Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.19
Liaison Justin Mog
Submission Date Feb. 13, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of Louisville
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Justin Mog
Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives
Office of the Provost
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution produce the following outreach materials and/or publications that foster sustainability learning and knowledge? :
Yes or No
A central sustainability website that consolidates information about the institution’s sustainability efforts Yes
A sustainability newsletter Yes
Social media platforms that focus specifically on campus sustainability Yes
A vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability No
Building signage that highlights green building features No
Food service area signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems Yes
Signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies employed Yes
A sustainability walking map or tour Yes
A guide for commuters about how to use alternative methods of transportation Yes
Navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians Yes
A guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience Yes
Regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper, either through a regular column or a reporter assigned to the sustainability beat Yes
Other sustainability publications or outreach materials not covered above Yes

A brief description of the central sustainability website:

In the Fall of 2010, the UofL Sustainability Council launched a new website (louisville.edu/sustainability) to consolidate information and provide links to the wide variety of sustainability initiatives on our campuses. It includes the following sections:

Sustainability Council:
Annual Reports
Climate Action Plan
Contacts
Council Documents
Eco-Reps
Get Involved
Green Tips
Links
Memberships & Affiliations
Ratings & Rankings
Meeting Schedules

Admin/Finance/Outreach:
Community Engagement
Diversity & Affordability
Human Resources
Investments
Peace & Justice

Education & Research:
Academic Programs
Continuing Ed.
Events
Green Threads
Research

Operations:
Buildings & Energy
Campus Gardens
EcoReps
Food
Green Purchasing
Grounds
Info Tech
Master Planning
Model Green Rooms
Recycling
Stormwater
Transportation
Waste Reduction


The website URL for the central sustainability website:
A brief description of the sustainability newsletter:

In 2015, the UofL Sustainability Council launched a new blog to replace our previous newsletter: http://uoflsustainable.wordpress.com/
UofL Green Scene was a monthly column written by faculty, staff and students engaged in sustainability which is distributed via email to all employees through UofL Today and posted online. It ran 2010-2014 and all past columns are accessible through the UofL Sustainability News webpage. Past topics include:
• The Ville Grill
• Student athletes take action
• New Vanpool Program
• Bring Your Own Mug & Save
• Mindfulness & Sustainability
• Team Kentuckiana - The Phoenix House
• Chemical Exchange Program
• Students Compete to Reduce
• 5th Annual CSA Fair
• IT uses innovative strategies to go green
• Eco-Representing
• Think Outside The Car
• DEHS takes campus recycling to the next level
• A great food city and beyond
• Students make it happen with low-cost solar
• Wrapping your mind around reducing campus energy use
• UofL loves mountains
• Giving your green to ensure UofL stays green
• Composters wanted
• Team promotes sustainable practices on Shelby Campus
• Strides in the journey, but mountains to climb
• What is sustainability?
• Help make our campus fair – trade, that is
• Sustainable Changes
• Environmental mindfulness
• Sustainable Investing at UofL
• Climate Change Teach-In - be a climate justice super hero
• The Green Dude abides
• Recyclemania returns
• Trees bring both green and gold to Belknap Campus
• Green Careers Speaker Series/internship fair
• Green holidays save money, resources, environment
• Committing to the climate
• Lessons from a summer on the farm
• This is your brain on driving
• Say 'no' to bottled water
• Environmental crime - Why don't those folks ever go to jail?
• How I was 'butt-ed' into action to clean up campus
• Gray Street Farmers' Market
• Getting a food education
• Climate Change Teach-In: Awareness, Education, and Activism
• Living green and loving it


The website URL for the sustainability newsletter:
A brief description of the social media platforms that focus specifically on campus sustainability:

In addition to the many UofL sustainability-related student groups which manage social media sites, the Sustainability Council hosts a number of social media platforms, including:
• UofL Sustainability Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/UofLSustainable
• UofL Sustainability Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/uoflsustainability/
• EcoReps Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/UofLEcoReps
• UofL Sustainability Twitter: http://twitter.com/UofLSustainable
• UofL Sustainability Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/uoflsustainable/
• UofL Sustainability Blog: http://uoflsustainable.wordpress.com/
All of these platforms are used to keep students and some employees engaged in sustainability on and off campus, highlighting opportunities for service, internships, events, activism, and more.


The website URL of the primary social media platform that focuses on sustainability:
A brief description of the vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability:
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The website URL for the vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability:
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A brief description of building signage that highlights green building features :

UofL's LEED Gold Student Recreation Center opened in October 2013, featuring geothermal heating and cooling, solar hot water, rainwater capture & storage for irrigation, and a Siemens building dashboard prominently available in the lobby on an interactive touch-screen that displays the performance of these systems and explains their function. The digital signage also displays green tips encouraging building users to make more sustainable choices in their daily lives.

At a dozen locations around campus, UofL collaborated with the Louisville Water Company in 2014-15 to install large, professional signs over filling stations promoting the environmental, health, and financial benefits of choosing tap water over bottled water. Similar signage had previously been installed a number of UofL Athletics facilities.


The website URL for building signage that highlights green building features :
A brief description of food service area signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems:

• UofL Dining Service (Sodexo) posts a Local Food Map (https://uofl.sodexomyway.com/images/Local%20Purchasing%20Map%20June%202015_tcm427-7483.pdf) explaining where food is sourced and what's in season.
• In partnership with Louisville Farm to Table, UofL Dining Service (Sodexo) produces marketing materials to accompany locally-sourced meal service, including menu identification of local foods and a leaflet stating “U of L Likes Local” with five reasons why the university supports the use of local food and a list of campus sustainability efforts.


The website URL for food service area signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems:
A brief description of signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies:

Signs at the base of dozens of trees around campus help educate people about tree name, species and whether they are native to the region. These signs are a part of the Belknap Tree Tour, a self-guided 1.75mile walking tour of some of the interesting and historical trees on Belknap campus. The tour features an interactive online map, s downloadable Tree Tour pamphlet, or print versions available during business hours at the North Information Center.


The website URL for signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies:
A brief description of the sustainability walking map or tour:

UofL's Belknap Campus Sustainability Walking Tour requires about one and half hours and is led by UofL's sustainability coordinator or other Sustainability Council members upon request and as a part of several larger public events throughout the year. It was created in 2010 to highlight a variety of initiatives at several stops along the way:
• Cultural Center: Organic Garden Commons, composting, fruit trees, rain barrels, greenhouse, solar power
• SAC: Bike racks & fixit stations; BigBelly solar trash compactors; Kentucky Proud section of bookstore
• Threlkeld: Lawn replacements; single-stream recycling; energy-efficiency retrofits
• Lutz Circle: No-Idling Policy; bike lanes; solar pool heater
• Steam & Chilled Water Plant: Coal-free campus
• Ernst: Biodiesel program & Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research
• Eastern Parkway: Road diet - bike lanes & bus shelters
• Duthie: LEED Gold renovation
• Sackett: Dual-tracking solar array (PV and hot water)
• Gardiner: Green conference room; A&S Green Team office audits; Campus Tree Tour
• Ekstrom: Heine Brothers fair trade, locally-roasted coffee; Rain Gardens
• Ville Grill: Trayless dining; vegetarian/local/organic/fair-trade foods & food waste composting
• Louisville Hall: Green Dorm Room; transit options;
• SRC: LEED Gold design - geothermal & solar hot water; Building Dashboard; Bike-share program; UofL car-share
• College of Business: Water bottle filing stations to eliminate bottled water; Vegetated Roof


The website URL of the sustainability walking map or tour:
A brief description of the guide for commuters about how to use alternative methods of transportation:

In 2009, UofL launched a "Commute Green" campaign to provide commuters with information about lower-impact transportation alternatives including: living close enough to campus to walk, bicycling (Earn-A-Bike Program & UofL BikeShare), taking the bus (free with UofL ID!), carpooling/vanpooling, and UofL carshare. This guide is available online and is distributed in print at a wide variety of events, including new employee and new student orientations, Campus Sustainability Day, Earth Day, and other campus events.
An online resource page specifically for bicycle commuting to UofL has also been created: http://louisville.edu/sustainability/operations/transportation.html


The website URL for the guide for commuters about how to use alternative methods of transportation:
A brief description of the navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:

The Sustainability Council distributes Louisville bike maps at many campus events and kiosks throughout the year. The Council also has a webpage specifically for bicyclists which features a wide variety of navigation and educational tools, including the online safer route finding tool ridethecity.com. The Council also funded the latest revision of the campus map stands to feature safe routes for cyclists and pedestrians as well as the locations of campus bikeshare, carshare, and transit stops.


The website URL for navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:
A brief description of the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:

The Cards Go Green! Pledge includes over two-dozen ideas for green living from reducing waste to conserving energy and water. Students are asked to pledge to take at least three of the steps when the guide is distributed in print at a wide variety of events, including new student orientations, Campus Sustainability Day, Earth Day, and other campus events. The Sustainability Council also maintains a Green Tips webpage, listing ideas about what residents and anyone at UofL can do to lead a more sustainable life and help improve our community.


The website URL for the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:
A brief description of regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper, either through a regular column or a reporter assigned to the sustainability beat:

The Louisville Cardinal student newspaper regularly covers sustainability-related topics, and has assigned reporters to the sustainability beat. These articles are archived here: http://louisville.edu/sustainability/news.html.


The website URL for 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 another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above (1st material):

University Communications & Marketing has a reporter assigned to the campus sustainability beat and regularly produces press releases and outreach material (stories, photos, videos, and announcements) for both internal and external audiences.


The website URL for this material (1st material):
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (2nd material):
Yes

A brief description of this material (2nd material):

The daily "UofL Today" campus news and announcement service includes a weekly "Green Tip" highlighting ways people in the UofL community can get involved in promoting sustainability (especially through choices they make in their daily lives).


The website URL for this material (2nd material):
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (3rd material):
Yes

A brief description of this material (3rd material):

UofL sustainability topics are covered frequently on the new radio show, public access TV show and podcast: UofL Today with Mark Hebert, on 93.9 FM The Ville.


The website URL for this material (3rd material):
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (4th material):
Yes

A brief description of this material (4th material):

Green Tips and information about local foods and learning to cook are included in the bimonthly Campus Health News produced by the Office of Health Promotion. Similarly, UofL's employee health and wellness program, Get Healthy Now, regularly posts campus-wide sustainability-related announcements and ideas (e.g. biking to work, eating local and seasonal foods, Meatless Mondays, etc.).


The website URL for this material (4th material):
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (5th material):
Yes

A brief description of this material (5th material):

Sustainability Green Tips and stories about campus sustainability initiatives are occasionally included in the UofL Connection alumni newsletter and UofL Magazine.


The website URL for this material (5th material):
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (6th material):
Yes

A brief description of this material (6th material):

The journal Sustain is published semi-annually by the Kentucky Institute for the Environment and Sustainable Development at UofL. The Institute provides a forum to conduct interdisciplinary research, applied scholarly analysis, public service and educational outreach on environmental and sustainable development issues at the local, state, national and international levels. Each issue of Sustain focuses on different themes, including:
Issue 9: Kentucky's Environmental Future
Issue 10: Justice and the Environment
Issue 11: Global Sustainability
Issue 12: Green Cities
Issue 13: Pollution and Heart Disease
Issue 14: Land Conservation
Issue 15: Our Energy Future
Issue 16: Climate Change
Issue 17: Evolving Pollution Prevention
Issue 18: Student Research
Issue 19: Environmental History
Issue 20: Sustainable Building
Issue 21: Sustainable Communities
Issue 22: Environmentally Responsible Land Use
Issue 23: Renewable Energy
Issue 24: Stream Restoration
Issue 25: Biodiversity
Issue 26: Active Transportation
Issue 27: Local Foods


The website URL for this material (6th material):
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (7th material):
Yes

A brief description of this material (7th material):

The monthly President’s Report produced by the Office of the President is now proudly 100% Carbon Neutral (The delivery of this publication is carbon neutral and it is printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper) and highlights campus sustainability initiatives from time to time.


The website URL for this material (7th material):
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (8th material):
No

A brief description of this material (8th material):
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The website URL for this material (8th material):
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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.