Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 53.09
Liaison DeLayne Miller
Submission Date Dec. 18, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Tennessee Technological University
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Central Sustainability Website 

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 TTU Office of Sustainability website explains what the Office of Sustainability and Sustainable Campus Committee does on campus. The site also informs students of the sustainable programs and opportunities across campus. Students can visit the site to see how they can get involved. The website also includes sustainable projects including energy, green space, recycling, research, water, and transportation.

The website URL for the central sustainability website:

Sustainability Newsletter 

Does the institution have a sustainability newsletter?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the sustainability newsletter:
A quarterly newsletter is sent to interested and involved students, faculty, and staff to update on accomplishments and highlighted events and show opportunities for new students to get involved. The School of Environmental Studies sends out a semi-annual newsletter which includes student internships, on-campus involvement, alumni updates, and faculty interviews. Website URL: https://www.tntech.edu/cis/ses/newsletter.php

None
The website URL for the sustainability newsletter:

Social Media Platforms 

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:
TTU Sustainability is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, all on platforms that are accessible and familiar. From the social media posts of these accounts, students can easily find information on sustainable programs across campus, learn when events are happening, and see pictures of students getting involved in sustainability. https://www.facebook.com/TTUSustainableCampusCommittee/ https://twitter.com/TNTechEcoEagles https://www.instagram.com/tntechecoeagles/

The website URL of the primary social media platform focused on sustainability:

Student Newspaper Coverage 

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:
There are sustainability articles printed in our school newspaper, The Oracle, each semester. These articles cover sustainability events, holidays, and updates. http://www.tntechoracle.com/news/view.php/1032991/Sustainability-fee-increases-environment

The website URL for regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper:

Student Research Publication 

Does the institution produce 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:
Tennessee Tech hosts an annual Research and Creative Inquiry Day to promote student research which regularly includes sustainability focuses.

None
The website URL for the vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability:

Green Building Signage 

Does the institution have building signage that highlights green building features?:
Yes

None
A brief description of building signage that highlights green building features :
There is signage of the recycling services offered in the library. In the campus bookstore, there is signage indicating healthy and sustainable snack options. Throughout the campus, the Sustainable Campus Committee's logo is placed on anything that has been funded by the Green Fund. This sticker is a form of signage that highlights electric vehicles, solar charging tables, recycling bins, and more. Additionally, our campus' digital signage is used to promote all outreach events hosted by the Office of Sustainability in main campus centers such as the library, the Roaden University Center, and the residence halls. The Office of Sustainability began its campaign, Make a Difference-Purple Pride Going Green, in partnership with Communications and Marketing after receiving a $35,000 grant from TDEC in 2017. This initiative is designed to ensure that the TN Tech campus and Putnam County residents are continuously informed about recycling related topics on a consistent basis. It includes posting signage around campus that provides information on campus recycling.

None
The website URL for building signage that highlights green building features :

Sustainable Food Systems Information 

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:
Icons are used to identify vegetarian, vegan, etc foods on digital signage and product identifiers. Avoiding Gluten station is identified with gluten free icon. Posters in the cafeteria containing information on sustainable eating habits with one wall featuring information on locally sourced food served through Dining Services. In the campus bookstore, there is signage indicating healthy and sustainable snack options.

None
The website URL for food service area signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems:

Sustainable Grounds Signage 

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:
There are tree identification signs posted on campus in front of Oakley Hall, the building for the College of Agriculture and Human Ecology. Furthermore, the university recently installed a Native Plant Garden and insect homes near the biology building. This garden hosts signage of the habitats represented in Tennessee — all with native plants. These themes include wetlands, river scour, cedar glade, mesic woodland, high elevation woods, rocky outcrop, prairie, roadside and pasture, and medicinal and edible plants.

The website URL for the signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies employed:

Sustainable Walking Map or Tour 

Does the institution produce a sustainability walking map or tour?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the sustainability walking map or tour:
The map on the Office of Sustainability's website that provides the locations of solar charging stations, bike rental locations, hydration station, and more. The Office also created a Sustainability Scavenger Hunt that provides the community with clues for an adventurous tour of campus.

None
The website URL of the sustainability walking map or tour:

Guide for Commuters 

Does the institution produce a guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation?:
Yes

A brief description of the guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation:
Sustainable transportation is highlighted on the Office of Sustainability's website. The free campus shuttle service is spotlighted in all new student orientation materials and there is an app available for download.

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

Materials for Cyclists and Pedestrians 

Does the institution produce navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians (e.g. covering routes, inter-modal connections, policies, services, and safety)? :
Yes

None
A brief description of the navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:
Tennessee Tech offers a BikeShare Program which includes educational pamphlets on bike safety policies and bike repair stations on campus for students to use. There is also information concerning the campus shuttle. https://www.tntech.edu/sustainability/transportation-projects.php

None
The website URL for navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:

Green Living Guide 

Does the institution produce a guide for green living and/or incorporating sustainability into the residential experience?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:
Information about going green in the residence halls is featured on the website of the Office of Sustainability under the "Residential Halls" tab. Specifically, we include information about the personal recycling bins placed in each room of the residence halls. Further, the website includes a calendar of events, which serves as another tool for informing students of the ways in which they can get involved in sustainability efforts on campus. https://www.tntech.edu/sustainability/sustainable-campus-committee.php

None
The website URL for the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:

Other Outreach Materials 

Does the institution produce other sustainability outreach materials or publications not covered above?:
Yes

A brief description of these materials or publications:
The Office of Sustainability began the campaign, Make a Difference-Purple Pride Going Green, in partnership with Communications and Marketing after receiving a $35,000 grant from TDEC in 2017. Since the official launch of this campaign in the fall semester of 2018, ten new recycling stations with comprehensive signage have been placed around campus. Make a Difference-Purple Pride Going Green is an all-inclusive multifaceted initiative that aims to continuously educate all of TNTech's student, faculty and staff & residents of Putnam County about recycling. This initiative is designed to ensure that the TTU campus and Putnam County residents are continuously informed about recycling related topics on a consistent basis. The implementation of the Purple Pride Going Green Initiative will create a consciousness of recycling in the community by continuously educating the community about the need to recycle, the environmental implication of recycling, recycling materials, available resources for recycling and the different ways materials can be recycled.

The website URL for these materials or publications:

Optional Fields 

Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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