Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 56.15
Liaison Rebecca Walker
Submission Date March 1, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Southern Oregon University
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Roxane Beigel-Coryell
Sustainability & Recycling Coordinator
Facilities Management & Planning
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Support for Cyclists and Pedestrians 

Does the institution provide secure bicycle storage (not including office space), shower facilities, and lockers for bicycle commuters?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the facilities for bicycle commuters:
The Higher Education Center in Medford, OR contains two shower/changing rooms for bicycle commuters. Both changing rooms are also equipped with a lavatory and water closet. Lockers are located in an adjacent hallway. The Commuter Resource Center at the main SOU campus in Ashland, OR also has lockers available for cyclists and other commuters.

Does the institution provide short-term bicycle parking for all occupied buildings and makes long-term bicycle storage available for students who live on-site (if applicable)?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the bicycle parking and storage facilities:
Southern Oregon University has bike parking available outside every campus building, including residence halls. The vast majority of parking racks on campus provide covered parking for bicycles. Additionally, the two largest residence halls on campus have bicycle racks in each room for students to park their bikes inside.

Does the institution have a bicycle and pedestrian plan or policy (or adhere to a local community plan/policy) that sets standards and practices for campus streets to enable safe access for all users?:
No

A brief description of the bicycle and pedestrian plan or policy:
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Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
Yes

A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:
SOU has a recently revitalized, thriving Bike rental and education program. The Bike Program coordinates group bike rides and other educational events to encourage the development of a bicycle-friendly campus culture. There are 30 bicycles available to students to rent on a quarterly ($50), weekly ($15), or daily ($5) basis; helmets, locks, and lights are provided as part of the rental. Six additional bicycles are kept on reserve in order to have free bicycles available for students to use on the Bike Program's group bike rides. The Bike Program's bicycle fleet is maintained by a trained student bike mechanic, who also offers weekly "DIY Bike Maintenance" open mechanic hours, where students can drop in to learn how to troubleshoot and fix basic bike maintenance issues.

Mass Transit Programs 

Does the institution offer free or reduced price transit passes and/or operate a free campus shuttle for commuters?:
Yes

A brief description of the mass transit programs:
SOU provides free bus passes to all employees. Bus passes are also available to students at a highly discounted price.

Guaranteed Return Trip Program 

Does the institution offer a guaranteed return trip program to regular users of alternative modes of transportation?:
No

A brief description of the guaranteed return trip program:
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Carpool/Vanpool Programs 

Does the institution participate in a car/vanpool or ride sharing program and/or offer reduced parking fees or preferential parking for car/vanpoolers?:
Yes

A brief description of the carpool/vanpool program:
The Commuter Resource Center facilitates ridesharing through the Raider Rideshare network on DriveLessConnect, a ride matching site serving Oregon. Using Raider Rideshare, university students, staff and faculty can find ride matches with other members of the university community. Using the same program, individuals can also choose to find ride matches with members of the general public. https://inside.sou.edu/ecos/share-your-ride.html

Car Sharing Program 

Does the institution participate in a car sharing program, such as a commercial car-sharing program, one administered by the institution, or one administered by a regional organization?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the car sharing program:
SOU became a Zip Car host site in October of 2015. There are 2 sedans permanently located near the campus residential and dining village and there is the possibility of adding more in the future. https://news.sou.edu/2015/10/sou-partners-with-zipcar/ http://www.zipcar.com/universities/southern-oregon-university

EV Recharging Stations 

Does the institution have one or more Level 2 or Level 3 electric vehicle recharging stations that are accessible to student and employee commuters?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the electric vehicle recharging stations:
Southern Oregon University provides 12 electric vehicle recharging stations open to the public for any electric vehicles with a university parking permit or pass.

Telecommuting and Condensed Work Week Programs 

Does the institution offer a telecommuting program for employees as a matter of policy or as standard practice?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the telecommuting program:
Individual departments are able to accommodate employees with telecommuting needs. Some employees work from home as necessary, on an occasional or temporary basis. Faculty who prefer to telecommute are able to teach exclusively online courses.

Does the institution offer a condensed work week option that reduces employee commuting (as a matter of policy or standard practice)?:
Yes

A brief description of the condensed work week option:
Some employees are offered the option of a condensed work week with the approval of their supervisor. During summer months all employees are encouraged to observe the condensed work week schedule, working four ten-hour days each week.

Other Strategies to Reduce the Impacts of Commuting 

Does the institution have incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus?:
No

None
A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:
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Does the institution employ other strategies to reduce the impact of commuting (e.g. preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles, cash-out of parking programs)?:
Yes

A brief description of other strategies to reduce the impact of commuting:
In partnership with the Rogue Valley Transportation District, SOU hosts a Transportation Options Program coordinated by ECOS- the Ecology and Sustainability Resource Center. The Transportation Options program provides students the information and resources they need to drive alone less and use other sustainable transportation options more - i.e. walking, biking, skateboarding, transit (student bus pass), carpooling (Drive Less Connect: Raider Rideshare). The program offers free information and tools to get around sustainably (bike maps, lights, reflective stickers, etc.), and hosts events and educational activities.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
https://inside.sou.edu/ecos/to.html

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