Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 77.54
Liaison Tonie Miyamoto
Submission Date Sept. 12, 2011
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.0

Colorado State University
ER-4: Sustainability Outreach and Publications

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Nik Olsen
Assistant Director of Administrative Communications
Office of the President
"---" 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 that consolidates information about the institution's sustainability efforts:

Green.colostate.edu is a central website that highlights Green Initiatives at CSU. It includes information on campus sustainability representatives, leaders, and opportunities for student and research involvement. The homepage features a continually updated stream of CSU-related green news and events. It also acts as a portal and first point of contact for sustainability forums and organizations on campus.


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

A brief description of the sustainability newsletter:

CSU Green News is an online publication of initiatives, news and announcements at CSU that relate to sustainability.


The website URL for the sustainability newsletter:
Does the institution have 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:

CSU has several vehicles to publish Student's Research on Sustainability:

-The School of Global Environmental Sustainability maintains a comprehensive list of student research, broken into categories such as 'food security' and 'communities.' Individual projects can be explored with reference to students and faculty involved.
http://soges.colostate.edu/research/research.html

- "Green Research" highlights student and faculty involvement in research across university. The site is organized by department and includes information on major research initiatives therein.
http://www.green.colostate.edu/research.aspx

- CURC is the "Celebrate Undergraduate Research on Campus" initiative which highlights undergraduate research through an annual publication as well as poster competition.
http://curc.colostate.edu/


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 :

As part of the Green is Gold initiative, all buildings have signage that identifies the amount of energy consumed each year, highlighting energy savings due to behavioral changes, energy awareness campaigns, or environmental upgrades in equipment or structure.

Additionally, buildings which are LEED certified or have exceptional green features have educational signage which highlights these features. Such buildings include the Transportation Center, the Student Center, Aspen Hall and some classrooms. The Green Walking Tour is a self-guided tour available to the campus community and all campus visitors of more than a dozen stops highlighting green facilities and projects on the main campus as well as several sustainability initiatives on the Foothills Campus (http://green.colostate.edu/green-walking-tour.aspx).


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

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

All dining facilities include table-top signage that is regularly updated with information about local food, organic options, recycling food waste, etc.


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

A brief description of signage on the grounds about sustainable grounds-keeping strategies employed:

Grounds Facilities signage indicates areas with recycled mulch and pest management practices that employ biological controls or natural substances. There is expanded signage at three locations on Campus as part of the University's Bioremediation Wetlands Projects.


The website URL for signage on the grounds about sustainable grounds-keeping strategies employed:
Does the institution have a sustainability walking map or tour?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability walking map or tour:

The Green Walking Tour traces an on-campus path that passes several of the University's LEED certified buildings and Green Laboratories and research sites. It includes information on sustainability in the dorms and dining areas.

The map also includes information on buildings and initiatives not directly on the walking route.


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

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

The Division of Parking Services maintains a web page that describes local transportation options such as bus lines and biking routes. It also gives information on carpooling and public programs such as Smart Trips, which promote alternative transportation options in the city of Fort Collins.


The website URL for the guide for commuters about how to use alternative methods of transportation:
Does the institution have a guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience?:
Yes

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

The University publishes an online guide to living green and includes links to more comprehensive guides on recycling and other options on campus.


The website URL for the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:
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)?:
No

A brief description of regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper, either through a regular column or a reporter assigned to the sustainability beat:
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The website URL for regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper, either through a regular column or a reporter assigned to the sustainability beat:
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Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (1st material):
Yes

A brief description of this material:

The main source of on campus news; 'Today' tags press pieces related to sustainability and/or the environment. And the University-wide calendar flags green events with a special symbol to help users identify green events on campus.


The website URL for this material:
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (2nd material):
Yes

A brief description of this material:

Facilities does an annual Sustainability Report and Housing & Dining Services produces a Sustainability Brochure each year.


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Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (3rd material):
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Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (4th material):
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Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (5th material):
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Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (6th material):
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Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (7th material):
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Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (8th material):
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

CSU has dedicated Public Relations staff for spreading the word, on campus and beyond, about CSU's Green Initiatives.


CSU has dedicated Public Relations staff for spreading the word, on campus and beyond, about CSU's Green Initiatives.

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.