Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.33
Liaison Brad Spanbauer
Submission Date Jan. 29, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
EN-1: Student Educators Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.41 / 4.00 Brian Kermath
Sustainability Director
Sustainability Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Number of students enrolled for credit (headcount):
14,059

Total number of students enrolled for credit that are served (i.e. directly targeted) by a student peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program (avoid double-counting to the extent feasible):
12,000

Percentage of students served by a peer-to-peer educator program:
85.35

Name of the student educators program:
Community Advisors

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (headcount):
3,179

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

Community advisors conduct peer-to-peer education in residence halls. During their two week training program they participate in workshops focusing on sustainable living practices, safe training, inclusion, and engagement. Activities include green room certification, green lifestyle certification, educating residents about energy and water conservation, recycling, recruiting participants for events and trips, and promoting green initiatives on campus including Earth Week, Earth Charter, Social Justice and fair trade.


A brief description of how the student educators are selected:

Community advisors are hired by the Department of Residence Life. Students submit an application and are selected for telephone and face-to-face interviews with staff from Residence Life.


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

Students receive 2 weeks of initial training in peer-to-peer education, job requirements, effective methods of engaging students to take action, understanding the staff and resources available for programming, and sustainability basics. Bi-weekly meetings from September-May provide time for additional training (e.g., specific sustainability topics) and reinforcement. The Office of Sustainability takes part in the training.


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

The program is co-supervised by an Assistant Director of Residence Life. A sustainability intern serves as a student liaison between the Sustainability Office and Res Life and helps with program assessment. There is also a community development specialist for Sustainability in the the Res Life program for CAs to speak with for advise. Funding for supplies are provided by a range of sources including Residence Life, Sustainability and student fee funds depending on the projects that sustainability advisers initiate. An estimate of total program cost is about $15,000 per year.


Name of the student educators program (2nd program):
Community Development Specialist - Sustainability

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (2nd program):
3,179

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

Assist with department sustainability hall staff (CA) training
Coordinate the CA Liaison Program: Recruit CA liaisons from each staff, facilitate monthly team meetings, and partner with CA liaisons to create and implement monthly residence hall sustainability programs
Create monthly posters and bulletin boards to correspond with Green Guide to Campus Living monthly themes
Advance recycling education plans for residence hall students designed to increase recycling and decrease waste
Serve on the Campus Green Move Out Committee, responsible for communication with residence hall students regarding Goodwill Not Landfill and other end-of-the-year sustainability initiatives
Attend bi-weekly Campus Sustainability Council Meetings, if class schedule permits


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

Candidate must be a University of Wisconsin Oshkosh student.
Candidate may not be on disciplinary or academic probation.
Candidate must have and maintain a minimum cumulative and semester grade point average of 2.5 or above.
Candidate must have residence hall leadership experiences.
Candidate must have well-developed interpersonal skills, written and verbal communication skills, and administrative skills.
Candidate must be self-motivated and willing to take initiative in an environment with minimal daily supervision.
Candidate must be able to work well autonomously, while also excelling in a team environment.

For the Sustainability position, preference may be given to candidates with sustainability related academic coursework or co-curricular experiences.

Students that apply are selected through the program leader in Residence life and with input from the Sustainability Director.


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

Students receive 1 week of initial training in peer-to-peer education, job requirements, effective methods of engaging students to take action, understanding the staff and resources available for programming, and sustainability basics. Bi-weekly meetings from September-May provide time for additional training (e.g., specific sustainability topics) and reinforcement.


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

Residence life pays for the CDS programs to assist community advisors and enrich engagement for students living on campus.


Name of the student educators program (3rd program):
Peer-mentors for the University Studies Program

Number of students served (i.e. directly targeted) by the program (3rd program):
4,020

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

Peer Mentors at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
UW Oshkosh has made a commitment to ensuring that every first-year student has a Peer Mentor to help guide them through the first semester of college life. Peer Mentors serve in every Quest I class and are excited to be part of the University Studies Program! All incoming Freshman take Quest 1 courses.

Our Quest I Peer Mentor program has four basic goals:
1.) Help first-year students transition from high school to college life.
2.) Connect students to resources on campus that will help them succeed.
3.) Engage first-year students with the campus and the greater Oshkosh community.
4.) Foster a sense of connection to both the campus and fellow UW Oshkosh students, staff, and faculty.


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

Peer Mentors are students who are trained and ready to help first-year students become familiar with academic life at UW Oshkosh. They have been chosen by faculty because of their success as a student and leader on campus.


A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive to prepare them to conduct peer outreach (3rd program):

Training includes:
1) How to help first-year students transition from high school to college life.
2) How to connect students to resources on campus that will help them succeed.
3) Learning the community to help engage first-year students with the campus and the greater Oshkosh community.
4) Fostering a sense of connection to both the campus and fellow UW Oshkosh students, staff, and faculty.


A brief description of the financial and/or administrative support the institution provides to the program (e.g. annual budget and/or faculty/staff coordination) (3rd program):

Support for the program comes from the Provost's office and includes a $500 stipend to peer-mentors.


A brief description of all other student peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education programs, including the number of students served and how student educators are selected, trained, and supported by the institution:

Advise students on making wise health decisions. Health Advocates are available for general health information. They have bandages, common over-the-counter medicines such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, etc., thermometers, condoms, Band-Aids, etc. to handle minor health and first aid issues. They also have health and wellness brochures and handouts on current health and disease issues. Health Advocates also travel around campus to provide tabling and education on various health topics.


Total number of hours student educators are engaged in peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education activities annually (all programs):
240

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.