Pennsylvania State University
EN-9: Staff Professional Development

On an ongoing basis, the Sustainability Institute offers workshops and presentations on the following: - How to form Green Teams - How to adopt the Green Paws Program to have an office "green" certified - The Recycling Roadshow These workshops are available to all staff and faculty. Faculty and staff can also learn sustainability concepts through participation in the Green Teams program which includes lunches and webinars with speakers on topics, such as "green" purchasing, recycling, energy conservation, and wellness. The Sustainability Institute is developing a new online module explaining sustainability and its application at Penn State for use in New Employee Orientation. In Spring 2017 there was a webinar reaching out to employees across all Penn State campuses discussing how to incorporate sustainability into Penn State's strategic goals. We aim to have 60% of the units in Penn State's strategic plan include sustainability related content. Through 2014, the annual Staff Professional Development Review process included sustainability, thus providing an incentive for staff to learn about sustainability and practice these concepts in their work. Although changes in the staff review process in 2015 eliminated sustainability as a required component, it is still an optional one. Training on how to incorporate sustainability into staff professional goals is offered online through a recorded webinar, and a downloadable goal setting worksheet. Every year, an Environmental Colloquium is held to educate Penn Staters and the community about sustainability topics. The speakers have included Bill McKibben, Amory Lovins, David Suzuki, Peter Diamandis and other national leaders. In Spring 2017 the Sustainability Institute hosted an outside speaker to present an informational session on Life Cycle Assessment to members of the Sustainable Operations Council. In Summer 2016 and again in 2017, the Sustainability Institute offered several workshops to staff on how to integrate sustainability into their professional development plan. A calendar of sustainability-related events - many of which are educational in nature - is available on Penn State's main sustainability website: http://sustainability.psu.edu/calendar/list?tid=780 This compilation makes it easy for staff and others to discover opportunities to learn more about sustainability-related topics through lectures, symposia, films, and other events.

In 2016 the Sustainability Institute provided funding for two senior purchasing agents and one SI staff member to attend the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council Summit in Washington, DC in May. Upon their return they shared what they learned with both SI and Purchasing staff. Sustainability Institute staff routinely attend professional conferences and take advantage of webinars and other online educational opportunities; any cost is reimbursed by the institution.