Student STARS Researcher

Colorado Mountain College-Glenwood Springs•Glenwood Springs, CO

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Student Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) Researcher is responsible for facilitating data gathering and entry for CMC’s participation in AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Ratings System). Data may be sensitive and will require strict adherence to confidentiality procedures, policies and legal guidelines. The position is expected to work 5-10 hours per week for each of the 15 weeks in the semester. Work Sites will include three CMC campuses (Spring Valley, Edwards, and Steamboat Springs). This is a part-time position which is limited to 28 hours per CMC’s workweek. CMC’s workweek is Saturday through Friday.

Requirements

Full-time CMC student pursuing a BA in Sustainability Studies degree or a BS in Business with a Sustainability emphasis/minor.
Current enrollment in any 300 level SUS course or higher is required.
Applicant must demonstrate knowledge of core foundations of sustainability (as evidenced through coursework taken or in progress or through work or volunteer experience).
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; with e-mail and library/internet research; and with Google-based equivalents to Microsoft Office suite.
Reliability and follow through regarding work assigned.
Willingness to serve as one face of the STARS project team at internal and public events.
Excellent oral and written communications skills.
Attention to detail.
Ability to assume a high level of responsibility for managing one’s own work and coordinating that work with STARS project team leadership and STARS program goals.
Demonstrate a commitment to working effectively with students, employees, and community members of all backgrounds.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual (English/Spanish) or conversational language abilities preferred.

Responsibilities

Facilitate data gathering and entry for CMC’s participation in AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Ratings System).
Undertake extensive STARS training assigned/provided by supervisor, to include: Learning from the STARS Technical Manual, Watching STARS training videos, Reading additional STARS training material, and Working closely with supervisor to learn the processes for data gathering and analysis using secondary data gathering tools (mostly spreadsheets) and the STARS online system itself.
Analyze data needs, and suggest, in partnership with supervisor, best practices for gathering data.
Design and carry out successful stakeholder communications with areas of operation across all CMC sites and operational areas (academics, facilities, operations, and planning) to facilitate data gathering and analysis.
Enter data into secondary data gathering instruments (mostly spreadsheets) and into the STARS system itself.
Assist student groups from the SUS 450 (Sustainability Assessment and Reporting) course with data gathering and analysis work for STARS.
Participate in meetings of the STARS project leadership team.
Conduct and convey research on avenues for CMC to address sustainability challenges.
Assist with other STARS program development and management duties as assigned.
Analyze data gathered for submission to the STARS online tool.
Assist with drafting narrative STARS report content.
Assist with drafting the public version of the final STARS report and associated recommendations to be shared internally and, potentially, externally once each full STARS online report is complete.
Assist with organizing, promoting, and implementing STARS-related live events such as the sharing of the final STARS report, panel sessions at the CMC Sustainability Conference, and/or other similar events.