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Landscape University

Landscape University is dedicated to advancing the art and science of landscape, horticulture, and environmental stewardship.

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Assistant Director, Nathan Lazinsky teaching the community about the trees of Ole Miss.

About Landscape University™

The Landscape University™ is a series of classes instituted by Landscape Services to help employees understand their role in Ole Miss’ effort to "Cultivate Greatness". After achieving great success internally, we are excited to extend this opportunity to the broader community.

  • The goal of the program is to develop a highly confident, motivated landscaping team that is empowered with a sense of excellence.
  • The program curriculum covers introductory material, professional responsibility, safety training, advanced landscaping, and people skills.
  • Course materials consist of an instructor's guide, a handout or video for the participants, and a quiz for the employees that covers the material in the handout, video, or hands-on training.

Below we have linked just a few materials from select courses within the Landscape University™.

Landscape Univeristy: Bringing the Team Together

Landscape University is a way to bring teams together. It's worked on our campus and it can work on yours as well.

Take a look at the video below and hear from our alumns. 

 


Landscape University™ FAQs

Here, you'll find answers to common questions about our landscaping practices, services, and sustainability efforts.

All front line employees in Landscape Services can participate who want to develop mastery level skills. Although the program is voluntary, some Level 100 classes are mandatory--such as department policies, professionalism, and workplace safety. Some of the upper level classes are open to members only by invitation and teach advanced skills and techniques, such as safety and operation of certain heavy machinery.

In addition to teaching proper equipment operation and landscaping techniques, Landscape University™ cultivates interpersonal skills and attributes in employees with a focus on leadership development. These skills and attributes include:

  • Adaptability
  • Efficiency
  • Commitment
  • Teamwork
  • Time Management
  • Initiative
  • Integrity
  • Encouraging others
  • Honesty
  • Purpose
  • Unity
  • Attention to Detail
  • Communication
  • Collaboration
  • Quality
  • Dependability
  • Conflict Management
  • Problem Solving

Working for the University of Mississippi inherently creates a sense of pride in what we do, but we take that one step further here at Landscape Services.

  • We have discovered that what employees want most is the ability to accelerate in job mastery and to do their job with excellence. Also, professional growth pay raises give employees financial incentives to participate in the Landscape University™.

Continuing Education Units are needed each year to remain certified. Although two personal growth pay raises can be earned, the emphasis of the University is professional mastery and pride.

Classes are scheduled throughout each month in order to foster a continuous atmosphere of learning and growing. What we have discovered is that certain times of the year (such as 1st day of classes, athletic events, April, and campus work load) keep us out of the Landscape University™.

  • After these events, we continue holding University classes.
  • Classes are designed to be brief and focused on what is important for that subject.
  • or classes that teach equipment skills, we schedule those times in advance so that instructors and participants can work together at times that are convenient for both.

We often take advantage of bad weather days and hold classes inside.