Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.40
Liaison Austin Sutherland
Submission Date Feb. 21, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Pennsylvania
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00
"---" 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 Penn Sustainability Office website was launched in September 2009 to serve as a central repository for all sustainability news, information, and initiatives at Penn. The site contains the full "Climate Action Plan", "Climate Action Plan Progress Reports", news and information about the progress being made, links to media coverage, the "On College Green" e-newsletter, and Penn Sustainability Office programs, like Eco-Reps, "Green Fund", etc. It is also a useful source of information guiding individuals on how to improve their green initiatives. The Penn Sustainability Office website has around 100 site visits a day.


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

A brief description of the sustainability newsletter:

The Penn Sustainability Office publishes a e-newsletter, The "Red & Blue on College Green", to provide the Penn community with facts and figures on our progress, as well as helpful tips on how to “green” Penn. It features highlights about those individuals who are demonstrating great success in meeting the goals of the "Climate Action Plan 2.0". The "Red & Blue on College Green" is sent to over 6,500 subscribers.


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?:
Yes

A brief description of the social media platforms that focus on sustainability:

The Penn Sustainability Office manages three social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. These sites provide the Penn community with up-to-date sustainability facts, figures, and trending news stories.


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:

"The Daily Pennsylvanian" frequently covers sustainability initiatives happening across Penn’s campus. A reporter is assigned each semester to Facilities and Real Estate Services, where the Penn Sustainability Office is housed.


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?:
Yes

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

"The Penn Sustainability Review" (PSR) is a student-run online and print publication featuring sustainability-related opinion editorials, leadership interviews, and academic papers. PSR aims to provide a platform for all members of the Penn community to exchange knowledge, ideas, and perspectives on wide-ranging sustainability issues. Over the course of every academic year, the PSR team publishes a print publication and maintains regular online editorial updates that incorporate relevant thought-provoking articles. Both the print and online editions of the PSR cover a number of topics including climate change, green architecture, corporate strategic sustainability, resource and energy conservation, public policy, and sustainable technology. PSR was awarded a "Green Fund Grant" in Fall 2011 to support the launch of its first issue.


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?:
Yes

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

"Discover Penn" is a campus-wide cell phone tour that provides an innovative approach to experiencing the campus. The program helps users understand Penn and its people, its art, its buildings, its academics, and its landscape. The program, which started in Fall 2008, currently has fifteen sites that are changed from time to time and that are identified by the red "Discover Penn" signage. The signage provides a phone number and participants who call the number hear recordings by Penn Trustees, faculty, alumni, and those who are experts in their field or who have a close connection to Penn. The messages run approximately 2 minutes long and vary between deep, trivial, serious and lighthearted. The sites are equally diverse, including public art, historic buildings, campus sustainability features, and research milestones. The Music Building, a LEED Gold Building, is one of the stops on this tour, as is the rain garden at Shoemaker Green, a sustainable SITES locations.


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:

Penn Dining and Bon Appetit regularly places signage in dining halls on campus about their sustainability practices, including local food sourcing.


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?:
Yes

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

The Penn Garden has signage that describes the garden and a link to a website to find out more.

The Penn Orchard was established in 2015, and now has over fifty varieties of fruit trees that can flourish in an urban environment. The Penn Orchard provides expository signage.

"Discover Penn" is a campus-wide cell phone tour that provides an innovative approach to experiencing the campus. The program helps users understand Penn in a different and unexpected way - as a place - its people, its art, its buildings, its academics, its landscape. The program, which started in Fall 2008, currently has fifteen sites identified by the red "Discover Penn" signs placed at the locations. The signage provides a phone number and participants who call the number hear recordings by Penn Trustees, faculty, alumni, and those who are experts in their field or who have a close connection to Penn. The sites are equally diverse, including public art, historic buildings, and research milestones. Penn Park and Shoemaker Green are key stops on the "Discover Penn Tour". The Penn Park stop on recording on the tour is done by Michael Van Valkenburgh, of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates - the firm that designed Penn Park. The Shoemaker Green recording is given by Jose Alminana, Principal of Andropogon Associates Ltd, the landscape developers of Shoemaker Green. There is also a stop on the tour that discusses Penn as an urban forest, which is recorded by Paul Meyer, Director of the Morris Arboretum.

Associated links:
https://penncurrent.upenn.edu/2016-03-24/latest-news/growing-penn-park-orchard-become-%E2%80%98fully-functional-food-forest%E2%80%99
https://www.sustainability.upenn.edu/news/publicity-penn-garden
https://www.sustainability.upenn.edu/tours/penn-sustainability-walking-tours


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?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability walking map or tour:

The Penn Sustainability Walking Tour highlights LEED Buildings on campus, best practices in stormwater management, Green Fund projects, electric vehicle charging stations, and more.


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?:
Yes

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

Penn’s compact urban campus is well served by an extensive network of subway, bus, regional rail, national rail, car-sharing, and trolley lines that are located around the campus where public transit stops are never more than a five minute walk from any part of campus. The University provides a number of programs to encourage faculty, staff, students and visitors to utilize public transportation, including discounted, pre-tax transit passes. The Penn Transit Services website has extensive information about public transportation, regional transportation information, carpool options, etc.


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)? :
Yes

A brief description of the navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:

As an dense, urban campus, Penn prides itself on the creation of an exceptional pedestrian environment, both on and around campus. There are custom designed directional signage throughout campus, and campus maps at key locations to aid in wayfinding.

Penn and the City of Philadelphia have a number of resources for cyclists. In 2017, Penn initiated a commuter benefit for bicycle commuters, making $240 available annually for bike commuters on a reimbursable basis to assist with repairs and equipment purchases. There are three bike repair stations on campus for use by the Penn community. The stations include all necessary tools to perform basic bike maintenance. The university also provides a comprehensive bike map, marking the location of bike stations, bike lanes, and secure parking locations for over 6000 bikes. The University Bike Collective was established in 2013 to represent cyclists on campus and promote bike reform on Penn's Campus. Penn was named a Bike-Friendly Campus in 2014. Bike-Friendly status lasts for four years, after which point Penn must reapply.

Associated links:
http://cms.business-services.upenn.edu/parking/sustainable-commuting/biking.html
https://www.sustainability.upenn.edu/news/penn%E2%80%99s-new-bike-commuter-expense-reimbursement-program
http://bikeleague.org/sites/default/files/BFU_Master_Award_List_2016.pdf


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?:
Yes

A brief description of the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:

The Resident Assistant/Graduate Associate Sustainability Manual serves as an in-depth resource to RA/GAs about Penn’s sustainability programs, and includes a guide to living green in campus residence halls, designed to be shared with their residents. Penn Residential Services also provides information to incoming students on what items to bring to campus, which includes a sustainability component. Upon arrival on-campus, every College House resident receives a re-usable water bottle and shopping/ recycling bag with links to sustainability resources on Penn's campus.


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?:
Yes

A brief description of these materials or publications:

Penn’s sustainability initiatives are often covered in the "Almanac", the weekly publication of record and opinion for the University of Pennsylvania faculty and staff, with news and service functions - such as calendar posters and special reports - that extend its readership to students and special audiences such as alumni and neighbors.


The website URL for these materials or publications:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

The University of Pennsylvania is a major research institution, with over 3000 degrees granted annually from twelve professional and academic schools at the Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate levels. Penn is committed to engaging with both the campus and public community on sustainability, with a goal to make climate change and sustainability part of the Penn culture. This commitment and long standing tradition of both campus and public engagement around the issue of sustainability is seen through campus sustainability groups and community focused centers. Both public and campus engagement organizations partner with the Sustainability Office to create student internships, engage in environmental issues, and build knowledge around sustainability. For a more complete listing of engagement activities on campus, please see EN 10 to EN 14.

The submission relies on information related to the main, academic, West Philadelphia campus, but to more fully document efforts across the Penn system, information related to the Morris Arboretum and New Bolton has also been referenced and noted as outside the boundary in descriptions. The information is used to enrich examples of University efforts and is not intended to be the primary justification for credits. The responses for each of the questions and sub-questions are drawn from University materials, both internal and public documents. Each section notes the website where the information can be found.


The University of Pennsylvania is a major research institution, with over 3000 degrees granted annually from twelve professional and academic schools at the Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate levels. Penn is committed to engaging with both the campus and public community on sustainability, with a goal to make climate change and sustainability part of the Penn culture. This commitment and long standing tradition of both campus and public engagement around the issue of sustainability is seen through campus sustainability groups and community focused centers. Both public and campus engagement organizations partner with the Sustainability Office to create student internships, engage in environmental issues, and build knowledge around sustainability. For a more complete listing of engagement activities on campus, please see EN 10 to EN 14.

The submission relies on information related to the main, academic, West Philadelphia campus, but to more fully document efforts across the Penn system, information related to the Morris Arboretum and New Bolton has also been referenced and noted as outside the boundary in descriptions. The information is used to enrich examples of University efforts and is not intended to be the primary justification for credits. The responses for each of the questions and sub-questions are drawn from University materials, both internal and public documents. Each section notes the website where the information can be found.

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.