West Chester University of Pennsylvania
EN-9: Staff Professional Development and Training

The Brandywine Project at West Chester University has organized eight Staff Sustainability Workshops, the first in June 2017 and occurring most fall and spring semesters since then. The most recent workshop occurred in the Spring of 2021 and the next is scheduled for April 2022. The half-day workshops are open to all staff members and, to date, has been attended by over 125. The workshop includes educational, interactive, and networking sessions to develop shared and sustained engagement in university sustainability initiatives.

West Chester University provides access to LinkedIn Learning to all employees (faculty and non-academic) which includes multiple online recorded courses related to sustainability (LEED Certification, Green Building Concepts, Understanding Sustainability, and more). In addition, professional development funds are made available to staff and some staff members and faculty use such funds for conferences and trainings sponsored by AASHE, Second Nature, Post-Landfill Action Network, and other sustainability-related organizations. WCU has been a Host Institution Sponsor of the 2020 and 2021 AASHE Global Conferences on Sustainability in Higher Education, with over 100 employees participating in one or both. And WCU is a member of AASHE and the Post-Landfill Action Network which provides access for our students and employees to training documents and webinars.

Managers' goal setting and appraisals tie goals/objectives to the strategic plan. Since "Sustainability" is one of the five strategic priorities, managers whose roles directly or indirectly relate to this priority are assessed on their performance and results. Managers in the Office of Sustainability and some Managers in Facilities, Student Affairs, and Academic Affairs have responsibilities for attaining strategic priorities and would be included in this group. Other staff and faculty performance reviews do not specifically address sustainability, though many staff members contribute to the work of the Sustainability Council on a voluntary basis, often with the explicit support of their supervisors.

Brandywine Project Staff Sustainability workshops have been organized by planning committees composed of faculty and staff (in June 2017, led by Geography Professor Joy Fritschle, and in March 2018 and thereafter, led by Bradley Flamm, Director of the Office of Sustainability). For the more recent offerings of the workshop, registration has been coordinated by Human Resources Director Scott Sherman who has managed the process through the PASSHE Academy website (http://www.passheacademyregister.com/cgi-bin/hr_train-reg.cgi?3&1237).
(Bradley Flamm, 2/23/2022)