Overall Rating Reporter - expired
Overall Score
Liaison Steve Mital
Submission Date Feb. 28, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of Oregon
EN-1: Student Educators Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete Reporter Shelly Bowerman
Trip Leader
Student Programs Coordinator
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution coordinate one or more ongoing student, peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education programs that meet the criteria for this credit?:
Yes

Number of degree-seeking students enrolled at the institution:
23,832

Name of the student educators program (1st program):
EcoLeaders

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (1st program):
3,800

A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (1st program):

EcoLeaders is an action-oriented leadership development seminar in which students will engage with their peers to support sustainable behavior in the Residence Halls. The class will design, implement, and evaluate an energy conservation competition. Students will also research and propose individual projects to be implemented during Spring Term through the EcoLeaders internship.


A brief description of how the student educators are selected (1st program):

Students who participated in the Community for Ecological leaders program apply to be part of the Ecoleaders seminar and Internship.


A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (1st program):

EcoLeaders receive Environmental Studies credit and examine behavior change psychology while learning about campus sustainability at the UO.


A brief description of the financial or other support the institution provides to the program (1st program):

Instruction for EcoLeaders is supported by the UO Office of Sustainability and University Housing.


Name of the student educators program (2nd program):
Student and Community Outreach for Renter Efficiency ($CORE)

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (2nd program):
20,700

A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (2nd program):

$CORE provides a free peer-to-peer energy assessment service to UO students living off-campus. Student Energy Educators will help households save money on their utility bills and reduce their carbon footprint by providing materials and information needed to lower energy use.


A brief description of how the student educators are selected (2nd program):

Student Energy Educators are selected through a hiring process where they submit applications and complete individual and group interviews


A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (2nd program):

$CORE staff training is provided by an energy educator from the local housing authority. Students receive technical expertise and training on home energy efficiency as well as consumer behavior psychology. The training is approximately nine hours over one weekend.


A brief description of the financial or other support the institution provides to the program (2nd program):

Staff support for $CORE is provided by the UO Office of Sustainability.


Name of the student educators program (3rd program):
Student Sustainability Coalition

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (3rd program):
23,832

A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (3rd program):

Student Sustainability Coalition serves as the hub for student-led initiatives that foster and support the transition to sustainability through collaboration, education, and activism.


A brief description of how the student educators are selected (3rd program):

SSC Board members are selected through a competitive hiring process whereby the submit applications, complete interviews, and are selected by the outgoing Board members and the SSC coordinator


A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (3rd program):

The Board members each focus on a particular area of sustainability: food and landscapes; business and politics; equity, justice, and health; buildings and zero waste; energy and transportation; climate and preservation; and at-large. The Board members undergo training in facilitation, campaign development, marketing, and outreach.


A brief description of the financial or other support the institution provides to the program (3rd program):

The SSC receives a budget from the Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO) and well as some direct contributions from the Office of the Vice President for student Affairs who funds the full-time SSC coordinator position.


Name(s) of the student educator program(s) (all other programs):
Environmental Leadership Program

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by all other student educator programs:
70

A brief description of the program(s), including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (all other programs):

Most projects are two terms long. Students get intensive training during their first term. They also get ongoing training, support and mentoring from their GTF’s, project directors and often even community partners throughout both terms. All ELP students participate in workshops to develop their communication, collaboration and leadership skills. Specific workshops include: messaging (how to talk about environmental science to different audiences), public speaking, developing posters and presenting at professional conferences, teamwork/collaboration skills, consensus decision making, running effective meetings, and developing resumes and cover letters.

In addition, the "Mapping and Monitoring" teams, which focus on environmental monitoring and habitat restoration, get specific training in field data collection equipment and techniques, mapping methods, and scientific writing. The students in the "environmental education" teams get specific training in curriculum development, curriculum alignment with state standards, and facilitation techniques.


A brief description of how the student educators are selected (all other programs):

Students submit an application to the Environmental Studies Department that includes references and a writing sample, and then, if selected, are asked to come in for an interview.


A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (all other programs):

Most projects are two terms long. Students get intensive training during their first term. They also get ongoing training, support and mentoring from their GTF’s, project directors and often even community partners throughout both terms. All ELP students participate in workshops to develop their communication, collaboration and leadership skills. Specific workshops include: messaging (how to talk about environmental science to different audiences), public speaking, developing posters and presenting
at professional conferences, teamwork/collaboration skills, consensus decision making, running effective meetings, and developing resumes and cover letters.
In addition, the "Mapping and Monitoring" teams, which focus on environmental monitoring and habitat restoration, get specific training in field data collection equipment and techniques, mapping methods, and scientific writing. The students in the "environmental education" teams get specific training in curriculum development, curriculum alignment with state standards, and facilitation techniques.


A brief description of the financial or other support the institution provides to the program (all other programs):

ELP is staffed by two full time non-tenure track line faculty. The equivalent of one of those persons' salaries is raised through grants, donations, and contracts. The Environmental Studies office manager provides grant support. ORSA manages most of the grants as required by the UO. ELP also works with the UO Foundation development staff.


Total number of hours student educators are engaged in peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education activities annually:
110,000

The website URL for the peer-to-peer student outreach and education program(s):
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

For ELP, the 70 students served include 62 undergraduates and 8 graduate students for the 2010-2011 academic year. These only include students enrolled in ELP, as the community they "serve" is outside the UO. The degree-seeking student #s were reported to IPEDS in fall 2010.


For ELP, the 70 students served include 62 undergraduates and 8 graduate students for the 2010-2011 academic year. These only include students enrolled in ELP, as the community they "serve" is outside the UO. The degree-seeking student #s were reported to IPEDS in fall 2010.

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.