Thompson Rivers University
EN-9: Staff Professional Development and Training

The TRU Human Resources Department (HR) offers training and professional development in sustainability to their employees. These programs are recognized by the institution as formal training and professional development. Participants carry event passports and they get them stamped by HR staff once they go to each event to demonstrate that they've attended. Over the last four years, many events have been made available to all staff and faculty, but the most prominent professional development event has focused primarily on issues to do with social sustainability. Included in this definition are diversity, equity, inclusiveness, gender/transgender issues, civility, kindness, mental health, Aboriginal experiences, bullying and harassment, respectfulness, cultural differences, and mindfulness.
A broad array of topics regarding sustainability were on the agenda for the 2020 event, including but not limited to accessibility, essentials, leadership, professional growth, wellness, and technology.
An example of the social sustainability training offered, please see this site titled Intercultural Learning at TRU: https://www.tru.ca/intercultural/faculty-staff.html
Workshops offered through the training include:
Building Intercultural Competencies
Interculturalizing the Curriculum: A Learning Outcomes Approach
Culture in the Classroom & Rethinking Multicultural Group Work
Academic Integrity: Whose Culture is it?
Writing across Borders
Culturally Diverse Learners: Examining Expectations, Assumptions, and Approaches
An example of a sustainability training initiative at TRU is Professional Development Day. An annual event hosted by Thompson Rivers University, this year's theme being “Empowered to Transform”. This event gives faculty and staff the opportunity to educate themselves on sustainability, professional development, and training opportunities that the institution makes available.
This link shows events agenda and opportunities: https://pdweek2021.sched.com/
these opportunities include, but are not limited to:
DIY- Chair Yoga
Creative Thinking- The Power to Navigate Disruption
TRU People Open Discussion
DIY- Mindfulness for Work & Life
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Foundations
DIY- Computer & Neck Stretching
Get Zero Wasted! How Good are your home waste management systems?

Finally, another example of the all-staff and all-faculty sustainability training is exemplified in the myriad training opportunities offered to anyone who wanted to participate in last year's International Days (IDays). Here is the schedule: https://www.tru.ca/internationaldays/schedule.html

The TRU Sustainability Office makes funding available to any TRU staff or faculty member for sustainability-related conferences, summits, courses, etc. each year. Staff or faculty members are expected to present a compelling case for their attendance at such functions to receive the funding. Examples of these types of functions include AASHE annual conferences, the International Sustainability Campus Network annual conference, and the Building SustainABLE Communities conference in Kelowna, BC.

Another example of one of the conferences financially supported by the institution would be the annual Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education. In order to help prepare our community to meet the sustainability challenges facing us all, TRU has become a key sponsor of this renowned university sustainability conference, hosted by AASHE. Every current TRU student, staff, and faculty member can attend any part of it for free. The theme for the conference is Mobilizing for a Just Transition.
Information about the conference can be found below:
https://www.facebook.com/TRUsustainability/posts/3655331191196191
https://inside.tru.ca/events/event/virtual-global-conference-sustainability-in-higher-ed/?fbclid=IwAR3ZkoUY5Gr67PxIzxvWLiPDyYW5pMVLgSndm2tWRszj1EU8MkYM6lAjEkY