The document provides 10 suggestions for obtaining faculty buy-in for sustainable practices in colleges and universities. The suggestions are: 1) make people aware of the need for action in a significant and personal way, 2) give people specific feedback, 3) participate at all levels rather than dictating, 4) take an incremental approach rather than doing everything at once, 5) celebrate successes along the way, 6) lead by quiet and clear action, 7) coopt naysayers rather than ignoring or forcing them, 8) share gains and credit as rewards, 9) keep messaging positive rather than hopeless, and 10) institutionalize programs to make them lasting rather than a temporary fad.

1. Sustainable Practices:
10 Suggestions To Obtain Faculty “Buy In”
Thomas Head & Melissa Stutz
Roosevelt
University

2. • Sustainability is not just a call for radical
environmentalism,
• It is all about managing a behavioral
change among the employees.
• But, how do we typically approach such
issues in colleges & universities?

3. Suggestion 1
• Make people aware of
the need for action – it
must be significant and
personal.

4. Suggestion 2
• Give people feedback –
specific and concrete,
even if it isn’t “good”

5. Suggestion 3
• Don’t dictate.
Participate! All Levels!!

6. Suggestion 4
• Don’t do everything all
at once. Use the
incremental approach –
step-by-step

7. Suggestion 5
• Celebrate successes
along the way!

8. Suggestion 6
• Lead by action, quietly
and clearly.

9. Suggestion 7
• Coopt the naysayers,
don’t ignore or force
them.

10. Suggestion 8
• Reward people – share
the gains and the credit

11. Suggestion 9
• Keep things “light” –
not hopeless and
“doom and gloom”

12. Suggestion 10
• Institutionalize the
program. Make sure it
isn’t simply the “fad of
the month”.
• Human Resources, not
Marketing

13. Thank you. Comments?