Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.76
Liaison Mark Klapatch-Mathias
Submission Date Feb. 21, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Wisconsin-River Falls
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Mark Klapatch
Sustainability and Custodial Supervisor
Facilities Management
"---" 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 sustainability website is the central location for information in regards to campus sustainability and initiatives. Through that website, information can be found on news and events, campus initiatives and performance indicators, green careers and Entrepreneurship, the Surplus Property Program, Sustainability Curriculum, benchmarking and reporting, and the Sustainability Working Group.

The website URL for the central sustainability website:
https://www.uwrf.edu/Sustainability/Index.cfm

Sustainability Newsletter 

Does the institution have a sustainability newsletter?:
No

None
A brief description of the sustainability newsletter:
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None
The website URL for the sustainability newsletter:
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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:
UWRF utilizes a UW-River Falls Sustainability Facebook page which is used to share information on campus sustainability events and initiatives. There are regular posts to the page covering the surplus program, recycling information, and the RecycleMania competition. Additionally, there are posts focusing on student research projects, faculty, staff, and student participation in sustainability events, and information regarding our community partner which is the City of River Falls. The official UWRF twitter handle also posts tweets with the #SustainableUWRF hashtag.

The website URL of the primary social media platform focused on sustainability:
https://www.facebook.com/SustainableUWRF/?ref=bookmarks

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:
During the 2017 calendar year, the UWRF Student Voice published several articles. Mark Klapatch, Sustainability and Custodial Supervisor, meets with the Student Voice Editor in Chief regularly to discuss sustainability. She then assigns reporters to each story. Sustainability activities, events, and operations featured in published articles in 2017 included the Surplus Property Program, Don't Throw It, Donate it, the Green Fee proposal, and refuse and recycling pilot projects. The Student Voice also picked up the sustainability related press releases coordinated through the UWRF Communications office.

The website URL for regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper:
http://uwrfvoice.com/

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:
The Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity (URSCA) office on campus helps students publish and disseminate their research. Opportunities for dissemination of research include the UW-System Symposium, the UWRF URSCA Day, the national Conference on Undergraduate Research, Posters on the Hill, and Posters in the Rotunda. There is a specific section of the URSCA website for sustainability related research. The website features the more notable sustainability research projects. For 2017, one of the featured sustainability research projects was the greenwall research which was also exhibited at the Minnesota State Fair in the Eco Experience building in 2016. Student and staff researchers, whether they participated in the greenwall research or other sustainability research, were able to work the exhibit to share information on their sustainability related research.

None
The website URL for the vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability:
https://www.uwrf.edu/URSCA/

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 :
The sustainability kiosk in the University Center has signage highlighting the green building features of the building; Educational Posters in the University Centers bathrooms highlight the water saving urinals, recycled rainwater collection, and the high-velocity hand dryer technology; bathrooms across campus display plaques highlighting green cleaning products used in cleaning.

None
The website URL for building signage that highlights green building features :
https://www.uwrf.edu/UniversityCenter/BuildingFeatures.cfm

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:
The UWRF Dining Services website has a link to Chartwells website. Signage is also in Riverside Commons on the Falcon Foods Ice Cream. We primarily use point of sale signage and TV screen messaging in Riverside Commons to communicate information about such things as specific food items grown locally (like Falcon Foods products, lettuce from Future Farms, etc.), and general information about how to eat lower on food chain, promoting trayless dining, etc. We have also done food displays trying to steer students toward healthier and less processed food. We feature special menus for Global Wasteless Day and had a sign up table where students could make a personal commitment.

None
The website URL for food service area signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems:
https://new.dineoncampus.com/riverfalls

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 signs around campus highlighting the use of native grasses and plantings around buildings and in prairies. Because UWRF has a lot of Wild Parsnips along the river banks, there are also signs warning of the dangers of coming in contact with that plant. Planning and design also occurred in 2017 for two additional signs that will be installed in 2017. One of the new signs will be highlighting stormwater management efforts by retention ponds while the other will provide education on a rain garden.

The website URL for the signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies employed:
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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:
UWRF has a document noting the sustainability aspects of several buildings and areas on campus. Between the spring and fall 2017 semesters, the Office of Sustainability gave 2 tours open to anyone and 10 tours for various courses.

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

Does the institution produce a guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation?:
No

A brief description of the guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation:
The Sustainability Coordinator provides information and materials to professors regarding the CarShare program. Staff also had tables at New student and transfer student registration to promote the program. An online guide to CarShare by Enterprise is available via the UWRF website. The University Center also provides a website with information for commuters. https://www.uwrf.edu/UniversityCenter/CommuterInformation.cfm

The website URL for the guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation:
https://www.uwrf.edu/Sustainability/CampusInitiatives/CarShare.cfm

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)? :
No

None
A brief description of the navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:
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None
The website URL for navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:
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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:
For the 2017-2018 academic year, the Office of Sustainability worked with Residence Life to include a page in the Residence Life handbook which included tips for sustainable living. Information on the blue bike program, the surplus program, recycling on campus, and a list of other tips were included.

None
The website URL for the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:
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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 utilizes the campus daily newsletter (Falcon Daily) to share information on sustainability events and initiatives. The Office of Sustainability also utilizes Axis-TVs in the University Center and Residence Halls. Slides promoting campus initiatives including recycling, RecycleMania, battery collections, the surplus program, and events are constantly running on the system.

The website URL for these materials or publications:
https://www.uwrf.edu/UniversityCommunications/FalconDaily.cfm

Optional Fields 

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