University of California, Santa Barbara
EN-9: Staff Professional Development

PACES (Program for the Assessment and Certification for the Environment and Sustainability): PACES assesses how departments currently apply ecological practices, raises awareness about campus policies and standard practices, and offers resources to help implement them. The program also connects departments with knowledgeable stakeholders who can provide technical assistance to help implement new practices. PACES interacts with various faculty in various departments. In the 2014-2015 academic year, 96 Staff and faculty participated in the PACES process through their departments, working with them to develop sustainability and action plans to reduce their environmental impact. LabRATS (Laboratory Resources, Advocates, and Teamwork for Sustainability): LabRATS is a UCSB program dedicated to promoting sustainable practices in the university’s laboratories. When a lab works with the program, LabRATS staff does a thorough analysis of the lab’s usage of water, disposables, machinery, lighting, space, and transportation. LabRATS provides the lab with recommendations for practices and improvements that the lab can undertake. For example, they will provide recommendations for materials that are more recyclable and provide information about more energy efficient lab fixtures. At the end of LabRATS analysis, their findings and recommendations are presented to the laboratory members. Student Affairs Professional Development Conference: UCSB hosts an annual Student Affairs Professional Development Conference. At this conference, faculty and staff have the opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops that offer opportunities to augment their talents and knowledge. Some of the conference workshops cover topics pertaining to sustainability. For example, in 2015 sustainability stakeholders held a presentation called “Achieving Sustainability on All Scales.” This presentation considered ways that individual staff, departments, and/or buildings can reduce waste and resource consumption through daily choices.

CHESC (California Higher Education Sustainability Conference): The University of California, Santa Barbara organizes the annual California Higher Education Sustainability Conference, a multi-day, inter-campus program that offers workshops and guest speakers that discuss campus sustainability efforts and goals. The 12th California Higher Education Sustainability Conference was hosted at San Francisco State University in 2015. Central Coast Sustainability Summit: Staff are invited to attend the annual Central Coast Sustainability Summit where local municipalities and community organizations get together to share best practices and discuss common issues in energy, transportation, waste, and water management. The annual regional sustainability summit is open to all campus staff. The Summit hopes to encourage dialogue that can bring about positive environmental change.

Central Coast Summit Info: http://www.sustainability.ucsb.edu/centralcoastsummit/ Sustainability is incorporated into a wide variety of other professional development programs as well, such as the Student Affairs annual divisional meeting. Sustainability coordinators also frequently offer guest lectures in departmental staff meetings and events. Our percentage is approximate, and there is a chance that some individuals may have been double-counted.