| Overall Rating | Platinum - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 88.00 |
| Liaison | Sam Lubow |
| Submission Date | Feb. 22, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Stanford University
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Moira
Hafer Sustainability Specialist 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 Sustainable Stanford interactive portal is both a website that provides information about Stanford’s sustainability efforts across all campus realms, including academics, research, and campus operations, as well as an engagement pathway for the community, encouraging active participation and individual contributions to campus efforts through the My Cardinal Green program and Cardinal Green conservation campaigns. The portal showcases university plans for energy, water, transportation, food, waste, Sustainable IT, buildings and grounds, and other sustainability topic areas, and galvanizes action in each topic. Dynamic data visualizations allow users to directly explore and engage with the university’s performance metrics at a daily, monthly, and annual level, to draw connections as to how the individual fits into the big picture of sustainability on campus. The portal also serves as an access point for resources and how-to guides that provide details on how to incorporate sustainable practices into one’s life, as well as campus reports like the annual Stanford Sustainability Year in Review, which reports on annual performance toward sustainability targets, and features dynamic data visualizations and infographics. More than 3,000 unique visitors engage with the portal each month, accumulating roughly 12,000 page views. Visit these sites for more information: http://sustainable.stanford.edu/cardinal-green http://sustainable.stanford.edu/resources
The website URL for the central sustainability website:
Does the institution have a sustainability newsletter?:
A brief description of the sustainability newsletter:
Sustainable Stanford's monthly newsletter, Cardinal Green News, showcases sustainability news and participation opportunities, aggregating content from more than ten different campus partners. It covers sustainability awards and recognition, new programs, campus sustainability improvements, upcoming events, and engagement opportunities and is distributed to over 5,000 subscribing members with an open rate near 40%, or more than double the industry (non-profit) standard.
The Sustainable Food Program also publishes a bi-monthly educational newsletter that goes to over 1,800 subscribing members.
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:
Sustainable Stanford maintains an active Facebook page and Twitter account (@SustainStanford). Both platforms are maintained by Office of Sustainability staff or interns and promote current events, campaigns, tips, and general sustainability information to the community at large. In addition, both platforms frequently link and share other sustainability campus news coming from research institutes, university communications, etc. See this site for the Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/SustainableStanford
Various sustainability student groups also maintain Facebook pages, as well as academic sustainability organizations, such as the Precourt Institute for Energy and the Woods Institute for the Environment. See these sites for more details: https://www.facebook.com/students.sustainable.stanford https://www.facebook.com/FossilFreeStanfor
Students for a Sustainable Stanford also has a particularly strong social media presence. In fact, in 2016-17, SSS created an inaugural media team that has increased the quality and reach of the SSS Facebook page, and has created Twitter and Instagram pages, as well as a formal blog accessible from its detailed website here: https://studentsforasustainablestanford.weebly.com/blog
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 Stanford Daily, Stanford's student newspaper, reports on sustainability on campus on a regular basis in the dedicated "Environment" section of the publication, which can be found here: http://www.stanforddaily.com/category/news/environment-news/
The articles in the "Environment" section often feature recent research related to sustainability from Stanford students and faculty, and several Stanford Daily reporters also work with representatives from Land, Buildings, and Real Estate, the Office of Sustainability, Residential & Dining enterprises, and other entities to collect and promote information on Stanford's operational sustainability initiatives.
In 2017-18, the Stanford Daily published articles on Stanford’s compostable collection program, the O’Donohue Family Educational Farm, and plans for emissions and waste reduction. See these sites for details: https://www.stanforddaily.com/2018/04/11/the-journey-of-stanfords-compostables-one-bananas-afterlife/ https://www.stanforddaily.com/2018/03/13/copy-nd-from-seeds-to-harvest-a-look-inside-the-farm-on-the-farm/ https://www.stanforddaily.com/2018/11/09/faculty-senate-talks-sustainability-lecturers/
Additionally in 2018, the Stanford Daily published articles on the SSS blog "Voices from the Tree", a conservation discussion on campus with Harrison Ford, a celebrity environmental activist, and the Faculty Senate presentation on Stanford's plan to reach its two new sustainability goals, to name just a few. See these sites for more information: https://www.stanforddaily.com/2018/02/13/voices-from-the-tree-promotes-campus-sustainability-dialogue/ https://www.stanforddaily.com/2018/02/22/harrison-ford-m-sanjayan-talk-environmental-sustainability/ https://www.stanforddaily.com/2018/11/09/faculty-senate-talks-sustainability-lecturers/
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:
STANFORD ENERGY JOURNAL
The Stanford Energy Journal is an online publication by the Stanford Energy Club focused on pressing issues relating to energy and the environment. The Journal is published online and features student authors as well as the work of experts in science & technology, business, law, and policy. It seeks to share diverse viewpoints to drive and inform the conversation about energy and sustainability on campus and off, and to bring to light novel solutions to issues within energy and the environment. https://sej.stanford.edu/
STANFORD ENVIRONMENTAL LAW JOURNAL
The Stanford Environmental Law Journal (ELJ) was founded in 1978. It is run by students who are eager to explore environmental issues, improve their writing skills, and be actively involved in academic discourse. ELJ publishes articles on a variety of issues in natural resources law, environmental policy, law and economics, international environmental law, and other topics relating to law and the environment. ELJ accepts submissions from academics, practitioners, or other writers, as well as students, throughout the year. Visit: http://journals.law.stanford.edu/stanford-environmental-law-journal-elj
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 Yang and Yamazaki Environment and Energy (Y2E2) building is a flagship high performance building on the Stanford campus and is certified LEED-EBOM Platinum. The building features computer kiosks that highlight specific sustainability features, an online dashboard, and stairwell signage which describes sustainability themes incorporated into the building design and construction. Each restroom includes signage describing the use of recycled water to flush toilets and urinals.
Similar signage has been included in numerous other high performance buildings on campus, including the Knight Management Center (the home of the Graduate School of Business), the Huang Engineering Center, and the Spilker Engineering & Applied Sciences building, among others. Signage has also been placed around the new Central Energy Facility to highlight the sustainability features at the facility.
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:
All Stanford dining halls and Stanford-operated cafes practice pre- and post-consumer composting and utilize either reusable or compostable serviceware. As a result, all include signage describing the differences between recyclable, compostable, and waste material. Stanford Dining also promotes a “Love Food Hate Waste” campaign, which includes signage describing the environmental impacts of food waste, as well as an "Deliciously Imperfect" campaign that promotes the consumption of perfectly good albeit irregularly shaped fruit. All dining halls have TV screens that have sustainability signage related to events, farms, fisheries, and other information. Stanford Dining publishes a tabletop newsletter every two weeks, which features sustainability information in every issue. The newsletter is also available by email and the information is also on Stanford Dining’s Facebook page. Additionally, a monthly sustainable food program newsletter reaches nearly 2,000 subscribers.
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:
Signage has been included in the Science and Engineering Quad and at the new Central Energy Facility with details about the sustainability initiatives and landscaping features included therein. In fact, Stanford's tree transplant program was initiated as a result of the planning for the Science and Engineering Quad, which is featured on the signage there. The tree transplant program also keeps boxed trees in the middle of being transplanted on campus to make the program visible to the campus community.
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 Office of Sustainability offers a self-guided sustainability walking tour that highlights the university's major sustainability achievements. Topics include water, waste and recycling, transportation demand management, energy, sustainable landscaping, and a tour of a high performance building. Visit: http://lbre-apps.stanford.edu/sustours/
The walking tour is also occasionally offered by bus, particularly for alumni groups. When offered by bus, staff members provide presentations both on the bus and on-site at select stops.
Upon request, Office of Sustainability staff also offer in-depth walking tours of several high performance buildings, including the Environment & Energy Building (Y2E2) and the Knight Management Center. There is also a self-guided tour available for the Huang Engineering Center. The Department of Sustainability and Energy Management also offers weekly tours of the campus Central Energy Facility (CEF). To-date more than 10,000 people have toured the facility since it opened in 2015. For more information about booking a CEF tour, visit: https://bookwhen.com/8ed8w
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:
Stanford's Parking and Transportation Services provides extensive information within their primary commuting online hub at: https://transportation.stanford.edu/commute-club/about-commute-club/find-your-sustainable-commute-options
Additionally, community members can receive customized commute planning assistance through the commute planning assistance program: https://transportation.stanford.edu/maps-resources-access/request-commute-planning-assistance
Bike maps, recommended routes and safety tips are also featured on the biking portion of the online hub at: https://transportation.stanford.edu/bicycle
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:
Stanford employs a full-time Bicycle Coordinator to support bicyclists on campus. A sample of the services provided to bicyclists include: bike registration, a brochure titled "Biking around Stanford," a mid-peninsula bicycle map, city and county bike maps, brochures to make rides easier and safer, discounts on bike helmets, clothes lockers and bike storage rentals, as well as information on the location of accessible shower facilities.
In addition, commute planning assistance is available to any member of the Stanford community, including all pedestrian travelers. Visit: https://transportation.stanford.edu/maps-resources-access/request-commute-planning-assistance
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:
Sustainability is a core value on campus and within Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) Student Housing. The R&DE Student Housing Sustainability and Conservation Programs Office collaborates with students and staff to foster behavior change, reduce energy and water consumption and waste production in our residences, and integrate long-term sustainable thinking into everyday operations. Building upon past publications of student living guides, R&DE student housing partnered with the Office of Sustainability to produce "How To Be Cardinal Green: Student Sustainable Living Guide," an annual electronic publication sent to each incoming student and available to all students online, along with a short video that provides a more dynamic view of living sustainably on campus.
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:
SUSTAINABILITY AT STANFORD: A YEAR IN REVIEW
Office of Sustainability publishes an annual report titled “Sustainability at Stanford – A Year In Review.” This publication provides campus sustainability metrics and trends and highlights campus sustainability stories from the past year. The publication highlights the actions taken across campus to improve sustainability and provides valuable year-to-year tracking on consumption metrics. The content is divided into categories for Energy, Waste, Water, Education, and Campus Life. The 2018 Sustainable Stanford: A Year in Review publication is available here: http://sustainability-year-in-review.stanford.edu/2018 The publication features dynamic data and graphs that users can interact with, as well as animated infographics to convey key performance indicators from the year in a quick and engaging manor. Since its publication in October, the site has attracted nearly 1,700 unique visitors.
STANFORD NEWS SUSTAINABILITY SECTION
Stanford News is a publication of Stanford University Communications and reports on an ongoing basis on significant news from around Stanford University. The Stanford Report is a daily digest of Stanford News articles, released each morning to the thousands of subscribers across the Stanford community. In 2017, sustainability has been integrated regularly into the Stanford Report, and Stanford News has developed a specific sustainability section of its website. Articles from Stanford News are featured throughout this entire submission. The sustainability section of the Stanford News website can be found here: http://news.stanford.edu/2017/04/21/sustainable-stanford-feature/
SUSTAINABILITY RESOURCES WEB PAGE & RESOURCE LIBRARIES
Office of Sustainability has compiled all sustainability resources into a Resources web page on the Sustainable Stanford web portal, which includes How To Guides, Fact Sheets, Guidelines, and Plans, such as the university's Energy and Climate Plan. More details are available at: http://sustainable.stanford.edu/resources https://sustainable.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/E%26C%20Plan%202016.6.7.pdf
The Office of Sustainability also created two dedicated resource libraries in support of programs aimed at increasing efficiency at events and in office buildings. The libraries contain fact sheets and guides to specifically target opportunities for these audiences and create a central place for all of the materials they might need to enhance their programs in these areas. The libraries are available at the links below: https://sustainable.stanford.edu/cardinal-green/cardinal-green-events/cardinal-green-event-resource-library https://sustainable.stanford.edu/cardinal-green-office-resource-library
In a 2018 survey of Stanford’s sustainability community, how-to guides were reported as one of the most valuable components of the sustainability portal.
STUDENTS FOR A SUSTAINABLE STANFORD BLOG
Finally, Students for a Sustainable Stanford maintains an ongoing blog titled Voices from the Tree, which publishes student pieces once per week on intersectional sustainability topics. See http://studentsforasustainablestanford.weebly.com/blog
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.