Elisabeth Reed and Christine Bruckner ’09, M.S. ’11 from Illinois State University’s Office of Sustainability are two of those fortunate people who get to do work they are passionate about. One of their newest passion projects is the Green Workplace Certification program, which launched in October 2023.
“We had seen similar types of green workplace or office certification programs find success at other universities and thought this was something we could adopt here at ISU,” Reed said.
As director, Reed said the desire and basic framework were in place, but one key ingredient was missing.
“I wanted to provide this certification for our campus, but it was Christine, our assistant director, who made it happen,” Reed said. “Until she was hired, we didn’t have the capacity to develop it further. Christine created the entire program and now manages the certification process with each office.
“She deserves all the credit.”
Bruckner, who started her position in January 2023, was grateful for the praise from her boss and said they share a mutual respect for each other and a passion for their jobs.
“Elisabeth and I are a small but mighty team,” Bruckner said. “We work very well together and are passionate and proud of the work we do. Creating this certification program is one of the objectives within the University’s Sustainability Strategic Plan to continue to cultivate a culture of sustainability across the institution,”
In her time at Illinois State, Bruckner has helped launch several projects, but this was one of her first after she stepped into her new role.
“It has been very rewarding and exciting to see something you’ve worked hard on and are passionate about be well received,” she said.
Reed said the program encourages offices and departments to get involved and be part of creating a culture of sustainability on campus. She’s not surprised by the interest in the program.
“We have so many engaged staff members across this University,” she said. “I often receive emails with questions about how to recycle batteries, requests for a compost bin for an office, or someone inquiring about hosting a zero-waste event.
“Getting certified takes that involvement to the next level. We now have staff throughout campus serving as ambassadors and educators for sustainability.”
“Creating this certification program is one of the objectives within the University’s Sustainability Strategic Plan to continue to cultivate a culture of sustainability across the institution.”
—Christine Bruckner
Three offices on campus—the Office of Sustainability (of course!), the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, and the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures—are now green-certified. Several others are working toward certification.
“We are excited to see so many offices pursue certification,” Reed said. “This clearly demonstrates the value of sustainability across ISU.”
Reed has advice for those considering certification: “The checklist may seem intimidating at first glance, but many of these items are likely already being done, and a few just require some tweaks around the office. We are here to help make those changes as seamless as possible.”
Each participating office designates a workplace green leader. For the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Katie Shadid, office support specialist, filled the role. Shadid said teamwork is crucial for success.
“I think it’s a combined effort that makes the biggest difference,” she said. “And I think taking on these sustainability initiatives as a team makes the bigger picture feel more achievable.”
Shadid said Dr. Joan Brehm, department chairperson, introduced the idea. Brehm’s interest came naturally as co-director of Illinois State’s Center for a Sustainable Water Future and because her research focuses on the environment and natural resource sociology. The department didn’t need convincing.
“We were already doing some of the required core practices, so it was a no-brainer to take on a few more to earn certification,” Shadid said. “Most of the initiatives are easy to integrate into our lifestyle in the workplace that they are worth the little bit of extra effort and mindfulness in the bigger picture of helping create a healthier environment.”
Shadid’s favorite part was collaborating with colleagues.
“The feeling of belonging and being a part of something for a good cause is really rewarding,” she said.
Cost efficiency has been the biggest challenge as some eco-friendly products like compostable, single-serve coffee pods as an alternative to non-compostable pods can cost more. Shadid said it’s important to balance the budget with the desire to use more eco-friendly products.
“It can be tricky,” she said. “Ultimately, we have to decide what areas we can compromise cost for a greener alternative in a realistic and mindful way.”
Shadid said to expect great support from the Office of Sustainability.
“They are wonderful, so encouraging, helpful, community-oriented, and they get us excited about sustainability,” she said.
Nikki Dalbey, office manager for the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, took the lead for her office. She said the project was a good fit.
“Our department is dedicated to cultivating a profound global perspective among our students,” Dalbey said. “We do this by emphasizing the significance of safeguarding linguistic and cultural heritages. Advocating for the preservation of our planet and its resources by modeling our own sustainability efforts perfectly aligns with our commitment to conserving diverse cultures and communities.”
Dalbey said despite decades of discussions about environmental concerns and sustainability efforts like recycling being second nature, there is still work to be done.
“For our department, it was important to actively participate in and model a strong commitment to global social responsibility,” she said. “Local efforts can impact the well-being of communities and ecosystems worldwide.”
One challenge was getting everyone to participate, but Dalbey’s favorite part was discovering all the ways her department was creatively practicing sustainability already.
“We have a number of faculty members who bike or walk to work, provide class materials electronically rather than in print, and make use of University single-stream recycling,” she said. “Many faculty and staff members laminate worksheets to re-use each semester, and some have repurposed the plexiglass COVID barriers as desktop dry erase boards to eliminate paper waste.”
Dalbey encourages all University departments to participate and described the Office of Sustainability as amazing and available.
“They have created a program that goes beyond performative work while still being accessible,” she said. “They’re a great resource, and they are great cheerleaders.”
Practicing sustainability, Dalbey said, is a reminder to not lose sight of what really matters.
“We all spend our time preparing students for their careers and their future contributions to the world,” she said. “We can’t forget to ensure that they have a healthy planet on which to make their impact.”
