Ohio University Climate Action Plan Supplemental Resource #2.
[Ohio University’s Office of Sustainability Sustainable OU Leadership (SOUL) Program Proposal
]
Table of Contents • Introduction….
Page 2
• Program Overview.……
Pages 3-4
• Sustainability Definition………
Page 5
• Program Outcomes………
Page 6
• Phase One Planning…..
Page 7
• Phase One Objectives/Outcomes……
Page 8
• Faculty/Staff Involvement….
Page 9
• Student Involvement….
Page 10
• Phase Two Goals….
Page 11
• Miscellaneous Information…..
Page 12
• Sample Workshop Ideas…. • Zero Waste Meetings ………
Page 13
• Copier Management/Print Reduction ………
Page 14
Project: Sustainable OU Liaisons (SOUL) Program
Behavior Change and Implementation Management
1
Introduction This document serves as a resource supplement to the Sustainability Leaders pilot program established by the Behavior Change and Implementation Management Sub-Council of the Ohio University Climate Action Plan. The Climate Action Plan states: Ohio University will establish a Sustainable OU Leadership (SOUL) pilot program* to assist in the institution-wide education, implementation and reporting processes associated with the various sustainability-related commitments of the institution. - Upon the first annual report of the Climate Action Plan, SOUL must provide an updated program implementation file to include accomplishments, goals, objectives and future implementation plans. While such a pilot program has not yet been established, this document offers goals, objectives and a roadmap for implementation to be used by the leaders and members of this pilot program. It is anticipated that several members of the Behavior Change and Implementation Management Sub-Council will serve as an executive core team to SOUL and, thus, offer consistency in its future implementation. This document is intended to offer recommendations to future members of SOUL and, in no means, is absolute or complete.
Project: Sustainable OU Liaisons (SOUL) Program
Behavior Change and Implementation Management
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Program Overview
Ohio University’s Office of Sustainability Departmental Liaisons Program Proposal This project was developed as a support mechanism to the Ohio University Sustainability Plan (full text found online at www.ohio.edu/pacsp) and the Climate Action Plan. The ultimate goal of this program is to allow sustainability to become integrated into the regular practices of all functioning units of Ohio University. Structure: - Short Term: Individuals will self-identify as interested in serving in the pilot program year (FY13) of Sustainable OU Leadership (SOUL). - Long Term: Each academic and administrative unit on campus will designate one individual to serve as the Office/Department Sustainability Liaison. - SOUL will offer regular Brown Bag (Reusable Lunch Box) sessions that highlight new (or newly enforced) policies or best practices that relate to sustainability at OU and in our personal lives. o These will be offered in collaboration with existing professional and personal development organizations on campus so as to garner more interest and reduce overlap in programming. o These events will be free and open to any OU faculty, student or staff member. o Each individual attendee will be provided with the tools and resources necessary to provide additional information to their colleagues at their respective administrative/academic units. - Any participant of a SOUL event will be given the opportunity to report successes/roadblocks toward implementation of the Sustainability Plan and/or Climate Action Plan to the Office of Sustainability and EECC. - Long term: Completion of a specific set of practices “certifies” their office/department/unit with a “sustainability stamp of approval.” o OoS and UCM then work together to offer appropriate marketing opportunities to successful programs. Benefits: - Provide the campus community with regular and consistent information regarding sustainability efforts at Ohio University. o Maximize communication opportunities and place implementation responsibility back on the departments. Thus, allowing the Office of Sustainability to focus on proper reporting and providing the campus community with the support mechanisms necessary for successful sustainable practices. - Potential for in-house, regional and national marketing of efforts made by individual departments and OU as a collective entity. - Support the implementation and overall success of the OU Sustainability Plan and Climate Action Plan. - Offer staff/faculty with no-cost professional development experiences. - Train staff/faculty on new or newly enforced policies relating to sustainability.
Project: Sustainable OU Liaisons (SOUL) Program
Behavior Change and Implementation Management
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Sustainability Reporting & Sus.-Related Policies
Office of Sustainability and SOUL
Dept. Sus. Liaisons
Ecology & Energy
Conservation Committee
Dept. Sus. Liaisons
Project: Sustainable OU Liaisons (SOUL) Program
Dept. Sus. Liaisons
Behavior Change and Implementation Management
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Campus Sustainability: (as defined by Ohio University’s Sustainability Plan)
Campus sustainability is the degree to which activities at a particular university or college conserve natural resources, minimize environmental impacts, and protect the natural systems of the planet through campus operations, research, teaching, and public service. It is anticipated that Ohio University will accomplish success in the area of Campus Sustainability through the following: 1. Citizenship Ohio University will promote and enhance ecological citizenship as expressed through literacy, engagement and sense of place. 2. Stewardship Ohio University’s campus and operations will be grounded in ecological stewardship and will support healthy and diverse ecosystems. 3. Justice All members of the Ohio University community will have equitable access to and responsibility for environmental amenities and disamenities.
Project: Sustainable OU Liaisons (SOUL) Program
Behavior Change and Implementation Management
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Program Outcomes:
Outcomes:
Competencies:
Strategies:
Resources:
Sustainability Departmental Liaisons (SDLs) will be offered professional development opportunities and develop new skills.
Participants will be offered opportunities to develop skills/abilities as they relate to leadership, communication, reporting, assertiveness and policy development.
Workshops, Brown Bag Sessions, Emails, Online forums.
OU Sustainability Plan and Climate Action Plan implementation and reporting process will become streamlined and more complete.
Individual departments will be provided with the support and resources necessary for comfort with the implementation of a variety of items ID-ed in the Sustainability Plan.
Communication will come directly from a professional within each department; Reporting requests will be clearly provided; educational resources will be posted by the SDL on each area of campus.
Institutional Sustainability Literacy rates will improve.
All individuals within participating departments will be able to define institutional commitments to sustainability.
Departments/Divisions will be encouraged to adopt sustainability-focused policies in order to be able to utilize this program’s resources.
Departments/colleges will understand how to infuse sustainability into new and existing policies through workshops and regular communication.
Surveys will be conducted at the commencement and close of each academic year to gauge progress. SDLs will be strategically utilized to offer education in a variety of means. Use marketing as an incentive for Departments/colleges to become involved with the program (national recognition=larger budgets).
www.ohio.edu/sustainability; Office of Sustainability; EECC (Ecology & Energy Conservation Committee); University Communications and Marketing (UCM); External resources, when deemed appropriate. SDLs will serve as resources to individuals within departments; Office of Sustainability will serve as a resource to SDLs; EECC and the Sustainability Plan will provide support and resources to Office of Sustainability staff. Online platforms for resource retrieval will be provided. Research and Reporting Graduate Assistant; Director of the Office of Sustainability; EECC; SDLs; Online Resources; Variety of educational tools (TBD).
Marketing opportunities will increase.
Individuals, Departments and the University will increase local, regional and national recognition/marketing as it relates to sustainability.
Project: Sustainable OU Liaisons (SOUL) Program
Develop strong relationship with UCM; Create Internship opportunities through Scripps College of Communication with PACE program; Position OU staff as leaders in professional organizations.
UCM; Office of Sustainability; Procurement; Division of Finance and Administration; Presidential Advisory Council for Sustainability Planning; Sustainability Plan; Benchmark institutions. University Communications and Marketing; Office of Sustainability; Scripps College of Communication; NASPA Newsletter; AASHE Newsletters; National outreach opportunities.
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Short Term (Phase One) Functional plans for SOUL: All program “meetings” will begin with an exercise in Defining Sustainability and a general report on progress for the program and implementation of institutional commitments to sustainability. The program will provide the following types of “meetings” o Sustainability Conversations Topic Ideas: Current feelings regarding sustainability o To better assess existing values and perceptions. Dispelling myths about sustainability o May be a good follow-up to the above values-based conversation. Spring Greening o Environmentally/Financially responsible cleaning tips Season’s Greenings o Seasonal tips for sustainability (decorating, wrapping, gift-giving,party hosting, etc.) Building a sense of community o Using a Whisper Campaign method o Professional Development Topic Ideas: Conflict management Meeting facilitation Collaborative Leadership Online Networking/Social Media o Reporting Process Development (This topic may be better as a Phase 2 Goal) Need to get Deans and Chairs involved in topic development so as to better align with RCM and classroom experiences. Additional virtual educational opportunities exist through online media: o facebook o Online discussion boards o Blogs o Vlogs o Local and National online newsletters (i.e. NASPA Sustainability KC, OU Routes) o etc.
Project: Sustainable OU Liaisons (SOUL) Program
Behavior Change and Implementation Management
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Short Term (Phase One) Objectives and Outcomes Desired Outcomes of Pilot Program: - Data collection regarding potential success and outcomes of program - Awareness building o Using institutional calendar, how can we be strategic about our outreach? - Application for an 1804 Grant to support further implementation o With a focus on a sustainable undergraduate learning commitment - Remove obstacles toward achieving sustainability at OU - Create a “checklist” of items that we want each unit to focus on (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced?) - Develop the program (and, especially, its outcomes) around the 5 C’s - Gather information about the various units on campus…how do they work and what do they need? o Since this is different for all/many units, this is very important for us to have identified before diving into a large program. - Establish a multi-tiered plan for the program that can assist with professional development of our staff/faculty and students; promote personal health and well-being; contribute to the efficient data collection required in the annual reporting processes of the Climate Action Plan and Sustainability Plan. o Need Short- and Long-term goals Desired Objectives of Pilot Program: Desired Outcomes for Attendees Education/Awareness building Learn how to view sustainability through the lens’ of their own disciplines Professional Development Generate Connections with various individuals and units across campus University community will have pragmatic opportunities for sustainable outcomes Research existing programs to use as benchmarks
Campus community will learn about behavior change and breaking down barriers often associated with such actions. Topics include: civility, empowerment, action, reporting.
Project: Sustainable OU Liaisons (SOUL) Program
Desired Outcomes for CAP and SP Streamlined reporting process Education (about the plan) Anecdotal feedback on how to implement (will allow us to better shape specific outcomes) Generate connections with previously untouched units Generate enthusiasm Make it user friendly - Specifically relating to CAP or SP - Offering options/facilitating change Office of Sustainability will learn how to offer support to the campus community in their effort to break down barriers to change.
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Faculty/Staff Involvement: The Behavior Change and Implementation Management Sub-Council has decided to slowly transition to a Sustainability Leadership program by implementing a Pilot Program for the duration of the first year of the Climate Action Plan implementation. As such, the following individuals have self-identified as potential participants (each will receive a formal invitation). Additional marketing opportunities for membership include formal invitations to other CAP SubCouncil members, interest form during the public vetting process, individual outreach emails to those who have participated in Kanawha and Common Experience and collaboration with Human Resources programming. Name:
Dep’t/Title:
Jan Berry berryj@ohio.edu Teri Combs combst@ohio.edu Krista Antle antlek@ohio.edu Karen Hudson hudson@ohio.edu Heather Humphreys humphreh@ohio.edu Gwen Brooks brooksgk@ohio.edu Judy Martin martinj3@ohio.edu Bonnie Behm-Geddes behm-ged@ohio.edu George Cheripko cheripko@ohio.edu Jeff Fulk fulk@ohio.edu Traci Winchell winchelt@ohio.edu Tami Walker walkers1@ohio.edu Maryann Lape lape@ohio.edu George Mauzy mauzy@ohio.edu
Compensation/UHR UHR/Leadership & Staff Development Benefits/UHR Compensation/UHR Compensation Employment Event Services ETM/Engineering Library Library OUHCOM OU Lancaster Library OU Lancaster Continuing Education Communications and Marketing
The following individuals were members of the Behavior Change and Implementation Management Sub-Council in February/March 2012 and have self-identified as interested in continuing as an executive team member of SOUL: Name:
Dep’t/Title:
Elaine Goetz eg361508@ohio.edu Laura Black blackl1@ohio.edu Annie Laurie Cadmus cadmus@ohio.edu
Civil Engineering PhD student Faculty, Communication Studies Director of Sustainability
Project: Sustainable OU Liaisons (SOUL) Program
Behavior Change and Implementation Management
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Student involvement: It is recommended by the Behavior Change and Implementation Management Sub-Council that SOUL work with the Office of Sustainability to offer at least one student internship opportunity to assist with the administrative tasks associated with this program. Short Term: It is anticipated that a single internship opportunity should be offered in the Fall 2012 semester and then, upon review of the program’s advancement, it is anticipated that such an opportunity would need to be split into two separate, though related, positions. These interns would be hired and supervised by the Director of Sustainability. Long Term: Depending on the success of SOUL, it is anticipated that future opportunities for student involvement may present themselves through Independent Studies, a Sustainability Scholars program and/or Living Learning Communities.
Sustainable OU Leader (SOUL) Internship (recommended position description): General Purpose: The SOUL Intern will work with select faculty, staff and students at Ohio University to develop a sustainability reporting and education program. The program will be designed to simultaneously offer our campus community with transparency on topics relating to sustainability; provide exciting professional development opportunities; and, institutionalize departmental reporting for the Sustainability Plan and Climate Action Plan. Responsibilities: - Coordinate administrative support tasks (including, but not limited to: scheduling meetings, providing consistent communications, taking meeting minutes, coordinating grant applications (i.e. 1804), etc.) - Implement research materials as necessary to gather accurate data for inclusion in grant applications and annual reporting. - Identify and coordinate discussions with potential faculty and staff interested in integrating sustainability into their work at Ohio University. - Serve as a student voice in conversations about sustainability at Ohio University and in Southeast Ohio. - Actively participate in meetings, activities and lessons as needed. - Seek out all social media and marketing opportunities that may exist in support of SOUL program development. The ideal candidate is a self-starter with familiarity with basic concepts related to sustainability. The position requires a commitment of approximately 8 hours per week for one semester. The position is unpaid, with the possibility to become a paid position upon performance. For questions or to apply, send cover letter and resume to sustainability@ohio.edu.
Project: Sustainable OU Liaisons (SOUL) Program
Behavior Change and Implementation Management
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Long Term (Phases 2-3) Goals Sustainability Departmental Liaisons (SDL) will function as the reporting, enforcement and educating agent for each of their own respective institutional units on topics that assist with the success of the Ohio University Sustainability Plan. SDLs will be appointed by the director of the structural unit. Since all institutional programs, departments and colleges are divided structurally and geographically to fit their unique needs, it will be the responsibility of the Directors of each program to determine the number and names of SDLs. SDLs will be asked to attend monthly educational sessions that will focus on implementation, reporting, education and professional development. As such, departmental leaders will be encouraged to appoint SDLs who may lack a robust professional development budget in comparison to their colleagues. This will allow us to indirectly address issues of personal well-being alongside Human Resources and WellWorks. The SOUL Core Team will work with the Office of Sustainability and the Ecology and Energy Conservation Committee to plan, coordinate, host and assess workshops on topics specific to the implementation of the Sustainability Plan and Climate Action Plan. Some workshop topics will be offered regularly while others will be situational. The overall goal of this process is to allow sustainability to become embraced by all institutional units; allowing us to shift away from the current model where implementation of sustainable practices are funneled through the Office of Sustainability. This will, in turn, allow the Office of Sustainability to provide additional support mechanisms, resource allocation and assume institutional reporting responsibilities on the topic. Following each workshop, SDLs will be asked to report on successes and roadblocks encountered during implementation. Reporting will be tracked and included in institutional assessments of sustainability successes. After an SDL has reported specific metrics and attended a certain number of training sessions, the SDL’s institutional unit will be awarded a “Sustainability Certificate.� As the program evolves, it is anticipated that the certification process will evolve into a multi-tiered progression. Details regarding this progression have yet to be determined. Ultimately, this program offers services to all administrative and academic units throughout the institution while simultaneously increasing our national reputation as leaders in sustainability within higher education. By distributing the workload of sustainability implementation, we are easily integrating this topic into existing practices without the need to increase staffing or budgetary needs in a time of economic crisis.
Project: Sustainable OU Liaisons (SOUL) Program
Behavior Change and Implementation Management
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Miscellaneous Information It should be noted that a great deal of planning went into the development of this pilot program proposal. Therefore, a variety of additional information is provided here to offer future members of SOUL with some background information on the topic of Behavior Change and Implementation: - A small sustainability training session should be offered to all undergraduate Peer Mentors in early Fall 2012 so as to offer them basic ideas for incorporating sustainability into the classroom experience. o Then, interested students can choose to participate as a pilot member of SOUL. o Also, host a follow-up focus group in late Fall 2012 to determine if sustainability was incorporated into the classroom (use as a reporting tool). o Can this be done in collaboration with Common Experience Project and Learning Communities? - The Sub-Council believes that a long-term goal of incentivizing involvement to align with Responsibility Centered Management may offer additional institutional support for sustainability. o Additional research needs to be completed in order to implement this process. For faculty, how does this change work allocation? Can it be formalized? For staff, can sustainability be included in their annual review? What type of taxation rewards can be offered and how would such rewards be monitored and then quantified? i.e. can we offer units tax breaks if they pay for sub-metering in their buildings? - Brown Bag lunches and workshops should be followed-up with a train-the-trainer resource so attendees can take the information back to their academic/administrative units to train their colleagues. This will, ideally, alleviate stress placed on SOUL and increase interest in reporting. - Involvement and reporting incentives for the pilot program were not highly developed during the SubCouncil’s time together. One idea that was brought forward was to offer program participants and opportunity to report sustainability-related concerns in their facilities (i.e. leaky faucet or heating/cooling problems) and SOUL would agree to submit the Work Order and pay for the repairs (with a ceiling). - It is suggested that the online component of this program will determine the program’s strength. By offering a robust set of opportunities for online participation, SOUL can have a much further reach and will, most certainly, be able to better integrate regional campuses. - While we are always interested in community involvement, we anticipate that the pilot program will not actively pursue community participation, but will certainly engage in outreach and involvement conversations when appropriate. - The Sub-Council based some of their planning on the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Green Office Challenge. - Additional journal articles, syllabi and programs were reviewed for consideration in the development of this program. These items are saved in the Climate Action Plan DropBox folder and any OU faculty, staff or student can request read-only access to these files by emailing a request to sustainability@ohio.edu. It is recommended that future members of SOUL receive access to these materials and continue to develop them.
Project: Sustainable OU Liaisons (SOUL) Program
Behavior Change and Implementation Management
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Workshop One: Sustainable Meetings and Events Sustainable Meeting Practices, Checklist Taken from Baylor University http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/157434.pdf The following items will be discussed at length during this session.
Education & Awareness Invitations: o Use only electronic forms of invitations o Make note of sustainable initiatives in meeting invitation and ask attendees for their participation Meeting & Classroom Materials: o Printed on post--‐consumer recycled content paper o Print double--‐sided o Print multiple PowerPoint slides per sheet o Use Blackboard (or other online/software mechanisms) for document management and archival o No printed materials Sustainable Event Education: o Outline initiatives at the beginning of the meeting Catering No Food/Drink Local/Seasonal Food: Include in offering Organic Food: Include as part of offering (or other sustainably certified option) Vegetarian Option: Include as part of offering Fair Trade: Coffees/Teas Non-utensil Snack: Provide snack/appetizers without utensils (eg. fruit, vegetables, crackers, cheese) Utensils: Use non--‐disposable dishes, cups and cutlery Package Minimization: o Serve foods that are not individually wrapped o Condiments in bulk containers Reusable Drink Containers: Provide attendees with reusable drink containers (cups, mugs, bottles, etc.) rather than using plastic water bottles Meeting Location LEED Building: Hold in a LEED certified building or noted green building No Travel: Travel is not required to attend Nearby Public Transportation: Publicize and encourage campus shuttle use in meeting invitation. Miscellaneous Waste Diversion: o Provide adequate bins for waste and recycling Minimize Lighting: Hold the event during the day and in a location that will provide adequate natural lighting. The Workshop attendees will then break-off into sub-groups to brainstorm other best practices with the group.
Project: Sustainable OU Liaisons (SOUL) Program
Behavior Change and Implementation Management
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Workshop Two: Copier Management and Print Reduction Note: Specifics regarding this workshop plan have been omitted as the contract is still pending and, therefore, direct language regarding this program must remain confidential. Workshop Outline: - Explain the Copier Management/Print Reduction programs - Highlight Pilot Programs and Best Practices o College of Business o Office of Sustainability o Culinary Services - Guest Presenter from Procurement o Explanation of cost savings and energy savings  Long term: Responsibility Based Budgeting - Guest Presenter from Moving and Surplus o How to purchase used copiers/printers at low costs  Still under warranty! - Provide participants with a one-page Fact Sheet to post in departments - Waiting list for Pilot Program participants - Question and Answer
Project: Sustainable OU Liaisons (SOUL) Program
Behavior Change and Implementation Management
14