Central Community College
EN-7: Employee Educators Program

MISSION

The faculty “environmental sustainability across the curriculum” committee’s mission is to advise on, advance and/or promote…

… the college’s environmental sustainability curricular education and student learning experiences.

… relevant, advanced and supported-by-evidence environmental sustainability educational experiences that prepare all students with applicable knowledge and skills for their discipline.

… complete student inclusion in the college’s environmental sustainability education and experience by empowering faculty with opportunities, resources, and credentials… to integrate environmental sustainability across the curriculum.

… proposed college processes and systems, voted on by the committee, for integrating sustainability across the curriculum.

… the college’s environmental sustainability curricular education and student learning experiences that provide students with the knowledge and skills that are recognized by employers and communities in the region.

Educators are trained through 8 monthly committee programs. They are offered training on eBadge registration for students, as well as how to incorporate sustainability into any subject or class. They then train peers that are open to incorporating a sustainability concepts into their course and regularly present this information to All Faculty Senate meetings as well.

OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR COMMITTEE EFFECTIVENESS

a. Information, discussion and action items
i. Information items are for the information of the committee; no action or discussion needed.
ii. Discussion items will be presented, discussed, edited by co-chairs, and voted on as action items within no less than three meeting periods.
iii. Action items are to be voted on by committee (see below).
iv. For discussion (and voting) initial feedback on discussion items will proceed around committee in an alpha order (to vary), so to ensure committee hears all members at least once; process will also be alpha-ordered for voting.

b. Committee and voting structure
i. Committee meetings will be recorded.
ii. Simple voted majority will determine ‘yay’ or ‘nay’ of vote.
iii. Faculty co-chair will vote in a case of a tied vote; non-faculty co-chair will not vote.
iv. Members not present for discussion of the action items will not be able to vote (watching the recording of the discussion will reinstate voting privileges). Substitutes for committee members are encouraged, and may vote on behalf of the absent member, if they have been present for the relevant discussion item.
v. Committee will have an “open door policy,” where any faculty member at CCC can commit to serve on the committee at any point, but must commit for a minimum of one semester and allow for staggered membership to preserve institutional/committee memory. Members can vote on any item for which they have been present for the full discussion.
vi. The committee will work year-round, including May, June and July (August off).
vii. Committee will be chaired by faculty member and an environmental sustainability staff member.
viii. Faculty co-chair will serve a minimum of a 2-year renewable term.
ix. Members should expect to commit approximately 6 hours each month (for meetings, preparation, and outside-committee communication roles)
x. Members can bring any item to a co-chair to have placed as an information or discussion item. Items will be placed on the agenda at the co-chairs’ discretion.

c. Co-chair responsibilities
i. Lead the committee so to advance environmental sustainability curriculum and education at CCC.
ii. Create meeting agendas and bring forward initiatives and materials for discussion and vote.
iii. Bring forward needs, wants, concerns, and suggestions from each instructional area and other college committees.
iv. Report and actively share information to and from any college committee in which one is a member, and with employees around the college.
v. Consider discussion and action items in context of all divisions of the college.
vi. Carry forward responsibilities as articulated in this charter and committee mission.

d. Member responsibilities (review, advise, advance, promote and communicate)
i. Review materials sent by co-chairs in preparation of discussion and vote.
ii. Attend and participate in committee meetings.
iii. Bring laptop to committee meetings.
iv. Bring forward needs, wants, concerns, and suggestions from each instructional area and other college committees.
v. Report and actively share information to and from any college committee in which one is a member, and with employees around the college.
vi. Consider discussion and action items in context of all divisions of the college.
vii. Carry forward responsibilities as articulated in this charter and committee mission.

Employees were given demonstrations how to charge an electric vehicle, tours of Nebraska native plants in our pollinator gardens, bike share checkouts, composting, as well as how to plant native plants and vegetables demonstrations.

All staff at all campus locations at given the opportunity to learn how to charge our hybrid electric fleet vehicles on campus. The staff that learn this then train others the steps needed to charge our hybrid electric fleet vehicles.

Also, staff learn how to check out our solar powered bike share using the Movatic app on their phone. Staff train other staff and students the process of checking out bikes on campus. We typically do a bike ride to the wind turbine with staff and students, so it is a fun activity as well as they learn about wind energy from our Energy Technology Instructor.

Finally, staff that attend the compost demonstrations learn what food waste can and cannot be composted in the break rooms on campus. Those staff then can educate other staff that the program exists and what food waste can be composted on campus. Same with native plant and vegetable gardens will also give instructions how to germinate and plant native Nebraska seeds.