| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 62.73 |
| Liaison | Tina Woolston |
| Submission Date | Aug. 1, 2011 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Tufts University
ER-4: Sustainability Outreach and Publications
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Tina
Woolston Director Office of Sustainability |
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 that consolidates information about the institution's sustainability efforts:
The Tufts University Office of Sustainability maintains a website that consolidates information about sustainability efforts at Tufts. The Office of Sustainability Website is a resource for students who wish to get involved with both on and off-campus sustainability events. It also documents efforts made at Tufts to make the campus sustainable, and raises awareness about issues such as climate change. The website is maintained on a regular basis and contains up to date information for students seeking information about sustainability at Tufts.
The website URL for the central sustainability website that consolidates information about the institution's sustainability efforts:
Does the institution have a sustainability newsletter?:
A brief description of the sustainability newsletter:
The weekly Office of Sustainability Newsletter includes on- and off-campus events, job opportunities, educational opportunities, and more. For example, a recent newsletter included information about Massachusetts’s “Bay State Bicycle Week”, a link to the new EPA report on climate change, and tips for saving energy in computer use. Interested students, staff, and faculty can easily sign up online, or sign-up sheets are available at many Office of Sustainability affiliated events.
The website URL for the sustainability newsletter:
Does the institution have a vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability?:
A brief description of the vehicle to publish and disseminate student research on sustainability:
In the Spring each year there is an undergraduate research day, many student sustainability research projects are presented here. In 2011, the theme was sustainability.
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 most prominent signage appears in Sophia Gordon hall, an on-campus apartment building that is LEED Gold certified. There is signage throughout the entrance hall of the building, bringing attention to all of the sustainable aspects of the building. There is also signage in the individual apartments that highlights sustainable features such as the dual-flush toilets. Additionally, the residence has a community meeting space that is used for many gatherings and provides further opportunities for educating the community about green buildings. Every dorm building also contains signage drawing attention to the sustainable washing machines used on campus. There are also signs in the main parking garage explaining the energy-efficient LED lighting. There are signs on the Tisch Library roof, a prominent student and community gathering space, explaining the Library's "green roof" project (for more about this project, see http://sustainability.tufts.edu/?pid=44.) There are also signs on the Tufts-owned Fairmont House that call attention to the building's solar panels (http://sustainability.tufts.edu/?pid=94).
The website URL for building signage that highlights green building features :
Does the institution have food service area signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems?:
A brief description of food service area signage and/or brochures that include information about sustainable food systems:
The dining halls have signage that informs students about which produce items are locally grown. The Office of Sustainability distributes brochures on sustainable seafood and Fair Trade products. FEAST (Food Education and Action for Sustainability at Tufts) is an University organization that informs students about the importance of sustainable food production and promotes benefits of locally grown and organic produce, and the benefits of purchasing fair trade. FEAST maintains a website that students can visit to learn about these issues. Although the FEAST project is not currently being updated, the resources that it produced are still available online and in the dining halls.
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 grounds-keeping strategies employed?:
A brief description of signage on the grounds about sustainable grounds-keeping strategies employed:
As of Spring/Summer 2010 there are no such signs on campus, however, since 2004 some sections of campus grounds have been managed organically, so historically there were signs to alert the campus community to the benefits of this transition.
The website URL for signage on the grounds about sustainable grounds-keeping strategies employed:
Does the institution have a sustainability walking map or tour?:
A brief description of the sustainability walking map or tour:
The Office of Sustainability distributes an “Eco Map of Tufts.” This is a campus map that identifies all of the sustainability hot-spots on campus. It marks bike racks, dining locations offering Fair Trade certified coffee, battery and ink cartridge pickup points, public transportation pick-up points, and much more.
The website URL of the sustainability walking map or tour:
Does the institution have a guide for commuters about how to use alternative methods of transportation?:
A brief description of the guide for commuters about how to use alternative methods of transportation:
The Office of Sustainability produces two pamphlets, one for the Boston campus and one for the Medford/Somerville campus, about green travel practices. These pamphlets include information about shuttles and public transportation, Zip Car service, and ride share services. They also provide statistics concerning the amount of CO2 saved by walking instead of driving, along with useful links for calculating fuel economy, fuel costs, and more. It highlights both the environmental and economical incentives for making your commute more sustainable. The pamphlet is available for pick-up at Tufts Department of Public Safety's parking desk, at the Office of Sustainability, in the student commuter house, at various events, through staff "Eco-Ambassadors" and can be downloaded from the website. The transportation page on the website contains more detailed information about alternative transportation at http://sustainability.tufts.edu/?pid=15&c=23.
The website URL for the guide for commuters about how to use alternative methods of transportation:
Does the institution have a guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience?:
A brief description of the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:
The Guide to Living & Working Green at Tufts provides much information for staff, faculty and students on sustainable practices they can use at Tufts and at home.
In addition, "Habitats," the publication for residents, contains a section on recycling and green living. This includes guidelines for recycling, saving energy, appliance use, and more. See http://ase.tufts.edu/reslife/documents/Habitats.pdf pages 25-26 for details.
The website URL for the guide for green living and incorporating sustainability into the residential experience:
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 regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper, either through a regular column or a reporter assigned to the sustainability beat:
Although there is not a specific "sustainability" beat, Tufts is small enough that almost all sustainability related events are covered by the news section. Additionally, the editorial section often features sustainability-related pieces. Although exactly how many sustainability-related articles ran in the past year is difficult to quantify, a query for "sustainability" on the Tufts Daily website returned about 30 relevant articles from the 2009-2010 school year.
The website URL for regular coverage of sustainability in the main student newspaper, either through a regular column or a reporter assigned to the sustainability beat:
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (1st material):
A brief description of this material:
There are signs above the recycling bins located in all residential and academic buildings. These signs tell people what can and cannot be recycled and remind everyone to recycle. Additionally, the Tufts Recycles! office produces a pamphlet with information about what can and cannot be recycled, as well as frequently asked questions about Tufts recycling practices.
The website URL for this material:
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (2nd material):
A brief description of this material:
The Office of Sustainability produces an up-to-date calendar of local farmers markets and CSA box share programs. The calendar is distributed at sustainability events and is available on-line. The document reports the location of the farmers markets and dates they are running, and lists CSA box shares that are dropped off locally. This information is utilized by students and employees who are interested in purchasing locally grown produce.
The website URL for this material:
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (3rd material):
A brief description of this material:
The Office of Sustainability maintains a Twitter account with daily Tweets related to sustainability issues, relevant to Tufts, regionally, nationally and globally.
The website URL for this material:
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (4th material):
A brief description of this material:
The Tufts Institute for the Environment and the Office of Sustainability produce “Green Living: Environmentally Friendly Tips for Off-Campus Students.” This pamphlet helps students living off-campus achieve more sustainable lifestyles. It has tips for recycling and saving energy. The advice in this pamphlet is specific to the neighborhoods right off campus that Tufts students live in, which makes it a very useful tool for Tufts students.
The website URL for this material:
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (5th material):
A brief description of this material:
The Tufts Climate Initiative (now a part of the Office of Sustainability) produces a lighting brochure providing information about compact florescent bulbs, shutting off lights and motion censors, and the Tufts light bulb exchange. The brochure also provides climate change facts, as well as ways to "be a climate hero" such as insulating your home and buying energy star appliances.
The website URL for this material:
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (6th material):
A brief description of this material:
The Tufts Climate Initiative (now a part of the Office of Sustainability) produces a computer brochure highlighting the myths and realities surrounding computer energy use. It also explains in detail how to save energy by enabling the power management feature on your computer. The brochure also provides climate change facts, as well as ways to "be a climate hero" such as eating less meat and using the thermostat.
The website URL for this material:
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (7th material):
A brief description of this material:
Several Facebook Accounts are maintained by the Office of Sustainability, including the Eco-Reps and Eco-Ambassador pages.
The website URL for this material:
Does the institution produce another sustainability publication or outreach material not covered above? (8th material):
A brief description of this material:
University Information Technology (UIT) created guidelines for how to use the energy saving features on your computers.
The website URL for this material:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.