| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.89 |
| Liaison | Julie Newman |
| Submission Date | Oct. 23, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
MIT
Office of Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution have a central sustainability website that consolidates information about the institution's sustainability efforts?:
A brief description of the central sustainability website (optional):
The MIT Office of Sustainability is the portal for campus sustainability efforts at MIT - containing events, news stories, reports, project updates, data, and more. There are links to student groups and organizations, administrative departments, and related initiatives all focused on sustainability.
The website URL for the central sustainability website:
Does the institution have a sustainability newsletter?:
A brief description of the sustainability newsletter:
MIT has a number of sustainability newsletters, which compliment each other and provide a wide range of information to the MIT community and its partners. The MIT Office of Sustainability has begun sending out a quarterly news roundup of campus sustainability stories. The MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative News blast includes information about courses, lectures, events, and news related to both global and campus environmental sustainability issues. The Sustainability Digest is maintained by graduate student leaders and is a subscription-based newsletter, in which members of the community can post announcements and upcoming events by emailing “sustainability[at]mit.edu.” The MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative newsletter is sent out regularly and includes: events, speakers, job opportunities, and competition announcements. Additional student groups such as the Waste Alliance and Water Club also send out regular newsletters related to those topic areas. The MIT Office of Sustainability sends out periodic newsletters about major campus sustainability news, as well.
MITOS Digest: https://us10.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=51f366af22041324e9efb1484&id=428026d1ba
ESI Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2wbDhtD
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?:
A brief description of the social media platforms that focus on sustainability:
The Institute has a wide range of social media platforms that focus on sustainability. The Office of Sustainability maintains a Twitter account and a YouTube channel, which feature news, updates, and stories about sustainability at MIT, as well a "Thought Leadership Blog" featuring leaders in the field. Many other initiatives and student groups also maintain social media sites. For instance, the undergraduate student sustainability committee maintains a Facebook page, the Sloan Sustainability Initiative maintains Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn profiles, and more.
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?:
A brief description of the regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper:
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?:
A brief description of the vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability:
Although there is currently no vehicle dedicated exclusively to student research on sustainability, the MIT Undergraduate Research Journal (MURJ) is MIT's only peer-reviewed scientific journal serving the undergraduate population that is published twice per year. Issue 18 was dedicated entirely to "Environmental "ssues," and other recent issues have featured letters of introduction by former President Susan Hockfield, Institute Professor Bob Langar, and Deam Kim Vandiver.
In addition, other publications periodically feature student research on sustainability-related topics include the Quarterly MIT Alumni Magazine (Spectrum) and the Energy Futures Magazine (created by the MIT Energy Initiative; MITEI) and published twice per year.
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?:
A brief description of building signage that highlights green building features :
The new business school building, a LEED Gold building, integrated sustainable design education material throughout the building. New LEED buildings on campus typically incorporate various signage throughout the building on topics ranging from materials management to water usage.
An MIT student study found that revolving doors save a significant amount of energy compared to traditional doors. This is due to the ""blast"" of air that enters a building when a 'traditional' door is opened versus the smaller amount of air that enters through a revolving door. As a result, MIT has not only installed revolving doors all over campus but also put very visible signs no all the revolving doors as well as the 'traditional' doors next to them (for disabled people) instructing students to use the revolving door instead as it saves 7/8 of the energy wasted in a 'traditional' door.
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?:
A brief description of the signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems:
In the main student dining areas and retail cafes, the food service provider displays signage and brochures on sustainable food system topics ranging from local food sourcing to wellness.
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?:
A brief description of the signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies employed:
At the MIT Stata Center, an innovative storm water retention and water reuse management system was installed that employs biofiltration and which services several of the surrounding buildings as well as the Stata Center. An outside community interpetive display is available at the site to inform visitors of its function and purpose.
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?:
A brief description of the sustainability walking map or tour:
The MIT Office of Sustainability and the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiatives both provide maps, detailing sustainability features on campus that community members can visit. A map detailing sustainable buildings can be found here: https://sustainability.mit.edu/tool/sustainable-buildings-map.
A map highlighting departments, centers, labs, initiatives, groups, and efforts around sustainability can be found here:
https://mit.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Shortlist/index.html?appid=23aeb70e9b684970b68aa01a3a2400fd
MIT also developed a walking tour as part of the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo 2017. Details about this tour can be found here:
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?:
A brief description of the guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation:
MIT’s new transportation and commuting initiative called “Access MIT” represents the Institute’s progressive vision for rethinking the culture of commuting and encouraging sustainable transportation practices. These programs provide commuters with the flexibility to choose, day-to-day, how they would like to commute, and encourage us all to utilize a variety of transportation options over the course of a given week. Commuters are incentivized to use alternative transportation and all benefits are explained on a central website, including:
• Public Transit
• Bicycling
• Car Sharing
• Emergency Ride Home
• Parking
• Private Transit
• Ride Sharing
• Shuttles
• Walking
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)? :
A brief description of the navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:
The Facilities website has a section dedicated entirely to information regarding various programs for MIT's students and staff that choose to commute through bicycling. In it, the following tools are available to students/staff:
-News updates
-Hubway Bike Share Membership Benefit
-Bicycle Commuter Benefit
-Bicycle Cages
-Fix-it Stations
-MIT bike map featuring on and off-street routes and bike-accessible transit
-MIT's Bicycle Commuter Email List
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?:
A brief description of the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:
The graduate student sustainability committee developed an online Recycling training course for new students and employees. The course is designed to train participants on how to properly sort waste at MIT, with the aim of reducing the quantity of waste that MIT sends to the landfill. The undergraduate student sustainability committee also provides resources for students living in dorms to be more sustainable in their everyday lives.
Undergraduate Association Tips for a Sustainable Campus: http://sustain.scripts.mit.edu/resources/tips.pdf
Training on Responsible Waste Management: https://adminconnect.mit.edu/news/web-based-training-responsible-waste-disposal-practices
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?:
A brief description of these materials or publications:
The Working Green at MIT Committee, led by MIT administrative staff, provides a number of resources on their website for on and off campus sustainability actions. Resources range from where to donate used furniture to how to purchase sustainable materials for meetings.
The website URL for these materials or publications:
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.