Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.30
Liaison Andrea Trimble
Submission Date March 1, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Virginia
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Nina Morris
Sustainability Outreach Coordinator
Energy & Utilities
"---" 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 a portal intended to assist the University community and others to visualize how U.Va. demonstrates its leadership in sustainability. The website covers all aspects of sustainability, from academics and research, LEED buildings, green cleaning, recycling as well as up to date news and events. It is managed by the Office for Sustainability.

The website URL for the central sustainability website:
https://sustainability.virginia.edu/

Sustainability Newsletter 

Does the institution have a sustainability newsletter?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the sustainability newsletter:
The SustainaNewsletter is a bi-weekly e-newsletter that covers upcoming events, highlights sustainability starts, shares sustainability green tips and links to in-depth articles, case studies and guest posts on the U.Va. sustainability blog.

None
The website URL for the sustainability newsletter:
https://sustainability.virginia.edu/news/newsletters.html

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:
U.Va. Sustainability has active Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vimeo pages. We have high social media engagement, with daily curated content. We develop and implement a social media strategy that explores all facets of UVA's sustainability academics, research, engagement and operations.

The website URL of the primary social media platform focused on sustainability:
http://www.facebook.com/sustainableuva

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:
There are two primary sustainability beat reporters - two students who regularly cover sustainability issues. These articles are included in the Health & Science section, and frequently covers sustainability-related events and topics at UVA.

The website URL for regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper:
http://www.cavalierdaily.com/section/health-and-science

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 Global Sustainability course is an interdisciplinary project-based course that forms the foundation of the University's Global Sustainability Program. Students, working in teams, research and develop project proposals to advance sustainability. Past course projects are documented on the Global Sustainability course webpage. The Student Sustainability Project Competition is an annual poster competition that showcases student-led sustainability projects and research. The competition, first offered in 2009 and held annually during earth week, offers the opportunity to showcase student work and connect students from across Grounds on topics of shared interest.

None
The website URL for the vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability:
http://www.globalsustainability.virginia.edu/research/student-research/

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 UVA Building Performance Energy and Water Tracker website quantifies energy and water demand and consumption on Grounds in real time. The data is collected from the University’s extensive building automation and metering network. Approximately 80 percent of the over 1,200 physical meters at the University are connected to automated systems for trending and data archives. Building information is from the University’s space information system, managed by UVA Facilities Management. The Energy and Water Tracker website was developed by UVA Facilities Management, led by Systems Engineering, Technology & Innovation and the Office for Sustainability. The goal of this tool is to encourage efficiency and conservation as well as increase transparency and awareness of energy and water use, via easily accessible real-time, historical and comparative usage.

None
The website URL for building signage that highlights green building features :
https://energytracker.fm.virginia.edu/

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:
All dining halls have signage regarding compost diversion numbers, sustainability campaigns such as Recyclemania, and many locations have sustainable food labels that show if the food is local, organic, non-GMO. Dining is also working with nitrogen and water footprint researchers to develop food labels that let consumers know the nitrogen and water impacts of their food choices.

None
The website URL for food service area signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems:
https://sustainability.virginia.edu/docs/02%202017%20SFSTF%20Annual%20Report.pdf

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:
The Stormwater Task Force has created several ads to spread awareness of the consequences of littering and provide helpful painting tips for the popular Beta Bridge. These ads were placed on UVA’s UTS buses during the month of April. Sustainability signage is available at the U.Va. Dell Pond to explain the environmental best practices to properly manage water in the Meadow Creek Watershed. https://stormwatertaskforce.wordpress.com/

The website URL for the signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies employed:
https://sustainability.virginia.edu/topics/environmental/water.html

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:
The UVa green guide is a map-based online tour of U.Va.'s sustainability initiatives. The Guide is a comprehensive portal to University sustainability initiatives, which are searchable in a variety of categories including food, student activities, energy, transportation, recycling and more. The Green Guide was created by the Office of the Architect as a way to increase awareness about the current and ongoing sustainability initiatives.

None
The website URL of the sustainability walking map or tour:
http://officearchitect.virginia.edu/greenguide/index.html

Guide for Commuters 

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:
The UVA Department of Parking and Transportation offers a web guide to the full suite of Transportation Demand Management programs offered by UVA. The website organizes TDM programs into three categories: Be Active - Bicycling and Walking Programs, Be Driven - Public Transportation Programs, and Be Involved - Ride Sharing programs. U.Va. launched the largest higher education bike share system, 120 bikes, for students, employees and community members to utilize as alternative transportation.

The website URL for the guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation:
http://www.virginia.edu/parking/TDM/

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)? :
Yes

None
A brief description of the navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:
Bike Riding Resources include route/trail maps, how to register bikes with the U.Va Police Department, U.Va's Bike Policy, and the various community resources and clubs that are available. For pedestrians, the website offers links to community resources and a map U.Va Lighted Pathways to ensure safety.

None
The website URL for navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:
http://www.virginia.edu/parking/TDM/active/index.html

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:
The guide covers recycling, water, energy and waste reduction tips as well as tips for having a green move in and website addresses for how to get involved with sustainability.

None
The website URL for the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:
https://sustainability.virginia.edu/programs/greenliving.html

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 UVA Sustainability From the Grounds Up Blog covers major events and accomplishments, as well as highlights sustainability champions at UVA. The blog also has a Student Voices series, which features student writers sharing their perspectives on sustainability.

The website URL for these materials or publications:
https://sustainability.virginia.edu/news/articles.html

Optional Fields 

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
UVA also publishes quarterly sustainability updates, annual reports to help provide a comprehensive view of sustainability efforts at UVA: https://sustainability.virginia.edu/news/reports.html UVA also provides guides on how to run a zero waste event at UVA: https://sustainability.virginia.edu/docs/ZeroWasteEventGuide20170628.pdf

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