University of Virginia
EN-9: Staff Professional Development and Training

Many departments participating in the Green Workplace Program have requested educational sustainability events for their staff. Some are fulfilled by presentations from representatives in the Office for Sustainability, and others bring in guest speakers or faculty members to highlight relevant topics in sustainability.

Specific trainings have been developed for staff with certain operational specialties. For example, we offer Green Purchasing Training and Zero Waste Event Host training at least once per year.

Sustainability Partners bi-monthly lunch-and-learn meetings also provide sustainability education to any interested UVA employee, and the topics alternate between being related to employees personal lives v. their professional work.

The University also offers $2000 per employee per calendar year in tuition benefits for academic and related coursework, including vocational and professional development opportunities. The flexibility of UVA's education benefits allow employees to pursue coursework in any area of interest. For employees interested in sustainability, significant sustainability-related coursework exists at UVA and employees may also pursue external coursework and professional development opportunities using their education benefits.

Many employees in Facilities Management are supported in maintenance of their LEED credentials through external providers. Some sub-units have a budget set aside for relevant trainings from the Greater Virginia Green Building Council, for example.

In addition, all UVA employees are eligible for education benefits, which can be used toward sustainability-related trainings, classes, conferences, etc. if relevant:

ACADEMIC TUITION BENEFIT - applied to for-credit coursework toward a degree or academic program. Up to the full $4,360 may be used for tuition toward a degree seeking program.

ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BENEFIT - available for use on job or career-growth related offerings relevant to your current job. Up to $2,000 may be used for professional development, including classes, certification training, and conferences. This leaves $2,360 to be used toward the Tuition Benefit if you also choose to pursue a degree or certificate program.

MEDICAL CENTER COURSE BENEFIT - team Members receive up to $2,000 per calendar year for eligible courses. Team Members in "hard to fill" positions, or those pursuing degree requirements for one of these positions, may receive up to $5,250 per year for eligible courses.

MEDICAL CENTER CERTIFICATION BENEFIT - also available for approved professional certification expenses, for up to $375 per year beyond the $2,000 or $5,250 course benefit.

For years, Facilities Management has listed sustainability as a Core Initiative, and contribution to core initiatives has been an item on performance reviews department-wide.

In addition, we know of a handful of employees who have been formally tasked by their supervisors with executing sustainability initiatives within their departments. Some have had performance goals related to Green Workplaces efforts (Cooper Center and School of Nursing), and others have been evaluated on their contributions to sustainability strategic planning or initiatives (Darden, Dining, Procurement).