Iowa State University
EN-9: Staff Professional Development and Training

Procurement Process Certification Training
High-volume p-card users are required to attend “Procurement Process Certification Training”, which is an 8-hour course on the procurement process. The training is open to any university employee.
ISU Procurement Services delegates purchasing authority to departments, which, in turn, select their employees to make purchases on the departments’ behalf. Employees with this authority are recommended to take this training before spending departmental funds.
The Procurement Process Certification Training includes a session on green procurement. This covers Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Guidelines, reducing unnecessary waste, purchasing recycled-content products, and ways that energy and water savings can be realized through purchasing. In addition, educators learn how to minimize the use of toxins and the generation of pollution by purchasing degradable products and how to use environmentally preferable paper and wood products. Educators are also taught about key terms in green procurement, including Energy Star products, life cycle analysis, post-consumer content, and recyclable versus reusable products. After the training, employees can share this knowledge with other coworkers who can purchase within their respective departments. The program is sponsored by the Iowa State University Procurement Services, which provides staff for the training. Training materials are also given to the educators on Procurement Services' behalf.

The Spark
The Spark is a weekly email series provided by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs that serves as ongoing training for Iowa State University faculty and staff on working with multicultural students. Participants read anecdotes from multicultural students about their experience at ISU, relevant operations and academic data, as well as tips and guidance for strengthening multicultural competence and skills in building an inclusive campus environment. Participants are encouraged to create/join faculty/staff discussion groups regarding The Spark findings. Participants were also invited to a workshop led by Multicultural Student Affairs staff in order to detail first-year findings and strategize future initiatives.

Learn@ISU
Learn@ISU serves as an online hub for professional development courses available to ISU staff. The website offers several modules and courses from a variety of departments covering all three facets of sustainability, including: risk management, environmental health and safety, health and wellness, recycling and waste management, personal finance, leadership, energy conservation, and ethics.

Financial Wellness at Work
The Financial Wellness at Work project supports Iowa State University employees with additional financial wellness support services. To help reduce financial stress, increase financial stability, and improve overall financial well-being, employees can engage in group financial education workshops and one-on-one consultations that include resource coordination, financial counseling, or financial coaching. Three workshops are offered at least once each semester virtually; additional topics offered are periodically. During Spring 2022, the workshops offered were:
Time for a Financial Checkup, Jan. 26: A review of your family's financial situation is a great way to make sure you are moving in the right direction.
Money Smart: Taking Control of Your $, Feb. 2 and 9 (two parts): Take a big-picture look at how to control your money on a month-to-month basis.
Mission Possible: Saving, March 2: Saving for short-term needs or long-term goals can be a challenge, so learn strategies to help you succeed.
Borrowing Smart, March 23: Review basic credit principles, with a focus on reducing both the cost and the risk of borrowing, and explore legal protections and resources that can help.

ISU WorkLife
Iowa State University’s WorkLife Team is dedicated to supporting the well-being of our campus community in the pursuit of meaningful, balanced, and productive lives. The program assists university employees with work, personal, and family commitments. Employees can find resources related to cultivating wellbeing, child care, retirement planning, exploring development opportunities, improving finances, locating lactation rooms, and getting involved with the community. Other programs include free nutrition counseling, strolls for wellbeing designed to provide opportunities for mindfulness, and a stress workshop.

Men Allies for Gender Equity
Approaches to improving ISU's gender equity will be the focus of a workshop, "Men Allies for Gender Equity," on Thursday, Feb. 10 (9:30-11:30 a.m.), intended primarily for male faculty. The workshop has been offered previously at Iowa State, and its interactive format encourages and equips men to serve as effective allies for gender equity in STEM settings. It includes opportunities to ask questions and practice skills through scenario-based exercises. This is a voluntary program offered as part of the NSF-funded Advance Midwest Partnership project.

Employee Assistance Program
As part of the Employee Assistance Program, which provides eligible ISU employees with timely and free access to confidential, professional services, University Human Resources has offered a variety of professional development workshops each year. In 2019, 338 participants (including 276 unique ones) registered for 29 workshops. In 2020, 179 participants (including 115 unique ones) registered for 15 workshops. In 2021, 267 participants (including 184 unique ones) registered for 15 workshops. To date in 2022, 111 participants (including 88 unique ones) have registered for 4 workshops. Workshops include “Developing Resilience”, “Mental Health First Aid”, “Effective Leadership and Communication”, and more.

Green Dot
The Green Dot Program strives to prevent power-based personal violence on campus. A green dot is any choice, behavior, word or attitude that promotes safety for everyone and communicates utter intolerance for power-based personal violence in the Iowa State University community. There are three levels of training available for students, faculty, and staff upon request for a student organization or office or at regularly-hosted events on campus. The Green Dot office program is an exciting opportunity for staff and faculty to contribute to the Green Dot mission; by participating in awareness, education, and action activities, your office can help create a Green Dot culture at Iowa State. To become certified, an office must pick two items within the Awareness, Staff Education, and Action categories. To become recertified, offices must add one additional item each year.

ISCORE: The Thomas L. Hill Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE) is a comprehensive forum on issues of race and ethnicity at Iowa State University and beyond. The local conference* is designed to model the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE). NCORE is the leading and most comprehensive national forum on issues of race and ethnicity in higher education, bringing together leading experts in the field. The conference assists institutions of higher education in creating inclusive environments, improving campus racial and ethnic relations, and expanding opportunities for access to education for traditionally underrepresented populations. The NCORE-ISCORE Project consists of a delegation of Iowa State University students, faculty, and staff who attend the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education annually. Conference participants will disseminate information gathered from NCORE at ISCORE, the Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity. The Thomas L. Hill Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE) seeks to bring the more salient ideas and concepts of the national conference to Iowa State University to:
Develop and enhance ISU student, faculty, and staff awareness of racial and ethnic issues in higher education around the country.
Continue to promote addressing multiculturalism in the classroom and in American higher education.
Make information, regarding issues of race and ethnicity, accessible to the entire university community and support the university’s ongoing efforts.

Symposium on Sustainability
The Symposium on Sustainability is an annual event held each February dedicated to the celebration and showcasing of ISU student, faculty and staff sustainability commitment, initiatives and accomplishments. Initiated in 2009, the Symposium on Sustainability features a keynote speaker highlighting excellence nationally and/or internationally in environmental, economic or social sustainability. A poster and tabling reception kicks off each year’s event, showcasing campus and community dedication to and engagement in sustainability, as well as offering opportunities for dialogue and connections.

Iowa State proudly supported staff and faculty attendance at several external sustainability professional development opportunities during the performance period, including:

The Big 12 Directors & Housing Operations Conference- Director’s Group
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
The Association of College & University Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I) Annual Conference
The United States Green Building Council IMPACT Conference
The Iowa Recycling and Solid Waste Management Conference
One Sustainable Iowa Conference
Midwest Regional Conference, National Association College and University Food Services (NACUFS)
Multi-Unit Equipment Symposium (MUFES)
Iowa Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
National Conference of State Fleet Administrators (NCSFA)
Big Ten and Friends Sustainability Network Annual Meeting
Iowa Department of Natural Resources Sustainable Materials Management Workgroup

https://www.multicultural.dso.iastate.edu/facstaff/spark
www.learn.iastate.edu
https://www.livegreen.iastate.edu/take-action/green-events/symposium-on-sustainability