Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 72.94
Liaison John Alejandro
Submission Date Oct. 13, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of San Diego
EN-7: Employee Educators Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Alison Sanchirico
Sustainability Coordinator
Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total number of employees (staff + faculty, headcount):
2,414

Number of employees served (i.e. directly targeted) by a peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program (avoid double-counting):
2,414

Percentage of employees served by a peer-to-peer educator program:
100

Name of the employee educators program:
Zero Waste Gurus

Number of employees served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (headcount):
2,414

A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities:

Employees that complete the Zero Waste Guru training are equipped with the necessary tools to educate their colleagues and create zero waste practices and events in their office.


A brief description of how the employee educators are selected:

All employees are offered the chance to become Zero Waste Gurus through web-based advertisements, Zero Waste workshops, and the USD Office of Sustainability website. All Zero Waste Gurus are self-selected.


A brief description of the formal training that the employee educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach:

All Zero Waste Gurus undergo an hour-long, in-person training program giving a holistic overview of Zero Waste. The training begins with a waste separation activity to educate employees about what materials are recyclable. The training continues by inviting employees to think about what they currently waste and how they can potentially cut back on consumption. Employees are then given online resources needed to answer any questions peers may have. At the end of the training, employees take a quiz to demonstrate their knowledge on waste separation, complete a Zero Waste Guru pledge, and receive a small placard with their Zero Waste Guru designation.


A brief description of the financial and/or administrative support the institution provides to the program (e.g. annual budget and/or paid faculty/staff coordination):

The USD Office of Sustainability provides all advertising and materials necessary for training. Additionally, it provides resources to help offices increase their diversion rates and staff consultation.


Name of the employee educators program (2nd program):
Green Office Certification

Number of employees served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (headcount) (2nd program):
2,414

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

Employees that complete the Green Office Certification are equipped with the necessary tools to educate their colleagues and create sustainable practices in their offices.


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

The USD Green Office Certification Program is a joint pilot project between the University of San Diego and SDG&E. This innovative new program is designed to help offices on USD’s campus become greener in their daily actions thus reducing their ecological footprints. This program provides task lists that minimize an office’s environmental impact by targeting two overlapping objectives: reduction of resource use and waste production. By participating in this program, offices can help USD reach its goal of becoming the most sustainable university campus. This is no small task, and every person on campus must be involved in order to achieve this goal. Participating offices will serve as models of leadership, initiative, and sustainable thinking for other offices across campus.


A brief description of the formal training that the employee educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach (2nd program):

As departments and offices are certified in the various categories, Platinum/Gold/Silver/Bronze, the employees are educated on waste management and reduction of resource usage with focus on their particular work areas and responsibilities. For example, offices that conduct large amounts of printing are educated regarding proper cartridge disposal, use of recycled paper, printer default settings, etc.


A brief description of the financial and/or administrative support the institution provides to the program (e.g. annual budget and/or paid faculty/staff coordination) (2nd program):

No formal financial support is provided for the project; however, the Green Office certification is facilitated by paid graduate assistants and student interns through the Office of Sustainability.


A brief description of all other employee peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education programs, including the number of employees served and how employee educators are selected, trained, and supported by the institution:
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Total number of hours employee educators are engaged in peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education activities annually:
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.