Washington University in St. Louis
IN-39: Sustainability Office Diversity Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Cassandra
Hage Sustainability Manager Office of Sustainability |
Does the sustainability office have initiatives specifically designed to recruit sustainability employees from underrepresented groups?:
A brief description of the initiatives specifically designed to recruit sustainability employees from underrepresented groups:
For interns, we recruit from a wide variety of places and through partnerships to cast as wide a net as possible. Our roster usually has at least 50% POC from a variety of backgrounds and demographics. We also have a standardized interview and interview questions/script to ensure each applicant has an equal experience.
We take a similar approach to hiring staff, though we hire staff much less frequently. We have a long and growing list of places where we post and circulate openings, specifically targeting beyond the sustainability circle and higher ed circle. We also work with HR to monitor our applicant pool to blindly see the % of POC at each elimination round; if we don't hit our minimum %, we open it back up. We have a policy that guides this process.
Does the sustainability office ensure that sustainability employees complete DEI training?:
A brief description of the DEI trainings for sustainability employees:
OOS staff are required to take the “Understanding and Analyzing Systemic Racism” training provided by Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training and are encouraged to seek annual DEI professional development; staff have attended: Day of Dialogue & Action, HBCU Climate Change Conference, AASHE conferences, a 3-day workshop on DEI and sustainability, and numerous webinars.
Does the sustainability office regularly collaborate on events, projects, or initiatives with the institution’s DEI office/program and/or organizations that support underrepresented groups on campus?:
A brief description of events, projects, or initiatives during the previous year developed in collaboration with the DEI office/program and/or organizations that support underrepresented groups on campus:
We have developed an event policy that mandates speakers, panels and presenters mirror the demographics of our region and encourages specific representation from historically under-represented groups.
- We partner with the Office of Student Success (support services for un-represented, low income, and first-gen students) on our Move Out donation program to recirculate donated items.
- We partnered with the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) to host a 4-day orientation program for incoming students
- We invited the CDI to provide a training session at our pre-school year retreat for sustainability leaders
- We are participating with the Office of Religious, Spiritual & Ethical Life to host a lecture by Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, an interfaith leader focused on environmental justice and sustainability for earth day
- We regularly work with the Supplier Diversity office to advance mutually-supportive RFPs, contract reviews, and purchasing policies.
- Our monthly+ newsletter typically contains content connected to DEI news, events, etc.
- Etc.
Does the sustainability office or committee include at least one individual with formal DEI and/or environmental or social justice responsibilities?:
Documentation of the formal DEI and/or environmental or social justice responsibilities:
We are a small team, but this responsibility is seen as critical for each staff person. We take turns leading on different projects and initiatives, but all are expected to incorporate into the work that they do on a regular basis.
Website URL where information about the initiatives to advance DEI within the sustainability program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.