation
EN 3: Student Life
- Description of the active student groups focused on sustainability
- Description of student gardens, farms, CSAs, fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects
- Description of the student-run enterprises
- Description of student sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives
- Description of sustainability-focused conferences, speaker series, symposia, or similar events for students
- Description of sustainability-focused cultural arts events, installations, or performances
- Description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles
- Description of sustainability-focused themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences
- Description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills
- Description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution
- Description of graduation pledge(s)
- Description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives
EN 4: Student Life
- Website URL - Central sustainability website
- Description of sustainability newsletter or social media platform(s)
- Description of the signage that highlights campus sustainability features
- Description of the sustainability walking map or tour
- Description of the guide for green living and/or incorporating sustainability into the residential experience
- Description of other comprehensive sustainability outreach materials and publications
EN 5: Student Life
- Description of the first sustainability outreach campaign
- Description of the second sustainability outreach campaign
- Description of other sustainability-related outreach campaigns
EN 6: Assessing Sustainability Culture
- Description of how and when the cultural assessment(s) were developed and/or adopted
- Copy or sample of the questions related to sustainability culture (upload)
- Copy or sample of the questions related to sustainability culture (description)
- Website URL - Assessment of sustainability culture
EN 7: Employee Educators Program
- Percent of employees served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program
- Description of the employee educators program (1st program)
- Description of the employee educators program (2nd program)
- Hours worked annually by trained employee sustainability educators per employees served
- Website URL - Employee sustainability educators programs
EN 8: Employee Orientation
- Percent of new employees that have an opportunity to participate in sustainability-inclusive orientation activities and programming
- Description of how sustainability is included prominently in new employee orientation
- Website URL - Information about sustainability in employee orientation
EN 9: Staff Professional Development & Training
- Estimated percentage of regular, non-academic staff that participates annually in sustainability professional development and training
- Description of any internal sustainability professional development and training opportunities
- Description of any external professional development and training opportunities in sustainability that are supported by the institution
- Estimated percentage of staff for which sustainability is included in performance reviews
- Description of how sustainability is included in staff performance reviews
- Website URL - Information about staff professional development and training in sustainability
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.