| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 61.29 |
| Liaison | Bonnie Dong |
| Submission Date | Aug. 31, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
MacEwan University
EN-7: Employee Educators Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Kerstyn
Lane Engagement and Outreach Advisor Sustainability |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Total number of employees (staff + faculty, headcount):
1,750
Number of employees served (i.e. directly targeted) by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program (avoid double-counting):
1,750
Percentage of employees served by a peer-to-peer educator program:
100
1st Program
Green Impact/Green Spaces
Number of employees served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (headcount):
1,750
A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities:
"Green Impact is a program that encourages staff and faculty to work together to adopt sustainable behaviours in the workplace in an effort to improve well-being and resilience on campus. The Office of Sustainability advertises the program at both MacEwan University campuses and invites all staff and faculty to participate. Recruitment is done via newsletter articles, posters, word of mouth, and email communications. Staff and faculty that form Green Impact teams are also encouraged to recruit more teams through their professional networks as well.
The program is currently being revised and will be relaunched as the "Green Spaces Program", which is designed to assist participants with implementing sustainable activities in their daily lives at MacEwan University. This includes certification of MacEwan offices, labs, events, and residences. 2018 will mark the pilot of the Green Spaces Certification program for offices at MacEwan.
The certification comprises 3 distinctions based on a point threshold: bronze, silver, and gold. These points are awarded based on actions that fall within 5 categories:
• Waste
• Energy
• Food and drink
• Transportation
• Social wellness
Generally, one or two team members will take on a lead role within their team, brief their team mates and discuss which actions to pursue. They will be the first point of contact for all questions, if additional support is needed, student volunteers or the Office of Sustainability will assist them. Furthermore, all participants are encouraged to spread the word about the Green Spaces program and to encourage participation amongst their co-workers.
A brief description of how the employee educators are selected:
The Office of Sustainability advertises the program at the two MacEwan University campuses and invites all staff and faculty to participate. Recruitment is done via newsletter articles, word of mouth, and email communications.
Employees can sign up (by themselves, as a team or entire deartment) by submitting a Google Form, and will then meet with the Office of Sustainability's Oureach and Engagement Advisor to define their roles more closely. Staff and faculty that form Green Impact teams are also encouraged to recruit more teams through their professional networks as well.
A brief description of the formal training that the employee educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach:
The Office of Sustainability meets with the teams to get them started and provides them with the information they will need to complete the program. Staff and faculty are encouraged to organize their own Green Impact teams. These can be made up of a whole department, a building, or a group of people who work closely together. Usually, one or two individuals are selected to spearhead the program. Workshops and drop-in sessions are held on a regular basis to provide on-going support and training throughout the program cycle. Additional resources developed by the National Union of Students and the Office of Sustainability are provided on a supplementary website for teams to access. This website is regularly updated and includes photos, external links, suggestions for sustainability actions beyond the scope of the program, and contact information for each team.
A brief description of the financial and/or administrative support the institution provides to the program (e.g. annual budget and/or paid faculty/staff coordination):
Support is ensured through the Office of Sustainability staff tasked with the coordination and (re-)design of the program (Oureach and Engagement Advisor, Communications Practicum Students).
If reporting employees served by additional peer-to-peer programs, provide:
2nd Program
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Number of employees served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (headcount) (2nd program):
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A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (2nd program):
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A brief description of how the employee educators are selected (2nd program):
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A brief description of the formal training that the employee educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach (2nd program):
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A brief description of the financial and/or administrative support the institution provides to the program (e.g. annual budget and/or paid faculty/staff coordination) (2nd program):
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Additional Programs
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Optional Fields
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
In 2013/2014, MacEwan University was the first international post-secondary institution to pilot the Green Impact program developed by the National Union of Students in the United Kingdom. Green Impact is an environmental accreditation initiative which helps people improve their working environments while gaining recognition for their efforts.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.