University of Mississippi
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications

The Office of Sustainability website at the University of Mississippi platform highlights the office mission as well as campus and community sustainability initiatives. The website includes the office's definition of sustainability complete with images to make it easily understandable in addition to actions being taken. The "Actions" tab includes everything from events and programs, to pages where viewers can access information about associated departments and resources. The website also houses an in-depth Ole Miss Recycling Guide and information about how to get involved in sustainability.

The Red, Blue & Green newsletter is distributed monthly in spring and fall semesters by the Office of Sustainability. Staff in the office put together a detailed e-newsletter about upcoming events, highlights from past events, resources available, articles about individuals working to advance sustainability and helpful tips. The newsletter helps the office stay in touch with engaged staff, faculty, and students as well as updates people with overall progress with sustainability projects in the University community.

The University of Mississippi Office of Sustainability utilizes Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat to engage, inform, and connect with the students and other members of the university community about sustainability topics. Sustainability tips, volunteer opportunities, leadership opportunities, educational materials, sustainability-related events, sustainability project showcases, and updates are posted regularly on social media.

The "Eating Local in Oxford" guide is an eight-panel guide that has information about the importance of eating local for the individual, the community, and the planet. The guide also includes information about the two farmer’s markets and local market stores in Oxford, information about the campus garden, the Oxford Community Garden, and CSA options. The guide features information about food-related events, local dining on campus, food-related groups that students can join, tips for first time farmer’s market shoppers, and a map marking the locations of famer’s markets, market stores, and gardens. It is distributed at Office of Sustainability events and also at local markets.

The Ole Miss Tree Trail is a series of highlighted trees that follow a designated path that helps promote an interest in the environment and campus sustainability. The Tree Trail provides an immersive learning experience about the natural world by providing information about the tree species, tree identification, and fun facts about the trees on campus. It is routinely promoted by the Department of Landscape Services and the Office of Sustainability and is also a layer on the interactive campus map. The campus map also features a sustainability layer showcasing campus locations like the UM Bike Shop, compost pick-up locations, Zipcars, the UM Compost site, UM Food Bank, UM Garden, and Office of Sustainability as well as sustainability-related campus features like the solar panels on the Center for Manufacturing Excellence building and the low emissivity window film on the J.D Williams Library.

(1) Biking at the University of Mississippi Guide- The University of Mississippi Department of Parking and Transportation developed a “Biking at the University of Mississippi Guide” that details the benefits of cycling, Share the Road principles, bike registration, how to prevent bike theft, information on the campus bike rental program Rebel Pedals, and information about the Ole Miss Bike Shop. (2) Bike Safety Workshop- The goal of the semesterly Bike Safety Workshops held at the Ole Miss Bike shop are to provide a safe environment for individuals of all knowledge and skill levels to learn how to ride a bike, bicycle safety, perform basic bike maintenance and Share the Road principles as well as to create dialogue between bike users. (3) Bike.olemiss.edu Website- The bike.olemiss.edu website serves as an easily accessible resource for bike users of all experience levels at the University of Mississippi. The website features information about the benefits of biking, bike-related services that the University provides (UM Bike shop, bike rentals, bike share program, bike donations), cycling safety information (tips, rules of the road, and state laws), information about cycling in Oxford, and other resources for cyclists. (4) Smart Cycling Quick Guide- The Office of Sustainability and the UM Bike Shop distribute Smart Cycling Quick Guides from the League of American Bicyclists to University faculty, students, and staff. This educational resource includes information on bike safety, traffic navigation, and what to do in the event of a crash. (5) Share the Road Pledge- The Share the Road Pledge is a double-sided handout that is distributed by the UM Bike Shop and the Office of Sustainability. The Share the Road pledge highlights basic “Share the Road” principles for both motorists and cyclists, signals, and signage. The handout features a detachable pledge that reads, “I understand that road safety is a shared responsibility among motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians. I pledge to share the road and be a safe and alert driver.

(1) Annual Report- The Office of Sustainability has published an annual report for the past three years. It is a comprehensive piece that features highlights from the year in the areas of student engagement, energy conservation, waste reduction, active transportation, Green Week, Food Day and the UM Green Fund. The annual report is distributed to key campus partners, newsletter subscribers, at introduction events like the Fall Faculty Fair, and is available publicly on the Office of Sustainability website. (2) Sustainability at Ole Miss brochure- The Sustainability at Ole Miss brochure highlights information about the University’s sustainability efforts. It features a sustainability snapshot that includes information about waste diversion, volunteer activity, and sustainability-related projects. The brochure also has sustainability tips, ways to get involved with sustainability at the University of Mississippi, and contact information for the Office of Sustainability. (3) Ole Miss Recycling Guide- The Office of Sustainability created a comprehensive digital recycling guide in 2018. This recycling guide features information on what is recyclable and where to recycle a variety of items on and off campus. The recycling guide webpage also allows visitors to submit questions about recycling. (4) Recycling at Ole Miss flyer - In addition to the online comprehensive guide, the Office of Sustainability created a "Recycling at Ole Miss" one-pager and a "Recycling on Gameday" one-pager that are distributed through e-mail and physically at tabling and recruitment events. The purpose of these one-page overviews is to provide individuals with basic recycling information. The campus recycling guide features brief information on what is and is not recyclable on campus, where to recycle those items, and how to recycle correctly. The gameday recycling guide features brief information on gameday recycling, which works differently than campus recycling. (5) The Dirt on Compost Guide- The purpose of the composting guide is to educate university and community members about composting basics, starting a compost pile, and maintaining a compost pile. The guide also features information about the UM compost program and its waste reduction efforts on campus. It is available as a hard copy and online. (6) Daily Mississippian and Newswatch coverage- Although the university does not have a sustainability beat reporter, there is frequent coverage of events and initiatives in the university newspaper as well as on the broadcasting channel.