| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 81.45 |
| Liaison | Lindsey Lyons |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Dickinson College
EN-4: Outreach Materials and Publications
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Lindsey
Lyons Assistant Director Center for Sustainability Education |
Does the institution have a central sustainability website that consolidates information about the institution's sustainability efforts?:
A brief description of the central sustainability website (optional):
Dickinson has a sustainability 'microsite' that is a gateway to extensive information about our sustainability commitment, policies, and efforts, which span the curriculum, co-curricular programs, research, campus operations, living laboratories, the Dickinson College Organic Farm, Center for Sustainability Education, financial management, community service and engagement, student and faculty opportunities, and climate action. Prominently linked to from Dickinson's "About" page, the landing page for sustainability is one of the Dickinson website's most visited pages.
The page covers areas of sustainability at Dickinson, education, practice, community, opportunities, climate action, investing, and our sustainability dashboard. The sustainability dashboard houses all data and representational graphic of our progress and efforts.
The website URL for the central sustainability website:
Does the institution have a sustainability newsletter?:
A brief description of the sustainability newsletter:
The sustainability newsletter is managed by a student intern in the Center for Sustainability Education. It is a bi-weekly e-publication produced in MailChimp and is distributed to an actively managed list of over 1,400 students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members, and sustainability partners. The newsletter provides current information about sustainability events, programs, opportunities, job opportunities and achievements. Users can subscribe to the newsletter in a variety of ways and campaigns are conducted every semester to encourage subscriptions.
The website URL for the sustainability newsletter:
Does the institution have social media platforms (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, interactive blogs) that focus specifically on campus sustainability?:
A brief description of the social media platforms that focus on sustainability:
The Center for Sustainability Education maintains an active Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube channel. We also conduct Snapchat takeovers on the official Dickinson College account. Each semester CSE hires a Media and Communications Intern to manage sustainability social media activity and campaigns. CSE also maintains the Biking@Dickinson, Greater Carlisle Project, and Eco-Reps blogs. The Facebook page has over 1,200 likes and receives comments and likes daily.
The website URL of the primary social media platform focused on sustainability:
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?:
A brief description of the regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper:
The Dickinsonian, our student-governed newspaper is a weekly print and online publication distributed to all students, faculty and staff of the college. A student staff writer is assigned to the "sustainability beat" each semester.
The website URL for regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper:
Does the institution produce a vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability?:
A brief description of the vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability:
Dickinson College launched the Dickinson Science Magazine in April 2014 in which students and faculty can publish their research. There has now been eight issues. Each issue includes multiple sustainability articles, many of which highlight research. The magazine's mission statement is to inform, educate, and inspire. The magazine consists of 6 different sections, which include the Editor's Choice, science news, research, technology, opinion, and entertainment sections.
Students also disseminate their sustainability research by presenting at the bi-weekly Earth Issues (Environmental Studies) and Rush Hour (Earth Sciences) seminars, the annual science symposium, and via the 'highlighted research' webpage for sustainability related research.
Dickinson also supports various on campus research symposiums for biology, social entrepreneurship, and Research On Women, Gender and Sexuality by Students (ROWGS) are three that have been offered in the most recent academic year.
The website URL for the vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability:
Does the institution have building signage that highlights green building features?:
A brief description of building signage that highlights green building features :
The Center for Sustainable Living (Treehouse), Althouse Hall, Waidner Admissions House, the Rector Science Complex (James and Stuart Halls), and the Durden Athletic Training Center, all LEED gold certified, have multiple signs in the buildings to showcase green building features. Althouse has additional signage that details its LEED score. Green building features are also highlighted online, and full LEED submission reports are available for review.
We also launched a campus-wide sustainability signage program in 2017 that includes features such as edible landscaping, solar power, biking, bioswales, sustainable landscapes, water-filling stations etc. These are located at over 15 locations across campus.
The website URL for building signage that highlights green building features :
Does the institution have signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems?:
A brief description of the signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems:
The main dining hall at Dickinson has a display that identifies what food was procured from local farms. The dining hall includes signage that highlights our compost program, compost data, and local products. Signage in the dining hall clearly identifies items made with ingredients grown at the Dickinson College Organic Farm. Produce from our farm is sold at a farm stand in the student union.
Annual publications and infographics have also been produced to highlight local producers and the amount of local foods purchased.
The website URL for food service area signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems:
Does the institution have signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies employed?:
A brief description of the signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies employed:
Dickinson has natural meadows, rain gardens, and areas with edible landscaping for which we have signage on campus.
Dickinson makes extensive use of native plants in its landscaping of the 200-acre main campus to limit water demand, provide habitat and food for wildlife, and avoid introduction of invasive species. Signage identifies these low/no mow zones and directs the audience to the Center for Sustainability Education for more information. The most visible and exciting signage is that which identifies the edible gardens across campus during the growing season.
The website URL for the signage on the grounds about sustainable groundskeeping and/or landscaping strategies employed:
Does the institution produce a sustainability walking map or tour?:
A brief description of the sustainability walking map or tour:
Sustainability "Green Tours" of campus are provided by the Admissions Department in partnership with the Center for Sustainability Education (CSE) staff and student interns. These are available by request and on a regular scheudle. Special tour programs are also offered for a variety of events including alumni weekend, admissions days, and Family Weekend. A sustainability walking tour of the Dickinson Organic Farm is offered by student farmers and farm staff. A podcast for the farm tour is available online, as is a google map of all sustainability projects, programs and locations.
As of 2017, the green tour option is now an official visit option available at the link provided below.
The website URL of the sustainability walking map or tour:
Does the institution produce a guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation?:
A brief description of the guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation:
Information is provided online about alternative means of transportation. The alternatives include carpooling via Commuter Services of PA, local public transit, Zipcar, and biking. The latter is supported by Dickinson's Handlebar Bicycle Co-Op, which lends rebuilt Green Bikes to Dickinsonians for a semester at a time, free of charge.
There is literature at the Department of Public Safety and the Center for Sustainability Education that provides information on our Zipcar, Red Bike and Green Bike programs. All programs are open to any member of Dickinson College.
Commuters are currently being targeted through our formal partnership with PA Commuter Services, as many additional resources are available through this service. PA Commuter Services tables on campus upon request, and produced print and online guides for commutes about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation to get to and from work.
The website URL for the guide for commuters about how to use more sustainable methods of transportation:
Does the institution produce navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians (e.g. covering routes, inter-modal connections, policies, services, and safety)? :
A brief description of the navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:
The borough of Carlisle published a map of the bicycle and pedestrian network. CSE actively distributes these maps and links to the electronic map on our website.
We also maintain a bicycle resource map of campus that includes rack, pump, bike repair, locker, indoor bike rooms, and shower locations.
The website URL for navigation and educational tools for bicyclists and pedestrians:
Does the institution produce a guide for green living and/or incorporating sustainability into the residential experience?:
A brief description of the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:
Our Eco-Reps website is a major online resource for students, especially during move-in, orientation, and the first-year experience. This online resource provides students with ways to conserve energy, tips for green living, and ways to pack/purchase more sustainably when starting at Dickinson. This site houses our Green Guide available for online viewing or download. This information and links is provided in newsletters distributed from the Office of Residence Life, and in e-mailings to incoming students and families each summer.
The website URL for the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:
Does the institution produce other sustainability outreach materials or publications not covered above?:
A brief description of these materials or publications:
Dickinson’s comprehensive annual Sustainability Report highlights important achievements of the past year and the backdrop from which they emerged. This publication is produced both a print (limited) and electronic publication.
The overarching goal of our sustainability initiative is to create a learning environment that prepares our students to participate in creating an equitable, environmentally aware and sustainable society. This reports highlights that progress and outcomes.
The website URL for these materials or publications:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Dickinson is committed to sharing the latest news, opportunities, and events related to sustainability and supports a broad-spectrum approach of inclusive ways to reach our diverse audiences. We employ students to work solely on sustainability outreach for the college and community. We support publications, blogs, a sustainability newsletter, signage, and extensive web resources to diversify sustainability at Dickinson.
Dickinson is committed to sharing the latest news, opportunities, and events related to sustainability and supports a broad-spectrum approach of inclusive ways to reach our diverse audiences. We employ students to work solely on sustainability outreach for the college and community. We support publications, blogs, a sustainability newsletter, signage, and extensive web resources to diversify sustainability at Dickinson.
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.