Ohio University
EN-9: Staff Professional Development

Sustainability Tracking and Evaluation Program (STEP) Ambassadors: The Sustainability Tracking and Evaluation Program (STEP) is a sustainability certification program which aims to recognize departments or offices across campus for their sustainable efforts, whether they be existing practices or new changes. The certification program consists of a series of items or tasks on a checklist that count as points toward becoming certified. Behavior changes, implementation of new protocols, and education make up a large amount of the tasks included in the checklist. The goal of STEP is to engage faculty, staff and students in the effort to improve the sustainability profile of Ohio University. All University employees are invited to training sessions so they can learn more about sustainability, how to incorporate it into their careers and how to engage others.

Sustainable Ohio University Leaders: This is a president-supported volunteer committee open to any faculty, staff or student at Ohio University. It is the implementation arm of the Sustainability Plan. In addition to working together to create collaborative solutions to sustainability on campus, the Office of Sustainability and the Ecology and Energy Conservation Committee together use this program to host professional development opportunities and networking experiences to employees and students. For instance, in FY16, the groups hosted a professional/personal development session about Energy Conservation and Infrastructure at Ohio University, which was open to all University employees and was led by the University's Senior Associate VP for Information Technology and Administration.

Office of Sustainability Professional Development Program (PDP): This is a monthly program arranged by the Sustainability Project Coordinator for the university community, with a target audience of Project Managers in Architecture, Design & Construction, and Facilities Management & Safety staff, though other staff members are welcome and invited to attend. About 40 staff members are regularly invited to each program through an email invitation, though that number is increased when PDP topics address additional special interest groups on campus. In the PDP program, employees discuss a sustainable topic with their peers after hearing a presentation by an experienced practitioner. The University provides funding for speakers and lunch.

Ohio University employees are encouraged to participate in professional development opportunities and training sessions as appropriate for their field of study. This can include participation with sub-committees of professional organizations, attendance/presentations at regional and national conferences and professional training sessions that may assist with knowledge gaps or continuing education credits. For example, the Office of Sustainability pays for University employees to attend the AASHE conference, participate in committees with USGBC and gain LEED credentials.