University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
EN-9: Staff Professional Development and Training

The UTRGV Office for Sustainability provides sustainability training and professional development opportunities to UTRGV staff through workshops, speaker series, and other events.

A "Sustainability Leadership" module is included in HR’s Supervisor Excellence Series each semester: "UTRGV Sustainable Development Leader - Overview of the principles of sustainability through the continuing existence of a healthy, safe and environmentally sustainable campus that enhances individual health, community well-being, and positive teaching/learning experiences, while maximizing efficiencies to enact change on our campus and the region."
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Sustainability is also included in new staff orientation and the Office for Sustainability contact information is listed on the resources slide provided to all new hires along with the orientation presentation for reference in case they do not recall the information presented.

Sustainability Development trainings are provided to university Departments upon request to assist in alignment with strategic planning and assessment.

Sustainable Development guides for staff are available on the OFS website: https://www.utrgv.edu/sustainability/resources-and-guides/guides-for-staff/index.htm

The University sends staff to professional development conferences for organizations they are members of and that correspond to their discipline. The list below is for these external professional development conferences that serve topics and professional training in sustainability.

-The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE): As an independent non-profit organization that defines sustainability in an inclusive way, membership at AASHE includes every individual at UTRGV. The outstanding opportunities for professional development that disseminate knowledge and professional resources incorporate non-academic staff into sustainable practices. UTRGV students, faculty and staff have attended all AASHE conferences since 2009.

-Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS): UTRGV staff often participates in the annual Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability. This statewide network embodies inter-campus collaboration. TRACS provides expertise and resources pertaining to climate and sustainability initiatives through summits or conferences. This event is sponsored through members who represent colleges, universities, and staff of the National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology program.

-The International Society of Sustainability Professional (ISSP): provides networking for shared interest or sustainability project collaboration; sharing best practices and tools to have a repository for case studies, sample policies and job descriptions as well as other sustainability resources; and professional development to have access to conferences and workshops dedicated to sustainability practitioners at UTRGV.

-The Society for College and University Planning (SCUP): Its board and staff pledge to incorporate the principles of sustainability into member benefits and daily operations. This society constitutes a community of leaders in higher education who are responsible and involved in integrating planning on their campuses and with the professionals who support them. Members look to SCUP (professional development programming such as conference sessions, workshops, webcasts, etc.) to find ways to successfully integrate the institution's mission into their academic plan, and then seek to integrate all other kinds of planning on campus in support of the academic plan.

-Texas Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA/TAPPA): is a non-profit organization in the state of Texas that promotes common interests, proficiency and professionalism in college and university Physical Plant operations to include planning, development, administration, maintenance and operations. TAPPA fosters sustainable professional ideals and standards to better serve the objectives of institutions of higher education and to promote interest and proficiency in the administration of college and university physical plant operations.

-The Lower Rio Grande Valley-American Institute of Architects (LRGV-AIA): LRGV-AIA carries out its goal through advocacy, information, and community. As the voice of the architectural profession dedicated to serving its members, it sponsors hundreds of continuing education experiences advancing architectural knowledge. LRGV-AIA also conducts market research and provides analysis of the economic factors that affect the business of architecture while improving the quality of the built environment.

-The Texas Society of Architects: is the voice for Texas architecture, supporting the creation of safe, beautiful, sustainable environments.

-Association for Climate Change Officers (ACCO): Climate change professionals play key roles in bringing about a critical transformation to operations and governance in the public and private sectors. ACCO, the premier community of practice and professional association for individuals addressing climate change in their occupations, is comprised of a rich and diverse blend of professionals encompassing a wide variety of sectors and professional functions.

Given that UTRGV´s strategic plan refers to sustainability as a key guiding principle, employee performance reviews ask non-academic staff to indicate how their operations align with the sustainable practices introduced in orientation and trainings and outlined in the strategic plan.