Amherst College
EN-1: Outreach and Communications

1.1 Sustainability outreach and communications

An institution earns 3 points when it A) has a central sustainability website, B) has integrated sustainability information into new student orientation, C) has integrated sustainability information into new employee orientation, D) has dashboards and/or signage highlighting the institution’s sustainability features or performance, E) manages a sustainability-focused communications medium or platform, and F) has coordinated one or more sustainability-focused outreach campaigns during the previous three years. Partial points are available and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Measurement

Report on the current status of the institution’s programs and initiatives.

1.2 Percentage of campus stakeholders reached through sustainability outreach and communications

An institution earns 2 points when it has evidence that 80 percent or more of campus stakeholders (i.e., students and employees) are currently reached through the institution’s sustainability outreach and communications efforts or aware of its sustainability initiatives. Partial points are available and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Measurement

Report on the current status of the institution’s programs and initiatives and the most recent data available from within the previous three years. 

Reach may be evidenced by the measured extent of stakeholder awareness of the institution’s sustainability initiatives (e.g., as demonstrated in survey responses) and/or by active newsletter subscriptions, email open rates, social media followers or group members, unique annual website visits or video views, campaign sign-ups, or the equivalent.

An institution may take one of three approaches in pursuing this indicator:

1. Survey or assessment results. Report the results of an institution-wide survey or sustainability culture assessment that includes one or more items on respondent awareness of the institution’s sustainability initiatives. To avail of this option, the survey or assessment results must be indicative of the entire population of students and employees, as ensured through representative sampling or by making the assessment mandatory.
2. Communications analytics. Report on the analytics associated with the sustainability-focused communications medium or platform that has the greatest reach (e.g., newsletter subscribers or social media group members). The analytics for two or more media or platforms may be aggregated if the potential for double-counting (counting the same individual more than once because they are reached by more than one medium or platform) is minimal (e.g., if there are separate channels or groups for students and employees).
3. Conservative estimate based on mixed/limited data sources. Report on the most credible sources of data that are available, taking steps to minimize double-counting. For example, an institution may use the single best data source for students (e.g., membership in a student-focused social media group) and the single best data source for employees (e.g., staff newsletter subscribers) and/or adjust figures downward to account for the anticipated extent to which individuals may be counted more than once.

When using limited data sources, do not report a higher percentage range than is credibly supported by the data. For example, an institution with 1,000 students and 500 employees that has survey data indicating that 20 percent of students are aware of the institution’s sustainability initiatives, but no such data on employees, should report that 1 to 19 percent of stakeholders are reached rather than 20 to 39 percent.

Similarly, survey or assessment results may not be extrapolated to a larger population in the absence of representative sampling. For example, the results of a survey of 100 students enrolled in a sustainability program may only be used to establish the level of awareness of those individuals; they may not be used to report on the entire population of students.

Applicable to all institutions.