| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.47 |
| Liaison | Sally DeLeon |
| Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Maryland, College Park
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Andrew
Muir Communications Manager 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 Office of Sustainability maintains and updates a public website that highlights all of the sustainable efforts on campus.
The website URL for the central sustainability website:
Does the institution have a sustainability newsletter?:
A brief description of the sustainability newsletter:
About once every two to three weeks, the Office of Sustainability sends an e-newsletter containing news, events, internships, tips, and other announcements related to sustainability.
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 University of Maryland operates a Twitter Account (@SustainableUMD) that shares information regarding the university's efforts to be sustainable and raise awareness of being more sustainable.
The university also has a Facebook page to help spread information regarding sustainability efforts. It can be seen here: http://www.facebook.com/SustainableUMD.
There are also accounts for YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableumd
and Instagram: http://instagram.com/sustainableumd
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 Diamondback, the University of Maryland's primary student newspaper, covers sustainability issues regularly with a reporter assigned to the sustainability beat.
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:
Each of the University of Maryland's thirteen colleges and schools has a different vehicle to publish and disseminate student research. Colleges use a combination of online and print media to share news about student research projects. Student research on sustainability is often featured on the Department of Environmental Science & Technology website and the A. James Clark Engineering School website, but a sustainability-related project may be featured through a wide variety of departmental websites and newsletters.
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 Office of Sustainability has worked with project partners around campus to develop a number of signs highlighting projects that are part of a campus sustainability tour. Signage that highlights the benefits of a green roof is posted outside of a residence hall with a full green roof (Cumberland Hall). Both of the first campus-owned LEED Gold certified buildings--the School of Journalism (Knight Hall) and a new residence hall (Oakland Hall)--have interactive displays about green features of the buildings inside their entry ways. There is also signage about rainwater capture in landscaped areas including a park-like quad surrounded by residence halls (Washington Quad), which is irrigated using water from an underground rainwater cistern.
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:
Food service area signage in the Stamp Student Union engages and directs diner attendees to properly sort their waste into compost, recycling and trash bins. The university also uses uniform recycling and waste signage throughout campus.
The dining halls have trifold displays on every table. At least one of the sides has a sustainability-related bulletin that matches the posters in the rest of the dining halls to create a weekly sustainability theme. The educational aspect of these posters and bulletins teaches students how to properly sort waste and informs them of upcoming sustainability and low impact themed meals.
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 about bio-retention ponds, bioswales, community gardens, and other sustainable grounds-keeping strategies are posted around campus. At the Peace and Friendship garden there is a sign about a solar-pumping station that was installed for irrigation and funded by the University Sustainability Fund.
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:
Campus Facilities Management created an online interactive map that visitors to the university can use as a walking map or tour of campus sustainability locations and projects. If you click on the Layers section of the map you can select the Sustainability layer to view campus water bottle filling stations, compost collection stations, renewable energy generation, electric vehicle charging stations, University Sustainability Fund projects, green roofs, and LEED buildings.
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:
On the Department of Transportation Services (DOTS) website, an entire section is devoted to alternative transportation for commuters. Information is given about Shuttle-UM, bicycling, ZipCar, carpooling, and green parking permits.
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:
UMD's Department of Transportation's website features tabs for both "Green Commuting" and "BikeUMD", which our University's efforts to increase bike ridership on campus. The Green Commuting tab's Walk section provides the audience with a hyperlink to the University's TerpNav application, a Google Maps for those wanting to find the fastest route for walking across campus. The BikeUMD tab provides bicyclists information about getting around, bike safety, how to register their bikes, and what events and programs are coming up.
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 Department of Resident Life posts a Guide to Sustainable Living in Residence Halls online that provides tips on how to reduce, reuse, and recycle. See http://www.resnet.umd.edu/sustainability
In Spring 2017, the Department of Resident Life and the Office of Sustainability began a pilot of the Green Terp program. This program aims to promote sustainable action in the residence halls by encouraging students to reduce energy and water consumption, learn more about sustainability, and become a sustainability leader.
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 Office of Sustainability publishes a SustainableUMD Magazine every two years. The magazine covers the campus' sustainable efforts since the last publication, and is available to the public online.
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.