Seattle University
EN-9: Staff Professional Development and Training

--The Endowed Mission Fund (EMF) at Seattle University provides grants to faculty and staff for mission-related projects, research and personal development. The EMF committee particularly welcomes proposals which advance the
four Universal Apostolic Preferences, which includes "To collaborate in the care of our Common Home" and "To walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice."
https://www.seattleu.edu/jesuit-education/programs/endowed-mission-fund/

--Seattle University provides internal sustainability professional development opportunities by (1) organizing, hosting, or co-sponsoring sustainability-focused conferences on campus where SU employees receive discounted or free admission and by (2) organizing, hosting, or co-sponsoring sustainability-focused lectures and workshops on campus where SU employees receive discounted or free admission.
Most departments have some budget allocated to cover registration costs for events or conferences on campus to allow participation and promote professional development. Several events on campus are free for SU employees.

Examples:
1. (Jan 2018) Climate Resilience Summit: This summit, hosted by CEJS at Seattle University in partnership with Sustainable Seattle, included 20+ sessions/workshops with representatives from community and business organizations and government agencies addressing how we can building climate resilience and how we can best support communities on the front lines of climate disruption. https://www.seattleu.edu/cejs/events/past-events/2017-2018/
SU staff, faculty and students received discounted admission.

2. (March 2018) Food Tank Summit-Growing Food Policy. Hosted by CEJS. 35+ standout speakers shared a stage at SU to participate in interactive panels on policy innovation and entrepreneurship in the food system. The summit welcomed speakers and panelists from the U.S. Congress; from major tech companies including Google and Microsoft; from the governments of Seattle, Portland, and King County; from NGOs including the Environmental Working Group and the American Farmland Trust; and from major foundations including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. https://www.seattleu.edu/cejs/events/past-events/2017-2018/
The event was free for Seattle University students, faculty, and staff and half price tickets to SU Alumni.

3. (June 2018) Care for the Earth, Care for the Poor. A summit organized for the 3rd anniversary of Laudato Si, in response to Pope Francis’ call to Care for our Common Home. The day served as a day of learning and action around the Pope’s encyclical, Laudato Si, which invites everyone to share the Journey in Care for the Earth and Care for the Poor. The summit was sponsored by SU’s CEJS, Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture (ICTC); the Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center (IPJC); the Archdiocese of Seattle, Earth Ministry, Maryknoll, and St. James Cathedral. Keynotes included Dan Misleh (Executive Director, Catholic Climate Covenant) and Caroline Brennan (Global Humanitarian Response Team, Catholic Relief Services). Registration was free.
https://www.seattleu.edu/cejs/events/past-events/2017-2018/

4. (July 2018) Innovation for Sustainability Conference, organized by Seattle U’s Albers school for Business and Economics. CEJS hosted two workshops:
"Incorporating Sustainability into Curriculum" facilitated by Seattle Business Consulting; and "A Case Study of Integrating Inclusion, Collaboration and Equity for a Sustainable Seattle Region", facilitated by the Duwamish Alive Coalition. Registration was free for SU members.
https://www.seattleu.edu/cejs/events/past-events/2017-2018/

5. (April 2020) EARTH TALKS at SEATTLEU. Earth Talks at SU is a virtual event on Earth Day showcasing the environmental justice and sustainability research, service, and creative expressions by students, faculty, and community partners presenting 5-min TEDx-style talks.
https://www.seattleu.edu/cejs/events/earth-talks-2021/earth-talks-2020/

6. (October 2020) Food Justice Week: Food Justice Week is an invitation to explore the complex relationship between food and justice through a week full of interactive, educational and thought-provoking events. Colleagues and students from across campus were invited to participate in events including a panel discussions, a screening, and cooking demonstration.

7. For a full list of sustainability conferences, lectures, events, and/or workshops hosted by SU, see: https://www.seattleu.edu/cejs/events/past-events/

Seattle University provides external professional development opportunities in sustainability by (1) co-sponsoring conferences off-campus that allow SU employees to participate at a reduced rate and/or (2) allocating budget for registration/travel/lodging to allow participation at external events, conferences, trainings or workshops. Since 2019 Seattle University also offers a new online professional development tool to all faculty and staff by partnering with LinkedIn Learning. The tool includes a wide range of sustainability-focused videos and courses. https://www.seattleu.edu/hr/employee-resources/linkedin-learning/

Examples:
-Washington and Oregon Higher Education Sustainability Conference (WOHESC) 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021. SU has been a community partner of the WOHESC conference for the past years allowing SU community members to participate at a discounted rate.
https://www.wohesc.org/
--Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Conference (AASHE). SU staff participated in the AASHE 2019 conference (Spokane, WA) and received full reimbursement by their department for travel, registration, and lodging.
--Since the COVID pandemic, we post each month a list of 5-15 sustainability webinars and online professional development opportunities on the CEJS events page and share those resources with our SU community. See: https://www.seattleu.edu/cejs/events/past-events/2020-2021/