University of Virginia
EN-9: Staff Professional Development and Training

Specific trainings have been developed for staff with certain operational specialties. For example, the Office for Sustainability offers Green Purchasing Training and Zero Waste Event Host training at least once per year with between 20-50 participants annually. The Sustainable IT Working Group hosts conference sessions with Local Support Partners (LSPs) that reach 20-30 IT professionals. The FM Fleet Team offers eco-driving training modules to 10-20 employees each year. Plus, the School of Nursing hosts an annual conference on "Human Health in a Changing Climate" which had over 100 clinical participants in 2022 and 2023.

The University also offers $2000 per employee per calendar year in tuition benefits for academic and related coursework, including vocational and professional development opportunities. The flexibility of UVA's education benefits allow employees to pursue coursework in any area of interest. For employees interested in sustainability, significant sustainability-related coursework exists at UVA and employees may also pursue external coursework and professional development opportunities using their education benefits.

Many employees in Facilities Management are supported in maintenance of their LEED credentials through external providers. Some sub-units have a budget set aside for relevant trainings from the Greater Virginia Green Building Council, for example.

In addition, the University promotes professional development available from sustainability-related membership organizations including AASHE, Practice Greenhealth, and the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council.

All UVA employees are also eligible for education benefits, which can be used toward sustainability-related trainings, classes, conferences, etc. if relevant:

ACADEMIC TUITION BENEFIT - applied to for-credit coursework toward a degree or academic program. Up to the full $4,360 may be used for tuition toward a degree seeking program.

ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BENEFIT - available for use on job or career-growth related offerings relevant to your current job. Up to $2,000 may be used for professional development, including classes, certification training, and conferences. This leaves $2,360 to be used toward the Tuition Benefit if you also choose to pursue a degree or certificate program.

MEDICAL CENTER COURSE BENEFIT - team Members receive up to $2,000 per calendar year for eligible courses. Team Members in "hard to fill" positions, or those pursuing degree requirements for one of these positions, may receive up to $5,250 per year for eligible courses.

MEDICAL CENTER CERTIFICATION BENEFIT - also available for approved professional certification expenses, for up to $375 per year beyond the $2,000 or $5,250 course benefit.

In communications, we encourage employees to consider writing sustainability into their annual goals. In addition, we know of a handful of employees who have been formally tasked by their supervisors with executing sustainability initiatives within their departments. Some have had performance goals related to Green Workplaces efforts, and others have been evaluated on their contributions to sustainability strategic planning or initiatives (Darden, Dining, Procurement).

Since performance goals and review processes are private, we have no way of knowing how many people have written in anything about sustainability. Our evidence is anecdotal; colleagues will sometimes mention that they have an annual goal related to sustainability, which we applaud and encourage others to adopt.