Carnegie Mellon University
ER-1: Student Sustainability Educators Program

All students who express an interest in promoting sustainable living practices in campus residential halls and committing to be an Eco-Rep are accepted and receive an educational training. This student program is voluntary with no stipend. The residential living community includes on & off campus residents, and Fraternity & Sorority Housing.

Students receive an educational training through 16 different sessions. Students engage and learn about current environmental topics and issues at each session. Topics include but are not limitied to water, food, waste, consumption, green living, energy, climate and transportation.

Carnegie Mellon University Housing & Dining Services financially supports the Eco-Rep program. The Coordinator of Student Development in Student Affairs advises this program.

StuCo is an educational organization involving hundreds of students at Carnegie Mellon University. The Student College was established in 2001 to provide Carnegie Mellon students with the opportunity to share knowledge through educational, self-designed courses. Students can teach classes on any topic of their choice. However, the course cannot be available through regular University offerings. Instructors and students receive credit for their work. •All currently-enrolled CMU students, staff and community members are eligible to take StuCo courses.

Courses typically meet once a week (for a full semester) and follow the current Carnegie Mellon academic calendar. Environmental courses are offered in StuCo programming, such as gardening class.

CMU students are eligible to teach StuCo courses and to join the Executive Committee that governs StuCo. The StuCo Executive Committee is comprised of the Officers and Members At Large. StuCo is governed by this committee along with faculty advisors. Student teachers are not compensated for teaching the courses.

Leaders from all university student environmental organizations are encouraged to participate.

Student leadership is both a critical driver to making college campuses more sustainable and an important way that students can develop the real world skills that can lead to professional careers in sustainability fields. An annual Student Leadership Program has been implemented at Carnegie Mellon using the framework listed below for the training. Training includes applying Transformative Leadership principles to more effectively work with others, understanding and navigating campus administration and bureaucracy, planning and goal setting. 1.) Motivational Speakers: Present & Past Student Leaders 2.) Transformative Leadership: Intersection of Vision, Mission & Goals - The transformative leadership model was developed by Sandra Rodriguez, the Director of Student Activities at the University of Nevada (Reno). As suggested by the “gears” visual, transformative leadership is an ongoing process that happens at multiple levels simultaneously. As you assume a leadership role, not only will you be changing the organization and ideally the community around you, but these actors will also change you. The most effective leaders realize that their work at all levels interacts and is ongoing. 3.) Leveraging Resources: Working with University Administration Effective Fundraising 4.) Communication/Social Networking/Knowing Your Audience: Listening Conflict Management Group Dynamics 5.) Creating Organizational Relationships: Passing the Gavel Advisors/Advisory Councils 6.) Program Planning: Brainstorming/Strategic Planning Messaging Creative advertising Campus Publicity 7.) Outcomes: Cultivate more effective student leaders. Re-examine and give historical context as to why specific groups were created on our campus and their original goals-visions. Identify areas for improvement in relationship between organizations & the campus as a collective.

With the help from alumni and graduate students, Student Affairs and Green Practices have collaborated on this training program with funding from Dean of Student Affairs Office.