| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 86.88 |
| Liaison | Lisa Kilgore |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2023 |
Cornell University
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Sarah
Carson Director, Campus Sustainability Office FS - Energy & Sustainability |
Does the institution have a central sustainability website that consolidates information about the institution’s sustainability efforts?:
Website URL for the central sustainability website:
Does the institution have a sustainability newsletter or social media platform that focuses specifically on campus sustainability?:
A brief description of the sustainability newsletter or social media platform:
NEWSLETTERS
The Sustainable Cornell newsletter launched in spring 2020. This sustainability-focused newsletter is sent to the entire Cornell community (faculty, staff, and students) every April, September, and December.
The Campus Sustainability Office also has a monthly newsletter that highlights upcoming events, engagement opportunities, job postings, campus news, and more. Each headline links to a blog post on our website. Currently 6,000+ Cornellians are signed up for the newsletter and shared with additional listservs. News stories are also posted to Facebook and Twitter where we have more than 6,000 followers.
Sustainability is also featured in weekly "Your Cornell" newsletters sent to all faculty and staff, and integrated into other campus listservs (e.g. Wellness Program, Campus Activities newsletter, HR newsletters, and more).
SOCIAL MEDIA
The Campus Sustainability Office posts content on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter as "Sustainable Cornell" or "Sustain Cornell."
Does the institution have signage that highlights sustainability features on campus?:
A brief description of the signage that highlights sustainability features on campus:
- The Sustainable Landscapes Trail highlights over a dozen sites on campus designed for maximum sustainability, ecosystem services, and natural beauty using our campus as a living laboratory. Sites on the trail provide an opportunity for the campus and visitors to understand the ecological benefits of designed spaces, and explore sustainability in practice to inform our operations.
https://sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/campus-initiatives/land-water/sustainable-landscapes-trail
- The many LEED Platinum and Gold buildings on the Cornell campus have various types of signage. For example, the Human Ecology Building has a comprehensive sign installed in the main lobby of the building to highlight the various green features.
- Fernow Hall has signage outside of the hall to highlight the building's rain garden: https://sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/campus-initiatives/buildings-energy/green-buildings/fernow-hall
- Additionally, there's outdoor signage like "Tall grass, no gas" to educate the community about why we have no-mow areas on campus.
Does the institution provide a sustainability walking map or tour?:
A brief description of the sustainability walking map or tour:
- The Sustainable Landscapes Trail is comprised of several sites around the Ithaca campus, all open to the public. Each stop has a marker that links to this website, explaining more about the sustainable features, development, and plantings at the site. The trail was launched in 2018, and features open spaces, natural areas, and landscapes with unique sustainability features which were designed with staff, student, and faculty or research collaboration, primarily in cooperation with the Plant Science Department.
https://sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/campus-initiatives/land-water/sustainable-landscapes-trail
- Cornell has two interactive sustainability maps - one "Campus Sustainability Map" featuring sustainability "points of interest" and one "Campus Sustainable Waste Map" highlighting where Cornellians can drop off medicine, terracycle, compost, and recycle plastic film, batteries, and electronics. Layers from these maps are also included on Cornell's main campus map as a sustainability layer: http://www.cornell.edu/about/maps/
- Water.cornell.edu features a PocketSites tour, which enables people to take a self-guided tour of water infrastructure on campus and in the City of Ithaca.
https://pocketsights.com/tours/tour/Forest-Home-Year-of-Water-Campus-Tour-4411
https://cals.cornell.edu/water-resources-institute
- The Energy & Sustainability Department provides dozens of tours to groups upon request. Groups range from students in Cornell courses, to local school children, to New York State and international delegations. Tours are given of our solar farms, Hydroelectric Plant, Water Filtration Plant, Lake Source Cooling Plant, Combined Heat and Power Plant, Cornell University Borehole Observatory, and more.
Does the institution produce a guide for green living and/or incorporating sustainability into the residential experience?:
A brief description of the guide for green living and/or incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:
- Cornell's Guide to Living Sustainably is available online. This guide is highlighted during New Student Orientation and at key events throughout the year.
https://sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/take-action/student-resources/student-green-guide
- Cornell also integrates sustainability living tips into our Mission Sustainability module for all incoming new students.
- Additionally, sustainability living tips are available online in downloadable poster format to post in residential communities; these are also distributed during Residential Student Staff Training in August.
A brief description of other comprehensive sustainability outreach materials and publications not covered above:
The Cornell Chronicle is Cornell's daily news service, with regular coverage of sustainability assigned to two reporters. Currently, Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability is premiere location for all Cornell Chronicle stories on sustainability (see link below).
The Sustainable Campus news blog features "Sustainability Life Recipes" aimed to educate staff and faculty on how to bring sustainability home. The Sustainability Life Recipes are featured in Cornell's Your Cornell newsletters sent to all faculty and staff.
https://sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/take-action/employee-resources/save-green-home
Cornell Human Resources Environmental Wellbeing website has resources to help you make an impact on the quality of your work and home environments, community, and the world where we all live.
https://hr.cornell.edu/wellbeing-perks/environmental-wellbeing
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.