Green Office Certification Program: My Experience

This post was written by the Sustainability Office Green Office Certification Program Coordinator, Rissy Mathias. 

Working within the Sustainability Office has been an amazing experience that has shed light for me onto the inner-workings of the campus-wide plan of sustainability. UCSC is a campus that truly strives to integrate sustainability through student-led initiatives backed by staff involvement. Working in the Green Office Certification Program, I have enjoyed interacting with the staff and faculty of UCSC. This experience has helped me acquire skills such as interacting professionally and effectively outside of just my classroom experience.

My time at the Green Office Certification Program has allowed me to creatively tackle sustainability issues within this sector. My co-worker, Alana Mandrick, and I were able to integrate the evaluation of water practices into the certification program. Currently, we are finding a more efficient way to evaluate the energy practices of the offices on campus. We have done this by creating self-evaluation questions to receive perspectives from participating offices and by creating a system to check water systems within the office. This picture included shows some of the questions we ask office members on the self-evaluation calculator that they fill out during the certification process.

Photo courtesy of UCSC Green Office Certification Program

This was an important addition to the Green Office Certification Program, especially when the recent drought is taken into account. None of this would have been achievable without the promotion of creativity and the culture of innovation within the Sustainability Office.

Innovative Approaches to Sustainability at Other Campuses

Here are a few selections of the innovative approaches to sustainability taking place on other college campuses. Each of these examples was chosen because they represent ideas that UCSC could potentially implement in some form, or in some cases, already has begun to. If you see something here that you want to make a reality at UCSC, contact the Sustainability Office susted@ucsc.edu and we will help you direct your ideas toward fruition! 

UC Irvine student uses art to inspire climate activism
In art student Kathleen Deck's "Conservation Through Creation” art installation, a section of lawn won’t be watered for a month. The idea is to return an artificial environment to its natural state, and start a discussion about how the changing climate can affect water use and the fragile environment that people have created. Deck is one of 37 UC Carbon Neutrality Initiative Fellows. 

University of Illinois announces winners for Green Office Program
The Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) announced award winners for its 2014-15 Certified Green Office Program on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. Twenty-four participating offices collected hardware for making commitments toward and achieving energy and resource reductions during the school year. Here, at UCSC, we also have a Green Office Certification Program.

Sustainability Office Hiring for Winter

The Sustainability Office is currently hiring for winter quarter. Please help us spread the word by sharing these images and information via social media channels or email. If you have questions, please contact the staff supervisors listed on the applications, linked below.

Water Positions Available in the Sustainability Office: Deadline December 4
The Water Action and Drought Response (WADR) Team is dedicated to water conservation and aids UCSC in meeting water rationing goals during this time of drought. They work directly with water fixtures to assess and report for changes, and with student and University staff to promote wise water practices and educate about the seriousness of the drought. The WADR Team is looking for two new students to join a four-person team starting winter quarter. The deadline to apply is December 4, and interviews will happen the following week. View the requirements and application on the Employee Request system here (ER 7324).

Seeking Green Office Certification Program Coordinator

The Sustainability Office is looking for an exceptional leader to oversee the Green Office Certification Program. Lead a team of students to work with staff across campus to improve their business practices and to adopt sustainable behaviors. Full job description and application are available on the UCSC Employment Request system here (ER 6682).

Humanities Goes Green!

In Fall 2013, the Humanities Division proudly launched its very first green team with the goal of obtaining Green Office Certification through the UCSC Office of Sustainability. Green team members pledge to serve as sustainability champions for the department and act as liaisons with the Office of Sustainability to implement sustainable practices in everyday operations, improve overall environmental performance, reduce waste, and build a community of sustainability for the Humanities Division. The team is also committed to the Chancellors Sustainability Challenge, a coordinated campuswide effort to make significant progress toward reaching zero waste by 2020. Join us! We want to expand the Humanities Green Team to include representatives from each department in Humanities, including staff, faculty and students. Please contact us if you’re interested HGT@ucsc.edu.

For more information, check out the full article here!

April 2014 Sustainability Profile: Financial Affairs Green Team

Each month, our newsletter features a person or group on campus that is working toward a more sustainable world. This month features the Financial Affairs Green Team, who hosted "A Year in Waste" this past year in order to encourage use of sustainable practices in their office.

We asked the Financial Affairs Green Team about the Year in Waste and their strategies for spearheading sustainable practices in departments.

Financial Affairs is deeply entrenched in sustainability and hosting a year in waste. Tell us a little about what the "Year In Waste" is and how financial affairs has worked to green their business practices:

In response to the Chancellor’s Sustainability Challenge and to support the university’s goal to be zero waste by the year 2020, the Financial Affairs Green Team kicked off this effort by presenting "A Year in Waste". The Green Team hosted a fall "Year in Waste" event as a creative and fun way to build awareness of waste generated by Financial Affairs activities and to encourage more sustainable and ecologically-friendly practices. This event included a humorous skit by the Financial Affairs Actors Pool, a raffle of donated "green items", food, a debut of the Dimeo Lane Video - sharing what was learned from visiting the Dimeo Lane Landfill about trash management and sustainability, and an inspirational talk and call to action by Director of Sustainability, Lacey Raak.

Financial Affairs was also a collaborator on a four week pilot waste stream project including Waste and Recycling, Grounds Services, Custodial, and 2300 Delaware Facilities Managements. During this pilot, a baseline measurement of waste was collected and will be used to compare against future waste measurements. Through education, conservation and increased composting, our goal this year is to divert at least 10% of our waste from going to the Dimeo Lane Landfill. With the help of a carbon fund grant, a second worm bin has been installed and is in use.

Another event featured as part of our "Year in Waste" was a Bring your Hand Towel to Work Week. Eighty-two percent of Financial Affairs employees pledged to stop using paper towels for at least a week. In addition, employees took the Chancellor’s Challenge with a prize given to units with the highest participation levels. This was a wonderful opportunity to educate and engage people in discussions about campus sustainability and living a greener lifestyle - encouraging us all to be mindful of the amount of waste we generate. To that end, educational events related to a waste reduction theme have been scheduled for the year: Worm Composting with David Shaw, Preparing Green Lunches by Culinary Educator Talya Lutzker, and an E-waste Recycling Presentation by Hannah Hodgson.

All eight units of financial affairs have undergone green office certification.

There are so many other departments and units on campus-- what is one strategy that you would suggest to those that are interested in spearheading sustainability efforts and greening their business practices?
Critical to the success of the Financial Affairs Green Team has been the level of commitment, engagement and support for sustainability from Financial Affairs Management and The Chancellor. The creation of a Mission Statement helped to clarify our focus and work more effectively towards reaching our goals. The "Green Team" used project plans to share goals and objectives with actionable steps for management approval prior to execution.

The creation of a clear vision and mission along with a commitment to educate others is a great starting place for any department interested in enacting change and greening their practices. Clear communication is key – providing all participants with opportunities for discussion, education and engagement. It is important to have "stakeholders" rather than passive observers to truly effect change.

Innovative Approaches to Sustainability at Other Campuses

Here are a few selections of the innovative approaches to sustainability taking place on other college campuses. Each of these examples was chosen because they represent ideas that UCSC could potentially implement in some form, or in some cases, already has begun to. If you see something here that you want to make a reality at UCSC, contact the Sustainability Office at, sustain.education [at] ucsc [dot] edu and we will help you direct your ideas toward fruition!

U Maryland Uses Houseplants to Aid Indoor Air Quality
Helping staff and faculty members achieve silver status for its green office program, students from the University of Maryland's Institute of Applied Agriculture assist in the production of potting and maintaining plants for distribution. The program is even used as a teaching opportunity and they have a plant science class where students pot the plants and grow until distribution day. We also have Green Office Certification Program that works to empower our campus offices to implement sustainable practices in their everyday operations, but what if we too had a class that grew plants to distribute to offices?

U Maryland Celebrates 'Park(ing) Day'

Students from the University of Maryland's chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Arboretum and Botanical Garden recently converted two parking spaces into a public park in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of green spaces in urban areas. In celebration of the international environmental movement “PARK(ing) Day,” this university’s chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the UMD Arboretum and Botanical Garden converted two parking spaces in front of Cole Field House into a public park. Re-imagine East Remote Parking lot with a celebration of different uses for that space!

Griffith U Creates Climate Change App

A university in Australia has newly released Coastal Ecosystems Response to Climate Change Synthesis Report app, which provides critical information for anticipating how climate change may impact on coastal Australia, will help the public navigate through science and make decisions about the growing climate change threat. With our proximity to the coast here at UCSC, it would be useful to have an app like this here to warn us of future climate change issues.

Western Washington U Students Pilot Rentable Mug Program
Each time a student enjoys a latte, tea or other hot beverage on campus, they are confronted with a choice: to use a single-use disposable cup or a reusable mug. In an effort to reduce waste and money spent on handling that waste, students from a Campus Sustainability Planning Studio class at Western Washington University initiated Project MUG this fall using grant funding from the university's green fee. Project MUG enables students to rent a reusable mug for beverages. Here, UCSC Dining has implemented a system that utilizes a FREE mobile phone application to track drink purchases with reusable mugs at Perk Coffee Bars. It is called GVING and it's really simple to use.

Recently Green Certified Payroll Office Writes Song

Congratulations to the Payroll office for their completion of the Green Office Certification Program! They earned a "Sapling" rating for their sustainable practices and created a commitment plan as a guide to help them improve their behavior and become a "Tree."

They also wrote an incredible song about their experiences and overall feelings about sustainability on campus. Check it out!

To the tune of "Yakko's Universe" from The Animaniacs.

Everybody works in a cubie or an office
or a lab on location for what it's worth.
And we all report to a division which is part of a department
that works at a University known as UCSC.

And UCSC is a college full of oceanographers and lit majors
and students silently analyzing data deep in space.
And working at UCSC are the students and employees
striving to insure the living planet is keeping pace.

It's a great big University
and we’ve all heard the call:
Zero Waste by 2020,
“We can do it!” says George Blumenthal.
You might think it won’t mean much
but shut your lights off on the way to lunch.
It's a big University and we’re Green!

Going Green is super easy; it can start with a towel

that you bring from home to dry your cups and hands.

And as you are leaving work, flip off all the lights in sight,

don’t forget about your computers and the monitor screens, too!

Across the entire campus, we’re opening up the blinds

and finding carpool buddies for our daily drives

and there’s a bunch of folks riding bikes up Bay Avenue

in a beautifully Go Green parade!

Take a look around the campus, you will find recycle bins

of blue and green and brown to put your recycling in.

Stop buying bottled water and compost your banana peel!

We can make our goal a little at a time.
‘Cause education starts with action, and we all can do it:

UCSC – full of students, faculty and staff

doing our part to be sure the universe extends to a place that never ends.
Going Green is not a passing trend!

It's a great big University
and we’ve all heard the call:
Zero Waste by 2020,
“We can do it!” says George Blumenthal.
You might think it won’t mean much
but shut your lights off on the way to lunch.
It's a big University and we’re Green!

The Green Office Certification Team has loved working with you Payroll! Thank you for your enthusiasm.

To learn more about the Green Office Certification Team and to have your office green certified next, visit the website.

Green Labs Certification Program Welcomes New Members

Last year was the inaugural year of the Green Labs Program at UCSC, comprised of staff from Environmental Health & Safety and students from the Zero Waste Team, Green Office Certification, and PowerSave Green Campus. Together the team visited campus labs and collaborated with lab staff in pinpointing potential energy-saving strategies and ways of recycling lab materials, thus diverting them from the landfill. The program developed a comprehensive green certification process for all campus labs and set a baseline to evaluate labs based on the three program goals of energy efficiency, waste reduction, and green purchasing. During Spring Quarter 2013, the Green Labs Team certified their first two labs on campus, Partch and Saltikov Labs!

Earlier this quarter, they welcomed to the team Matt Williams, the program's new Green Labs Facilitator. This month they are welcoming two new staff members, Rina Laxamana as the new Outreach & Education Coordinator and Jaclyn Schmitt. Both Jaclyn and Rina will make essential contributions to further the cause of laboratory sustainability at our University.

In the coming weeks the program will be outreaching to laboratories on campus that may be interested in become a certified Green Lab. The Green Labs committee is asking any representatives from labs that would like to learn more about the certification process to contact them: greenlabs@ucsc.edu. The certification process has become more efficient, and it is a highly rewarding undertaking for laboratories interested in being recognized for their commitment to sustainability.

For general program information about the Green Labs Program, please see the website here!

Financial Accounting & Reporting and Payroll Offices Become Green Certified

Congratulations to the members of the Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) and Payroll Offices for completing their Green Office Certification this summer! Both did a wonderful job engaging in the process and have made commitment plans that will keep them engaged in sustainability efforts. For more information about the Green Office Certification Program, or if you would like to get involved, please check out the Green Office Certification website.

Green Office Certification: Student Perspectives

As we near the end of the school year, the Green Office Certification (GOC) team is looking back at all we have accomplished and what lies ahead. Here are two accounts from GOC associates that will be graduating this June.

"My job as GOC program associate is to assess other offices on their sustainable practices and give them recommendations to become more sustainable. I have performed behavior, energy, and waste assessments for numerous offices across campus, and I have generated recommendation reports to further educate office members. While the participating office members are learning and benefiting from our program, I also have learned a lot along the way. Not only did I gain critical job skills, such as communication and analytic skills, I also expanded my knowledge of, and passion for, sustainability. During the assessments of each office, I always learn new things and become more inspired by the office’s innovations."

-Allen Chang

"I have worked out of the Sustainability Office for two years now, first as a Campus Sustainability Intern and then as a Green Office Certification Team Member. I am approaching my last few weeks as a UCSC undergraduate which means I also had to undertake the scary, nerve-racking process of getting a job. During my interviews I had the same question asked of me: “What is Green Office Certification at UCSC”? I was surprised how interested people were in what I have done for sustainability during my academic career. One employer even told me she is currently working with a certification group similar to GOC and took pleasure in letting me know that their most recent building was LEED Certified! Needless to say, I am quite happy this employer was the one to offer me a full-time position! I will be looking forward to new and different ways sustainability may incorporate itself in my career after college, both at this new company and any other future work environment."

-Christian Frederick

Both of these guys will be dearly missed next year, but we know that their experience working in the Sustainability Office has provided them with the resources to excel beyond college. Good luck you two!

If you are interested in learning more about Green Office Certification or the work we do, check out our website or email greenoffices@ucsc.edu. And if you are interested in working with us, or any other sustainability org, view our job listings website.

Now Hiring! Sustainability Job Fair May 6

Are you interested in gaining meaningful work experience? The Sustainability Office is looking for motivated and passionate students to join our team for the 2013-14 academic year. Work in a team environment, gain valuable professional and leadership skills, and make a difference on your campus! Student interns work to change behavior in campus offices through our Green Office Certification Program, help our campus move toward its zero waste goals, oversee the campus Carbon Fund, and educate and motivate students to integrate sustainability into their lifestyles.

In addition to Sustainability Office Positions, the Colleges Housing and Educational Services unit is hiring new Student Sustainability Advisors for residential education and the Impact Designs: Engineering and Sustainability through Student Service (IDEASS) Internship program is looking for interns to work on sustainability projects across the community.

We will be hosting a sustainability job informational session on May 6 from 12-2 PM in the Cervantes & Velasquez Room in the Bay Tree Conference Building, above the Bookstore. Feel free to come by any time, ask questions, meet current students and staff who work in these offices and programs, and apply for a position!

For a full list of positions we're recruiting for, visit our jobs and internships website. Apply soon--we're aiming to have positions filled by the end of May.

Enterprise Financial Systems Green Office Certified

Congratulations to the entire office of Enterprise Financial Systems for their successful completion of the Green Office Certification Program! They earned a Sprout rating for their sustainable office practices and have created a commitment plan to continue improving their sustainable behaviors and become a tree!

Here is what Frankie Brouwer, Senior Analyst at EFS, has to say about their certification:

"The EFS office recently went through Green Office Certification process and earned a sprout rating!  Our office is one of the offices in Financial Affairs, the goal is to have all of Financial Affairs certified.  Of course we will not stop with our certification, but will continue to think about ways to practice sustainability in our office.  Some of the ideas include using reusable containers for lunch items, reusing scrap paper and bring our own towels to work instead of using paper towels.  We encourage other offices to adopt these green practices as well."

If you work in an office and would like to see it Green Certified like EFS, check out the website for more information.

Controller's Office Goes Green

The Green Office Certification Team would like to congratulate the members of The Controller's Office for their successful completion of our Certification Program and Sapling rating. Great job! Below is the personal account of Controls and Compliance Manager, Ivan Ditmars, on their Green Office process and the work of the Controller's Office:

"First and foremost on behalf of the Controller’s Office I would like to thank Christian Frederick, Casey Wing, and the rest of the Green Office members. The professionalism presented by the team of students shows they have been trained well in the art of conservation and work ethics. The controller’s Office has many solid conservation best practices in place which earned our team with a certification level of Sapling. The assessment conducted revealed some interesting improvements that we can make around the office, which may be small, but if implemented campus wide would be a great conservation achievement."

The top recommended changes they encouraged the Controller's Office team to make were:

1. Improve signage on/near recycling bins in office and provide a main recycling bin near the printer. 
2. Use “smart power strips” for office appliances in order to make it easier to turn off multiple appliances at once

Thanks Ivan, and thank you Controller's Office! Way to improve your sustainable practices and be a model for green offices across campus!

For more information about the Green Office Certification Program, please visit their website or email Casey Wing.

Green Office Certification for Extramural Funds

Congratulations to the Office of Extramural Funds successfully completed the Green Office Certification process and earned a "Sprout" rating.

"The certification process taught us the realities of recycling and helped us think about our every day actions and what those mean for sustainability," said Marcie Coulter, Special Projects and Compliance Manager.

They join the certification program's growing list of certified offices. Check out the Green Resources Page for some helpful tips on getting sustainable in your office.

PROPS PLOP: Sustainability News from the Chancellor's Office!

UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal has started a sustainable trend. 

On May 7, 2012, PROPS (the Program Recognizing Offices Practicing Sustainability) sat down with Chancellor Blumenthal and his office staff to consult on the sustainability of their office operations. During the meeting, the Chancellor was delighted to tell PROPS about their efforts to reduce the paper usage involved with his job. 
 
According to the Chancellor, at large meetings (such as Regents' meetings), each attendee is given at least one binder full of agenda items. This is a typical occurrence, but the UCSC Chancellor is fed up with the excessive paper use. His alternative? Downloading software that allows him to read, highlight, and mark up the meetings' documents on his computer tablet. Chancellor Blumenthal says that he is the first of the UC Chancellor's to make this transition, but several others have since followed suit. After noticing Chancellor's sleek, tech-savvy appearance at meetings, at least six other UC Chancellors have gone paperless at meetings.

In addition to eliminating binders at his meetings, Chancellor Blumenthal and his staff make conscious efforts to reduce paper usage. "We rarely print anything out anymore," says Maurene Catto, Executive Assistant to Chancellor Blumenthal.

PROPS and the Sustainability Office commend the Chancellor's commitment to sustainable behavior change, and encourage the office to keep up the good work!

To learn more about the Green Office Certification Program (formerly PROPS), visit the website.

Procurement and Business Contracts Office Certified Green as a "Tree" by PROPS

PROPS (Program Recognizing Offices Practicing Sustainability) has just awarded the Green Office Certification level of “Tree” to the Procurement and Business Contracts office. This is the highest award level currently available and it is the first time it has been awarded. The first certification for the Procurement Office was “Sapling,” awarded in August of 2011.

The Procurement Office received its original "Sapling" award in August 2011. They have just been certified "Tree" level, the highest level PROPS recognizes.

In addition to the initial assessment and award, Procurement was given a set of improvement recommendations that could increase the certification rating. The Procurement Office committed to these on-going improvements and future re-assessment.

With the help of PROPS, Procurement was able to achieve the new certification by successfully fulfilling multiple goals for improvement in areas such as waste reduction, energy conservation, and purchasing environmentally preferred products.

Great work, Procurement and Business Contracts Office!

To find out more about the Green Office Certification Program (formerly PROPS), click here.

Introducing: PROPS PLOPS - Sustainability stories from offices in the Program Recognizing Offices Practicing Sustainability (PROPS).

This week, students of PROPS, UCSC's own green office certification program sat down with representatives of the Program's most recent participants located off campus at 2300 Delaware: Enterprise Financial Systems and Extra Mural Funds. In the meeting, PROPS witnessed another example showing that UCSC's commitment to sustainability is not limited to campus boundaries. 

Written by Rebekah Jamison, a green liaison of Extra Mural Funds, below is a description of a great initiative that EMF has taken to reduce paper towel consumption.

"I noticed we had one towel in our kitchen area that seemed to get a lot of use. I use to be in charge of washing the reusable hand towels for my daughter's kindergarten class and thought I should do that for work. During Bring Your Towel to Work Week, I thought I would start doing just that. I put a pile of hand towels in the kitchen area and then got the idea to put a bucket that says "dirty towels" also in the kitchen area. I then decided that I would be responsible for bringing the towels home weekly and washing them with my towels at home. 

PROPS Interns Assessing the Cantu Center

"Another staff member and I started talking about this one day and she said she also had a bunch of old towels she could bring in. Since then, we go through a bucket of towels about every two weeks. I take 
them home to wash them, and my colleague has also volunteered to take them home from time to time. The towels are being used daily and I really think it has made a huge difference in how many paper towels we use in our kitchen area."

This is not the only example of an office kicking the paper towel habit - UCSC's Purchasing Department recently coordinated an entire week devoted to reusable towel usage. More news on this event coming soon!

PROPS and the Sustainability Office commend all offices that take innovative initiatives like this to improve the sustainability of their daily operations. We challenge all offices to show UCSC how sustainable they can be!

For more information on the Green Office Certification Program (formerly PROPS) and a list of its certified offices, visit the website!