Campus Campus Sustainability Sustainability Officers: The Officers: The

Emergence and Emergence and Maintenance of a Maintenance of a

New CareerNew CareerGordon RandsGordon Rands11, Barbara , Barbara RibbensRibbens11 & John Bingham & John Bingham22 (1) Western Illinois University, USA; (1) Western Illinois University, USA; (2) Brigham Young University, USA(2) Brigham Young University, USA

GIN2006, Cardiff, WalesGIN2006, Cardiff, Wales

OverviewOverview

The Campus Sustainability MovementThe Campus Sustainability Movement HistoryHistory Areas of FocusAreas of Focus

Key Stakeholders in Campus GreeningKey Stakeholders in Campus Greening Sustainability Coordinators – Activities & Sustainability Coordinators – Activities &

DutiesDuties Research ProjectResearch Project Preliminary FindingsPreliminary Findings Relevance for FacultyRelevance for Faculty Relevance for IndustryRelevance for Industry Concluding ThoughtsConcluding Thoughts

The Campus Sustainability The Campus Sustainability Movement - HistoryMovement - History

Key People, Events & Organizations since Key People, Events & Organizations since 19901990 David Orr: environmental literacy through David Orr: environmental literacy through

studying campus resource flows; books & articles studying campus resource flows; books & articles (1990/2/4), Oberlin environmental studies (1990/2/4), Oberlin environmental studies program and buildingprogram and building

Tony Cortese: gaining institutional commitment – Tony Cortese: gaining institutional commitment – the Talloires Declaration (1990) (subsequently the Talloires Declaration (1990) (subsequently ULSF); educational resources – Second NatureULSF); educational resources – Second Nature

NWF Campus Ecology Program (1992) – NWF Campus Ecology Program (1992) – involving students in environmental issues & involving students in environmental issues & campus greeningcampus greening

Faculty, students and staff at various universities Faculty, students and staff at various universities – engaging in campus energy and waste audits, – engaging in campus energy and waste audits, other actionsother actions

The Campus Sustainability The Campus Sustainability Movement - HistoryMovement - History

Heinz Family Foundation: Campus Heinz Family Foundation: Campus Environmental Summit (1994) generated Environmental Summit (1994) generated “Blueprint for a Green Campus” report – 50 “Blueprint for a Green Campus” report – 50 states, 22 nationsstates, 22 nations

Ball State University: Greening the Campus Ball State University: Greening the Campus conference (1996); has become a biennial conference (1996); has become a biennial networking and information dissemination networking and information dissemination eventevent

Society for College & University Planning Society for College & University Planning (SCUP): Campus Sustainability Day (2003); (SCUP): Campus Sustainability Day (2003); “Campus of the Future Conference” (2006) – “Campus of the Future Conference” (2006) – involving other college professional involving other college professional associationsassociations

EFS-West: 2004 conference; AASHE 2005 – EFS-West: 2004 conference; AASHE 2005 – professional associationprofessional association

The Campus Sustainability The Campus Sustainability Movement - Areas of FocusMovement - Areas of Focus

EnergyEnergy Materials Materials (Waste/Reuse/Reduction/Recycling)(Waste/Reuse/Reduction/Recycling) LandscapingLandscaping Transportation ManagementTransportation Management Water ConservationWater Conservation Pollution Control & PreventionPollution Control & Prevention PurchasingPurchasing Capital Improvements/BuildingsCapital Improvements/Buildings AdministrativeAdministrative EducationalEducational

Key Stakeholders & Key Stakeholders & Structures in Campus Structures in Campus

GreeningGreening StakeholdersStakeholders

StudentsStudents FacultyFaculty Staff, especially Physical Plant and Staff, especially Physical Plant and

Dining/HousingDining/Housing AdministratorsAdministrators

StructuresStructures Multi-stakeholder task force or committeeMulti-stakeholder task force or committee Allocate duties among existing staffAllocate duties among existing staff Hire a part- or full-time sustainability Hire a part- or full-time sustainability

coordinatorcoordinator Estimated to be ~ 500 sustainability Estimated to be ~ 500 sustainability

coordinators in North Americacoordinators in North America

Sustainability Coordinators Sustainability Coordinators – Activities & Duties– Activities & Duties

Internal education & outreach: students, staff, Internal education & outreach: students, staff, facultyfaculty

External relations: vendors, community, peersExternal relations: vendors, community, peers Work with the sustainability councilWork with the sustainability council Provide resources: expertise, coordination, Provide resources: expertise, coordination,

networkingnetworking Manage budgets Manage budgets Supervise consultants and student Supervise consultants and student

interns/employeesinterns/employees Develop grant proposals and action Develop grant proposals and action

recommendationsrecommendations Plan and implement projectsPlan and implement projects Evaluate initiatives and disseminate resultsEvaluate initiatives and disseminate results Teach coursesTeach courses

Research Project - Research Project - InfluencesInfluences

Ecologically Sustainable OrganizationsEcologically Sustainable Organizations Organizational sustainability requires sustainable Organizational sustainability requires sustainable

interactions with entities at the ecological, individual, interactions with entities at the ecological, individual, organizational, political-economic, and social-cultural organizational, political-economic, and social-cultural levelslevels

Individual level entails development of employees with Individual level entails development of employees with pro-sustainability knowledge, attitudes and skillspro-sustainability knowledge, attitudes and skills

CareersCareers Boundaryless career – no predictable, regular sequence of Boundaryless career – no predictable, regular sequence of

jobs that make up a careerjobs that make up a career Motivation and control of a career increasingly the Motivation and control of a career increasingly the

responsibility of the individual responsibility of the individual Organizational CitizenshipOrganizational Citizenship

Individuals motivated to go above and beyond job Individuals motivated to go above and beyond job requirementsrequirements

Motivation linked to commitment to the pro-social nature Motivation linked to commitment to the pro-social nature of the work itself or of the mission of the organizationof the work itself or of the mission of the organization

Research Project - Research Project - QuestionsQuestions

Nature of the Career – what are the duties, Nature of the Career – what are the duties, activities & skills of sustainability activities & skills of sustainability coordinators?coordinators?

Career Path – what are the common academic Career Path – what are the common academic backgrounds & prior job experiences?backgrounds & prior job experiences?

Career Satisfaction – what are the sources of Career Satisfaction – what are the sources of fulfillment and frustration?fulfillment and frustration?

Career Effectiveness – what factors influence Career Effectiveness – what factors influence effectiveness as a sustainability coordinator?effectiveness as a sustainability coordinator?

Career Maintenance – how do individuals Career Maintenance – how do individuals manage their careers?manage their careers?

Motivation – what are the sources of Motivation – what are the sources of motivation for sustainability coordinators, and motivation for sustainability coordinators, and for those who work with them?for those who work with them?

Research Project – Data Research Project – Data CollectionCollection

Focus GroupsFocus Groups Survey Survey Follow-up InterviewsFollow-up Interviews Identification of Key SupportersIdentification of Key Supporters Survey/InterviewsSurvey/Interviews

Preliminary FindingsPreliminary Findings Nature of the Career Nature of the Career

Duties – many and variable; and extend well beyond Duties – many and variable; and extend well beyond formal job description; are what the individual makes formal job description; are what the individual makes of the positionof the position

Activities – identifying and investigating areas of Activities – identifying and investigating areas of unsustainability, project planning and unsustainability, project planning and implementation; education & motivation of others, implementation; education & motivation of others, especially studentsespecially students

Skills – communication, networking and outreach, Skills – communication, networking and outreach, motivation and empowerment of students, staff and motivation and empowerment of students, staff and faculty; building support and securing resources faculty; building support and securing resources from administratorsfrom administrators

Career PathCareer Path Academic backgrounds – varied, including Academic backgrounds – varied, including

environmental studies, geography, urban planning, environmental studies, geography, urban planning, math/physics, engineering, public policy, lawmath/physics, engineering, public policy, law

Prior job experiences – recycling programs, Prior job experiences – recycling programs, environmental NGOs, policy analysis, planning, environmental NGOs, policy analysis, planning, teaching; environmental activism as a studentteaching; environmental activism as a student

Preliminary FindingsPreliminary Findings

Career Satisfaction Career Satisfaction Sources of fulfillment – making the world a better Sources of fulfillment – making the world a better

place, working with students, empowering place, working with students, empowering students, helping others get excited and take students, helping others get excited and take action, creating connections between groups, action, creating connections between groups, seeing the lights go onseeing the lights go on

Sources of frustration – people not taking initiative Sources of frustration – people not taking initiative or following through; relying too much on them; or following through; relying too much on them; pace of change is slower than is needed; low pace of change is slower than is needed; low involvement of people of colorinvolvement of people of color

Career Effectiveness Career Effectiveness Factors that influence effectiveness – time Factors that influence effectiveness – time

available, administrative support (budget, access, available, administrative support (budget, access, interest), personal energy and ability interest), personal energy and ability

Preliminary FindingsPreliminary Findings

Career MaintenanceCareer Maintenance Career management activities – professional Career management activities – professional

development courses, especially in the area development courses, especially in the area of public administration and planning; of public administration and planning; avoiding burnoutavoiding burnout

MotivationMotivation Sources of personal motivation – strong Sources of personal motivation – strong

environmental values, opportunity to see the environmental values, opportunity to see the impact of their work, growth in interest on impact of their work, growth in interest on their campus and on other campuses, their campus and on other campuses, interaction with sustainability coordinators interaction with sustainability coordinators at other institutionsat other institutions

Relevance for FacultyRelevance for Faculty Coordinators will assume duties that Coordinators will assume duties that

environmentally concerned faculty may environmentally concerned faculty may otherwise attempt to fillotherwise attempt to fill

Can provide ideas for and access to on-campus Can provide ideas for and access to on-campus course projects, as well as a resource to studentscourse projects, as well as a resource to students

Can increase student attention to and excitement Can increase student attention to and excitement for sustainability in organizations, thus for sustainability in organizations, thus increasing interest in sustainability management increasing interest in sustainability management coursescourses

Campus sustainability activities can generate Campus sustainability activities can generate job-relevant skills and experience for students job-relevant skills and experience for students that can lead to placements, thus increasing that can lead to placements, thus increasing administrative support for sustainable business administrative support for sustainable business education courses & programseducation courses & programs

Relevance for IndustryRelevance for Industry Campus sustainability activities ultimately aim Campus sustainability activities ultimately aim

to create ecologically sustainable organizationsto create ecologically sustainable organizations Require and develop industry-relevant skillsRequire and develop industry-relevant skills

Environmental problem identification and analysisEnvironmental problem identification and analysis Alternative generation and prioritizationAlternative generation and prioritization Vendor interactionVendor interaction Financial analysisFinancial analysis Stakeholder analysis, including attention to org. Stakeholder analysis, including attention to org.

politicspolitics Planning and implementation of changePlanning and implementation of change Communication, persuasion and marketingCommunication, persuasion and marketing Working in multidisciplinary teams, and in Working in multidisciplinary teams, and in

partnershipspartnerships Project evaluationProject evaluation

Concluding ThoughtsConcluding Thoughts Campus sustainability activities, Campus sustainability activities,

facilitated by sustainability facilitated by sustainability coordinators, offer a tremendous coordinators, offer a tremendous potential for:potential for: Creating meaningful ecological benefitsCreating meaningful ecological benefits Generating campus-community partnershipsGenerating campus-community partnerships Enhancing the status of and resources for Enhancing the status of and resources for

sustainability management curriculasustainability management curricula Increasing sustainability skill developmentIncreasing sustainability skill development Contributing to the greening of industryContributing to the greening of industry

As such, they deserve our support and As such, they deserve our support and involvementinvolvement