Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 74.33
Liaison Austin Eriksson
Submission Date Dec. 10, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

California State University, Northridge
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Austin Eriksson
Sustainability Program Manager
FPDC
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a central sustainability website that consolidates information about the institution's sustainability efforts?:
Yes

A brief description of the central sustainability website (optional):

CSUN has a central sustainability website where all sustainability information at CSUN is housed. All campus reports and commitments including the Sustainability Plan and Climate Action Plan, as well as past reports, events, newsletters, resources, and more are posted on the site.


The website URL for the central sustainability website:
Does the institution have a sustainability newsletter?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability newsletter:

The Institute for Sustainability distributes a newsletter, The Footprint, on a monthly basis that covers campus and community sustainability initiatives including major campus projects, community or news items, volunteer and job opportunities as well as highlighting students, faculty, and staff working on sustainability related projects.


The website URL for the sustainability newsletter:
Does the institution have social media platforms (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, interactive blogs) that focus specifically on campus sustainability?:
Yes

A brief description of the social media platforms that focus on sustainability:

CSUN utilizes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for social media platforms. This targets all campus and off-campus community members and serves as a great way to communicate what the campus is doing around sustainability as well as major events worldwide. These platforms are also used to enage followers by holding competitions to promote certain aspects of sustainability and give out prizes, etc.


The website URL of the primary social media platform focused on sustainability:
Does the institution have regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper, either through a regular column or a reporter assigned to the sustainability beat?:
Yes

A brief description of the regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper:

CSUN's student news outlet, The Sundial, frequently covers sustainability in their articles/publications. More recently CSUN's Sustainability efforts have been featured on their live newsroom as well as in their newspaper. CSUN Weekly, an online publication that is sent out to all students and staff via email also features content based on campus sustainability efforts, events, and activities.


The website URL for regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper:
Does the institution produce a vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability?:
Yes

A brief description of the vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability:

The Insitute for Sustainability generates various reports that often include students as key researchers for the project. This along with other student research projects and reports can be found on the CSUN sustainability webpage.


The website URL for the vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability:
Does the institution have building signage that highlights green building features?:
Yes

A brief description of building signage that highlights green building features :

The Student Recreation Center (SRC) is LEED Gold certified with its efficient construction, floor plan, and day-to-day operations. To achieve Gold Status, the building must prove outstanding in five categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. One aspect of the SRC’s mission is to create a facility that incorporates eco-friendly components that bridge architecturally and philosophically with the University Student Union. The SRC has a touchscreen panel near the lobby that shows the energy consumption, PV generation, etc. of the building. Tours of this facility are also available upon request.

The SRC and the Valley Performing Arts Center (the Soraya) are both featured on the Institute for Sustainability's self-guided sustainability tour (discussed below), and each has a plaque outside the building linking people to our website for more information on the building features.


The website URL for building signage that highlights green building features :
Does the institution have signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems?:
Yes

A brief description of the signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems:

CSUN Dining operates the majority of the dining facilities on campus. They promote various sustainable measures throughout their facility including healthy, vegan, vegetarian, etc. options as well as information on how and where their food comes from.


The website URL for food service area signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems:
Does the institution have signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies employed?:
Yes

A brief description of the signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies employed:

CSUN is promoting its sustainable landscaping strategies through signage that can be seen throughout the campus. At every turf removal and drought tolerant installation there is signage accompanying each project that describes exactly what the project is and why we did it.


The website URL for the signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies employed:
Does the institution produce a sustainability walking map or tour?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability walking map or tour:

CSUN's Institute for sustainability created a "Self Guided Sustainability Tour" that includes a majority of the visible sustainability features the campus has to offer. This tour covers everything from our Bike Path to the Fuel Cells. An interactive version of this map was also made using Google Maps and is now available on our website as well. Users can view this map on their mobile devices and click on on each sustainability feature to learn more information.


The website URL of the sustainability walking map or tour:
Does the institution produce a guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation?:
Yes

A brief description of the guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation:

CSUN's Institute for sustainability created a "Travel Smart to and from CSUN" guide that lists all of the transportation options available to students, staff and faculty at CSUN.


The website URL for the guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation:
Does the institution produce navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians (e.g. covering routes, inter-modal connections, policies, services, and safety)? :
Yes

A brief description of the navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:

The Department of Police Services has published a guide to bicycle safety that discusses registering your bike, the proper way to lock your bike, using the Matador Bicycle Compound and rider safety tips.

The new Matador Bike Shop offers affordable prices on bicycle repairs, maintenance, and parts and teaches students and staff how to maintain and repair their own bicycle. www.csun.edu/as/bike-shop

The "Travel Smart to and from CSUN" brochure also has a section on biking to school.


The website URL for navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:
Does the institution produce a guide for green living and/or incorporating sustainability into the residential experience?:
Yes

A brief description of the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:

The Matasphere Themed Living Community brings together students who are interested in sustainability and environmental conservation to plan and implement efforts to reduce waste and consumption in Student Housing. Residents will be on the front lines of sustainability efforts in the residence halls and engage with community partners on new practices and programs to conserve resources.

Residents who live in the Matasphere will pave the way for reduced energy consumption in Student Housing and role model responsible behaviors and practices to limit excess waste.


The website URL for the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:
Does the institution produce other sustainability outreach materials or publications not covered above?:
Yes

A brief description of these materials or publications:

CSUN releases sustainability outreach videos periodically to help education the community, both on and off campus, about our efforts. We also have four different walking tours that highlight various trees found on our campus and publish brochures/flyers on our Sustainability Minor and career options in the the field of sustainability.


The website URL for these materials or publications:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.