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USGBC Faculty

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What is the USGBC Faculty Program, and how can I apply?

USGBC Faculty is a global network of credible, qualified instructors, teachers, and facilitators with deep expertise in and passion for sustainability that cuts across sectors, cultures, and geographies. For more than a decade, USGBC Faculty members have played a leading role in our movement to enhance the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated. Their deep expertise on a broad range of sustainability themes— from rating systems to real estate— makes them highly sought-after presenters of both information and inspiration. The USGBC Faculty designation is a distinction that opens opportunities.

Those selected to become Faculty gain visibility across USGBC’s digital platforms, up-to-date instructional resources, and exclusive training opportunities that enable them to maintain their competitive edge in the market. These benefits are rounded out by a complimentary USGBC course catalog subscription and a complimentary GBCI course review. Apply to join the USGBC Faculty Program.

What are the qualifications required to apply for USGBC Faculty?

USGBC Faculty applicants must possess:

  • Unrivaled passion and subject matter expertise for delivering top-notch sustainability education (LEED, SITES, PEER, EDGE, Parksmart, or TRUE)
  • A GBCI-issued AP credential
  • Successful experiences delivering green building, sustainability, or wellness education within the past 24 months
  • Successful experiences delivering education related to all phases of sustainable project development from pre-design stages to construction and maintenance phases
  • Excellent skills in public speaking, instruction, and facilitation
  • Willingness to travel

Approved faculty are on-boarded after paying an annual fee of $500, due upon approval. For those Faculty approved to join the program through the non-paid pathway, the annual fee is not required. Approval for the non-paid pathway is done on a case-by-case basis.

USGBC Faculty with LEED Green Rater specialization must additionally:

  • Be a current LEED Green Rater in good standing contracted with GBCI
  • Have attended the 2020 edition of the LEED Green Rater training and passed the assessment (GBCI-issued certificate is a pre-requisite for the application)

USGBC Faculty are experienced in teaching the LEED rating system. Faculty with expertise in The Sustainable SITES Initiative are identified with the SITES specialization. Faculty with expertise in the LEED Green Rater program are on-boarded as USGBC Faculty with GR specialization. Look for other rating system specializations for USGBC Faculty as our program grows.

What are the benefits of being USGBC Faculty?

USGBC Faculty designation more than pays back the nominal fee and opens up new opportunities. The benefits center around the following key items:

  • USGBC Intellectual Property (IP), like GBCI CE-approved workshop toolkits with authenticated, USGBC-approved messaging
  • Formal USGBC affiliation, a designation that can be added to professional profiles
  • Listing in the USGBC Faculty directory highlights USGBC Faculty as thought leaders and links them to over half a million USGBC platform users with a wide variety of skills and expertise. All these users and our member companies can reach out to USGBC Faculty directly to request a speaking engagement
  • USGBC Faculty receive a digital badge to promote their status. These badges are compatible with platforms like LinkedIn to help call out the affiliation in multiple places
  • Any incoming requests to USGBC/ GBCI for training services/ speaking engagements are routed to USGBC Faculty first
  • We help USGBC Faculty with marketing and promotions for their events as requested
  • Above all, USGBC Faculty get to keep the proceeds from any speaking engagement. USGBC has no revenue-sharing expectation from USGBC Faculty. Note, the request for a minimum number of presentations per year as a maintenance requirement is so the faculty stay engaged and up to date with the subject matter
  • We are always looking for ways we can highlight USGBC Faculty and their contributions to our body of knowledge on our platform, such as:
    • USGBC.org spotlight articles featuring USGBC Faculty
    • USGBC Faculty events promotion on social media
    • Connection with USGBC/GBCI Speakers Bureau requests
    • Connections with regional speaking engagements, workshops, or training requests from the community or member companies
    • Content contribution pathway on USGBC.org as thought leaders – translations/ publications/ case studies, etc.
    • Global promotions and connections within as well as outside of our education Stakeholder networks
    • Resource sharing and networking opportunities within the USGBC Education Partner and USGBC Faculty stakeholder networks
    • Online stakeholder open office hours so the USGBC Faculty stay up to date with USGBC news and opportunities
    • Access to a constantly growing library of teaching toolkits and instructional best practices

In addition to the above benefits, Faculty members who pursue the paid pathway also receive:

    • Complimentary USGBC course catalog subscription ($199 value), the most visited one-stop-shop for sustainability-related education
    • Complimentary GBCI course review that will qualify USGBC Faculty’s self-authored content for GBCI CE credit ($250 value)
    • Those in the unpaid pathway receive a select education content package, rather than the whole education subscription, and do not receive a complimentary GBCI course review.

The benefits do not stop here. We consider the USGBC Faculty an extension of our team. USGBC Faculty is a global network and gives you direct access to like-minded individuals across the world to expand your reach. The designation helps you establish connections across borders, cultures, and geographies. Thank you for helping us make this world a healthier place by transforming buildings and spaces.

What are the maintenance requirements for USGBC Faculty to remain in good standing?

USGBC Faculty in good standing should:

  • Maintain an active GBCI-issued credential (AP)
  • Maintain an average rating of 2.5 stars (out of 5) based on attendee feedback
  • Serve as presenter, instructor, or facilitator for 3 or more green building, sustainability, or wellness offerings per year that are LEED or SITES specific
  • Attend at least 1 online stakeholder briefing per year to stay up to date with USGBC news
  • Make a contribution to the body of knowledge on green building, sustainability, or wellness through publications, blogs, white papers, case studies, etc.
  • Complete the annual Faculty survey
  • Pay an annual program fee of $500, if participating in the paid pathway

Where can I view a list of current USGBC Faculty?

View a current list of USGBC Faculty in the Faculty Directory.

What does the USGBC Faculty application review process cover and what are the timelines?

The USGBC Faculty application and approval process looks like this:

  1. Interested individuals apply for the designation
    1. The applicant receives an email confirmation upon successful submission of the application
    2. Please check your Spam/Junk email folders for this confirmation before submitting again.
  2. USGBC staff reviews the request based on the applicant’s technical and teaching experience
    1. This takes about 10-15 business days from the date of submission/ confirmation email receipt
    2. If more information is required, we get back to the applicant with questions and the application stays on hold until clarified
    3. If approved, the applicant receives an automated note from USGBC
  3. The automated approval note prompts the applicant to pay the annual fee of $500
    1. Fee payment completes the application review
    2. If the applicant is from a current Education Partner organization, the fee is waived at this time (Education Partners receive two complimentary USGBC Faculty spots ($1000 value) as a benefit)
  4. Paid applicants are onboarded as soon as payment is received
    1. USGBC.org user profile is included in the USGBC Faculty section of our People directory
    2. Access is provided to Tandemvault, our online resource management platform
    3. Recordings are provided of recent stakeholder sessions as well as copies of the latest newsletters, so the new USGBC Faculty is completely up to date
  5. A request is sent to connect one-on-one for any questions/clarifications regarding the USGBC Faculty engagement

What are the USGBC Faculty program fee and payment requirements?

USGBC Faculty pays $500 annually. The fee is currently based on the date of onboarding and not per calendar year. This covers an annual subscription to the USGBC course catalog, one course review, and program maintenance.

Fee waivers are provided for those on the non-paid path, on a case-by-case basis.

Does USGBC train USGBC Faculty? What kind of professional development opportunities and support are offered?

We conduct regular office hours as well as virtual summits, as needed, to inform, educate and advise all our education stakeholders on a variety of topics including education best practices for in-person, online, or blended learning platforms. All of these are held online and are recorded so our stakeholders do not incur any additional travel/ planning expenses and also catch up on those later if they missed due to scheduling conflicts. We share past recordings with our new stakeholders during onboarding, so they can catch up on the recent discussions.

We also provide in-person training toolkits that can be customized to suit particular audience needs. Most of these are pre-approved by GBCI for CE hours. We are continuously adding to these resources to provide more value to USGBC Faculty.

We encourage our stakeholders to contribute to our body of knowledge, a commitment that is part of the USGBC Faculty agreement, to establish themselves as thought leaders in their areas of expertise. This is facilitated at the regional level across the globe to establish USGBC Faculty regional cohorts and networking. We work with those interested to provide support where needed and produce high-quality content that is regionally relevant.

How can USGBC Faculty find teaching opportunities?

USGBC Faculty can stay engaged in various ways:

  • Work with the local USGBC community to present at their events and conferences
    • Our local communities are always looking for engaging speakers and experts to support their in-person, blended, and online education programs
  • Reach out to USGBC Education Partners to create online courses for them
    • Our Education Partner network focuses specifically on creating engaging online content and frequently looks for Subject Matter Experts to add to the depth and breadth of their educational content
    • The Education Solutions team is available to make introductions to the Education Partner network
  • Explore teaching at a college or university (in person or online) through direct contacts
    • USGBC has excellent resources to support teaching green building and sustainability for higher education
    • Be sure to check out the USGBC teaching toolkits that provide higher education faculty curated access to resources and processes, organized to aid in teaching about and engaging students in the concepts of sustainability including green building, LEED, and sustainable land design and development, and zero waste
    • In addition, look for opportunities with student groups that organize many educational events on campuses

How can I promote myself as USGBC Faculty?

We list USGBC Faculty separately on the usgbc.org people directory to let the designation speak for our faculty.

  • USGBC Faculty Directory
    • This links to the usgbc.org account profiles. It is the main way we introduce USGBC Faculty members to our community
    • USGBC Faculty are encouraged to maintain the USGBC site user profile up-to-date and maximize this opportunity for exposure
      • Check out “USGBC Profile Best Practices for Faculty” in the Additional Resources section on Tandemvault.
      • In the profile bio be sure to call out:
        - Links to videos of past speaking engagements
        - Experience in teaching specific courses and workshops
  • Digital Badge
    • USGBC Faculty receive a digital badge to promote their status.
    • These badges are compatible with platforms like LinkedIn to help call out the affiliation in multiple places.

How are WELL Faculty different than USGBC Faculty?

The WELL rating system is administered by IWBI separately, as is WELL Faculty.

For WELL Faculty, check the IWBI WELL Faculty directory. Please contact IWBI for more information.

What rating systems can USGBC Faculty teach?

USGBC Faculty are authorized to teach all the rating systems under USGBC and GBCI purview. These include LEED, SITES, PEER, EDGE, Parksmart, and TRUE Zero Waste along with the WELL introduction. Only advanced toolkits for the WELL rating system are not part of our portfolio.

How do I renew my USGBC Faculty designation?

USGBC Faculty receive an automated reminder with a link to pay when it is time to renew the designation. Once paid, the designation is automatically renewed for another year.

Annual renewals are the time when USGBC staff contact USGBC Faculty to review the past year and discuss plans for the next year. We encourage everyone in our faculty network to take this time annually to connect directly with us and provide one-on-one feedback.

What is USGBC Faculty with LEED Green Rater specialization?

Program Overview
USGBC Faculty is a global network of credible, qualified instructors, teachers, and facilitators with deep expertise in and passion for sustainability that cuts across sectors, cultures, and geographies. For more than a decade, USGBC Faculty members have played a leading role in our movement to enhance the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated.

USGBC Faculty with LEED Green Rater specialization is a specialized branch of this network providing instruction to future LEED Green Raters.

Qualifications and Commitments
USGBC evaluates applications and renewals on a rolling basis, taking a variety of factors into account.

In addition to the general elligbillity requirements for Faculty and program maintenancne requirements, USGBC Faculty with LEED Green Rater specialization must:

  • Be an experienced LEED Green Rater in good standing contracted with GBCI
  • Have attended the 2020 edition of the LEED Green Rater training and passed the assessment (a GBCI-issued certificate is a pre-requisite for the application).

Benefits
USGBC Faculty with the LEED Green Rater specialization receive the same benefits as other USGBC Faculty.

Apply
Interested in becoming USGBC Faculty with LEED Green Rater specialization? Apply.

What kind of trainings do USGBC Faculty generally provide?

USGBC Faculty are experts with a broad variety of experience and deep technical knowledge. They can customize training based on audience needs. The training can range from 1-hour lunch-and-learn introductory sessions to full-day training or even multiple-day exam preparations or LEED Rating System deep dive courses.

How does USGBC support USGBC Faculty in various regions of the world?

USGBC Education team members work closely with our regional market development teams to promote USGBC Faculty and introduce their strengths to our regional advocates. The regional presence of our education stakeholders helps us explore opportunities and make matches for local businesses in need of expert consultations. Our regional teams are spread around the US and have a strong global presence.

What is the compensation provided to USGBC Faculty?

USGBC does not negotiate training assignments or payments for USGBC Faculty. Faculty find training opportunities mostly through their own market development efforts as well as through regional contacts. USGBC staff also connect our faculty with speaker engagement opportunities that come to us and faculty are free to negotiate their own fee/ reimbursement packages.

Is there any special consideration for USGBC Faculty for Greenbuild education programming?

The Greenbuild education programming is done independently with organizing bodies for various locations. USGBC Faculty are welcome to participate in this process. We share any application process and timelines with our stakeholders including USGBC Faculty as soon as it becomes available.

Do USGBC Faculty get any discounts on exam fees?

No, the Credential exams are administered by GBCI and we cannot extend any discounts on those fees to USGBC Faculty.

In terms of fee waivers, USGBC Faculty receive a complimentary individual Education subscription (valued at $199), as well as a GBCI CE review fee (valued at $250), waived for one course submission per year.

Do USGBC Faculty get paid for any contributions like translations or creating new content?

USGBC Faculty does not get paid for content contributions. The USGBC Faculty agreement covers any contributions to the body of knowledge being voluntary only.

We encourage USGBC Faculty to create their own teaching content in addition to the provided toolkits. Any regionally relevant content, such as translated toolkits, can be shared within the stakeholder network. These voluntary contributions help strengthen the network and establish USGBC Faculty as a global leader.

There are also opportunities for our education stakeholders to work together to create content and establish business relationships. We are happy to facilitate such engagements within our ecosystem.

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