Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 58.11
Liaison Elizabeth Drake
Submission Date April 19, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Swarthmore College
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Melissa Tier
Sustainability Program Manager
Office of Sustainability
"---" 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):

The website shows key initiatives happening on campus like the carbon charge implementation and various projects done by the Green Advisor program (20 students who lead campus sustainability initiatives), a sustainability events calendar, news of Swarthmore related sustainability stories, and links to websites with further info on all of the above and other things, and the newsletter.


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

A brief description of the sustainability newsletter:

The College Green Advisors publish a monthly sustainability newsletter that is available to the College. It includes some highlights of sustainability initiatives on campus with tips on how students can get more involved.


The website URL for the sustainability newsletter:
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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:

Facebook and Twitter sites:


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:

On of the President's Sustainability Research Fellows publishes a biweekly article in the student newspaper on various sustainability topics.


The website URL for regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper:
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Does the institution produce a vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability?:
No

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

A list of research projects is published on the sustainability website, and certain projects are featured in other parts of the website.


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

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

The Science Center is LEED-certified building with dials that show instantaneous and cumulative energy use, ventilation, and energy recovery. Signage describes the building features. The Scott Arboretum additionally provides brochures informational signs around campus on sustainable landscapes.


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:

The Office of Sustainability has several signs that are posted near disposal, compost, and recycle bins around campus that instruct how to sort waste, recycling, and compost.


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 groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies employed?:
Yes

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

The Scott Arboretum produces brochures that describe sustainable building and land practice.These brochures are dispersed around the campus in bins by their respective landscapes. Additionally, there are larger informational signs dispersed around campus that describe land management practices, green roofs, and rainwater management.


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?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability walking map or tour:
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The website URL of the sustainability walking map or tour:
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Does the institution produce a guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation?:
No

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

Swarthmore College includes signs on some ADA routes - i.e. provide direction for the accessible route when there's a choice where one route would be inaccessible. Signage indicates accessible building entrances, and we have various choices on the interactive campus map as far as accessible routes.

The College offers large campus wayfinding maps at key points on campus - i.e. at the train station, parking lots/entrances to campus, where pedestrian and accessible routes are laid out. There is minimal signage for biking routes around campus.

Finally, Swarthmore has a whole system of wayfinding for blind and low-vision travelers on the web that offers an audio description of different routes that can be downloaded to a mobile device.


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?:
No

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

A brief description of these materials or publications:

In Spring 2016 Swarthmore Green Advisors produced hard copies of monthly readers digest that provided sustainable behavior suggestions on a given topic.


The website URL for these materials or publications:
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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.