Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 75.15
Liaison Laura Young
Submission Date March 3, 2022

STARS v2.2

Michigan State University
EN-7: Employee Educators Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.04 / 3.00 Laura Young
Sustainability Program Coordinator
Administration-EVP-Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total number of employees:
12,373

Total number of employees served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
4,479

Percentage of employees served by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program:
36.20

Name of the employee educators program (1st program):
MSU Waste Warriors

A brief description of the employee educators program (1st program):

The Surplus Store & Recycling Center's (SSRC) Waste Warriors program is designed to reduce the amount of waste disposed of on campus. The program builds knowledge and leadership by empowering individuals who are passionate about working with others and promoting action to champion goals outlined in the SSRC strategic plan. Waste Warriors cultivate waste reduction and the utilization of waste as a resource by training and empowering the MSU community to promote these practices among their peers.

The Waste Warriors program is the primary education tool supporting the SSRC mission to manage MSU's waste as a resource through an integrated system of reuse, recycling, collaboration, and education. The program seeks to engage with the MSU community to foster waste related behavior change. Program goals include:
--Help the MSU community gain a better understanding of waste and how their behaviors can impact change.
--Think critically about the problems of improving the human condition equitably in this and future generations, while conserving environmental systems necessary to support healthy and vibrant societies.
--Make resources promoting waste prevention and reduction at MSU more accessible.
--Solve problems by applying sustainability concepts and principles.
--Develop a peer education system and structure that allows Waste Warriors to learn, teach, and lead by:
--Fostering peer education,
--Developing leaders,
--Empowering constituents to make sustainable decisions,
--Providing the tools and resources so Waste Warriors can communicate effectively for sustainability, and
--Encouraging Waste Warriors to collaborate with others to advance shared waste reduction goals.

This program was not suspend during COVID but was significantly modified during the pandemic and remote operations. Hours listed reflect FY20 to accommodate for COVID impacts.


A brief description of the employee educators program’s target audience (1st program):

MSU full time employees


Number of trained employee educators (1st program):
310

Number of weeks the employee educators program is active annually (1st program):
52

Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained employee educator (1st program):
0.25

Total number of hours worked annually by trained employee educators (1st program):
4,030

Website URL where information about the employee educators program is available (1st program) :
Name of the employee educators program (2nd program):
SLE/RHS Eco Ambassador

A brief description of the employee educators program (2nd program):

SLE/RHS Culinary Services has volunteer full-time staff Eco Ambassadors. This advisory program functions to serve as a positive influence for campus sustainability within the kitchens. They are trained on sustainability initiatives programs and serve as a resource to share best practices, becoming subject matter experts in sustainability. The position is not meant to take them away from their day job. In their regular duties, they assist with training other team members, posting materials, educating student employees and overall encourage others. Eco Ambassadors also spend roughly one hour per month outside of the work space to meet with the SLE Chief Sustainability Officer to get updated on any process changes or assistance. Overall, participants promote a positive work environment towards sustainability by existing as a resource to provide information, focus, and direction for all members of the MSU community and beyond. They also excite, energize, and inform staff and guests about sustainable practices of SLE/RHS and recruit others for further involvement. This program directly supports values and goals related to sustainability outlined in the division's strategic plan and aligns with the Faculty and Staff success theme of the university strategic plan. Note this program is suspended due to COVID. Hours worked by employees below reflect FY20 data.


A brief description of the employee educators program’s target audience (2nd program):

Employees


Number of trained employee educators (2nd program):
12

Number of weeks the employee educators program is active annually (2nd program):
52

Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained employee educator (2nd program):
2

Total number of hours worked annually by trained employee educators (2nd program):
1,248

Website URL where information about the employee educators program is available (2nd program):
A brief description of all other employee peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education programs:

Sustainability Champions have incorporated sustainability into their job functions in addition to the employee's regular responsibilities and serve as peer-educators within their units to further embed sustainability across the university. There are 49 Sustainability Champions at MSU (refer to PA-1 for a list of individuals).

The MSU Library Environmental Committee focuses on the Libraries’ use of natural resources with an eye toward sustainability that maintains and improves their overall working and learning environment. Toward this end, the committee promotes sustainable practices within the Libraries, including waste reduction and recycling and investigates the environmental impact of the use of paper and office supplies; ink and copiers; energy; lighting; PCs; heating and cooling; cleaning supplies and chemicals; parking and transportation; and design. There are currently 6 members of the committee who spend approximately 1 hour per week throughout the year on their peer education duties.


Number of trained employee educators (all other programs):
55

Number of weeks, on average, the employee educators programs are active annually (all other programs):
52

Average or expected number of hours worked weekly per trained employee educator (all other programs):
0.55

Total number of hours worked annually by trained employee educators (all other programs):
1,573

Grand total number of hours worked annually by trained employee educators (all programs):
6,851

Hours worked annually by trained employee sustainability educators per employee served by a peer-to-peer program:
0.55

Website URL where information about the employee sustainability educators programs is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

SLE/RHS Culinary Services Eco Ambassadors does not have a website. It is an internal program where information is distributed via the SLE/RHS intranet.


SLE/RHS Culinary Services Eco Ambassadors does not have a website. It is an internal program where information is distributed via the SLE/RHS intranet.

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.