Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 55.44
Liaison Bradley Flamm
Submission Date March 4, 2022

STARS v2.2

West Chester University of Pennsylvania
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.60 / 2.00 Bradley Flamm
Director of Sustainability
Office of the President
"---" 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

Website URL for the central sustainability website:

Sustainability newsletter or social media platform

Does the institution have a sustainability newsletter or social media platform that focuses specifically on campus sustainability?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability newsletter or social media platform:
During the academic year, the Office of Sustainability distributes a weekly email newsletter to a distribution list of over 1,300 students, faculty, staff, and community members (during the summer months the newsletter is distributed on an irregular basis, usually every two or three weeks). The newsletter focuses on campus and community sustainability events, internship opportunities, and conferences and workshops. Events highlighted in the newsletter are also noted on the calendar on the Office of Sustainability's homepage at https://www.wcupa.edu/sustainability/, and the text of the newsletter is duplicated on the same website homepage.
WCU Office of Sustainability also has Instagram (@wcu_sustainability), Twitter (@sustainableWCU), and Facebook (@WCUSustainability) accounts that are updated most days during the Fall and Spring semesters.

Signage

Does the institution have signage that highlights sustainability features on campus?:
Yes

A brief description of the signage that highlights sustainability features on campus:
The newly constructed, LEED-certified Business and Public Management Center has two large digital touch screens dedicated to the sustainable features of the building. The geothermal pump house has a digital display screen with information on WCU's large district geothermal heating and cooling system, with another physical sign describing the geothermal wellfield on the corner of New Street and Rosedale Avenue. Other signs are located at the bioretention ponds at the BPMC building and the Poetry Center. Outdoor signs in front of the Business and Public Management Center highlight sustainability features of the building (including outdoor composters and a large stormwater retention pond). Signage was developed for waste and recycling bins in Anderson Hall explaining items that are recyclable and including a series of sustainability "fast facts"; in the Spring of 2020 this signage was displayed in two of the residence halls on campus. The waste and recycling part of those signs (without the "fast facts") are displayed in residence halls, Sykes Student Union, the new Sciences and Engineering Center, and other academic buildings on campus. In addition, the university's digital screens -- distributed across campus in academic and auxilary buildings -- regularly display messages about sustainability-focused events on campus, sustainable commuting choices, and the Gordon Natural Area on south campus (https://www.wcupa.edu/infoServices/multimedia/forms/requestDigitalDisplay/).

Sustainability map or tour

Does the institution provide a sustainability walking map or tour?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability walking map or tour:
Sustainability tours of West Chester University's north campus are conducted on an occasional basis. In October 2017, at the request of two Earth and Space Science professors, a tour was organized and documented in a Youtube video (https://youtu.be/7SxRxWwkH38). The same tour is offered for workshop and conference attendees, such as for the Brandywine Project Faculty and Staff Sustainability Workshops (the most recent having occurred in January 2020). A virtual sustainability tour is provided via a "Story Map" accessible on the Office of Sustainability's homepage at https://www.wcupa.edu/sustainability/.

Green living guide 

Does the institution produce a guide for green living and/or incorporating sustainability into the residential experience?:
No

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

A brief description of other comprehensive sustainability outreach materials and publications not covered above:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Responses provided by Bradley Flamm, Director, Office of Sustainability.
Data Entry: Lois Howell, 17-Dec-21

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