Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 46.13
Liaison Traci Knabenshue
Submission Date March 3, 2021

STARS v2.2

West Virginia University
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Stephanie Toothman
Conservation Specialist
Auxiliary and Business Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

1st Partnership 

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability :
Morgantown Riverfront Revitalization Task Force

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? :
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe?:
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership?:
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? :
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability:
The Morgantown Riverfront Revitalization Task Force is comprised of members from WVU, the City of Morgantown, Morgantown Board of Parks and Recreation, and Mon River Trails Conservancy. While working with other community groups and agencies, this task force was formed with a vision to create a vibrant, multi-use riverfront that offers a variety of amenities, is accessible to visitors, and is frequently used by a wide cross-section of the community. To achieve this, the main focus areas include economic development, mobility and pedestrian usage, and connectivity points. Developing plans to connect walking and biking trails, better access to waterways, additional bike racks, and educational STEM experiences will further advance sustainability efforts within the City of Morgantown.

This link goes to Nov 2020 meeting minutes: Refers to Vaike Haas, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture and Allison Helm, professor and chair of Art and Design: http://uppermonriver.org/morgantown-riverfront-revitalization-task-force-for-november-2020/

2nd Partnership

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
Three Rivers Quest

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (2nd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (2nd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership’s sustainability focus? (2nd partnership):
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (2nd partnership):
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
Three Rivers QUEST (3RQ) is a program consisting of Research Partners: West Virginia Water Research Institute at West Virginia University, the Center for Environmental Research and Education (CERE) at Duquesne University, Wheeling Jesuit University (2011-2019), West Liberty University, and RedHorse Environmental, LLC. The program includes an outreach program titled 3RQ REACH (Research Enhancing Awareness via Community Hydrology). Through online mapping and the 3RQ database, the program serves to display and manage water quality data collected throughout the Ohio River Basin. In addition to routine sampling, 3RQ Targeted Studies provide sound science to serve as the basis for implementing water quality programs throughout outreach and awareness by engaging the community, regulators, and other parties of interest. https://wvwri.wvu.edu/

3rd Partnership 

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):
Blue & Gold Mine Sale

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (3rd partnership):
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership? (3rd partnership):
Sustainability-focused

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners? (3rd partnership):
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):
The Blue & Gold Mine Sale is a longstanding partnership between West Virginia University, the United Way of Monongalia & Preston Counties, and the City of Morgantown. This is an annual sale of items that are donated by students and community members. The primary reason for this sale's existence is to reduce the amount of gently used items from landfill. On average the sale generates approximately 25 tons of donations annually; and unsold items from the sale are donated to various non-profit organizations and local recyclers. The local United Way agency receives all the proceeds from this large yard sale event and the money is used to support health, education, and financial stability services.
https://bluegoldmine.wvu.edu/

Optional Fields 

A brief description of the institution’s other community partnerships to advance sustainability:
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Website URL where information about the institution’s community partnerships to advance sustainability is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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