Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 49.94
Liaison Jane Stewart
Submission Date March 3, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Washington and Lee University
EN-5: Outreach Campaign

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Jane Stewart
Energy Specialist
Treasurer's office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Has the institution held at least one sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at students and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability? :
Yes

Has the institution held at least one sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at employees and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
Yes

Name of the campaign:
Power Down Challenge

A brief description of the campaign, including how students and/or employees were engaged:

The Energy Specialists hold an energy reduction campaign on campus every spring that is a week-long competition between residence halls and houses.


A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:

The specialists track energy use in housing at random times before the challenge, then advertise the week of the challenge, then track energy use in the houses every night throughout the week. Measurement is collected through meter readings.


The website URL where information about the campaign is available:
Name of the campaign (2nd campaign):
the "Year Off" campaign

A brief description of the campaign, including how students and/or employees were engaged (2nd campaign):

This was a year-long campaign highlighting several different initiatives, all designed to focus faculty/staff attention on the various ways they are empowered to play an important role in energy conservation. At the beginning of the academic year all faculty and staff recieved a "Year Off" hangtag, inviting them to "Take the Year Off" and detailing all the things in personal work spaces that can be shut off regularly for energy savings. A social media contest encouarged people to send in "Offies" (Selfies with the "OFF" hang tags) along with a description of how they personally work to save energy. The winner recieved an energy conservation gift basket, with prize items including power strips, LED light bulbs and insulation foam.This was one of several similar fun contests. We also offered "Year Off" grants, mini-grants to departments that had identified ways to improve energy efficiency in their areas and required modest project funding. Finally we ran the "Super OFF Challenge," a contest among all offices/departments on campus for best nightly shutdown of power-drawing equipment.


A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):

Measurement was collected through a baseline point system - number of components in offices that could be cut off compared to the number of components that were actually cut off.

"Year OFF" hangtags are still displayed prominently in offices all over campus, four "Year OFF grants were awarded, excellent participation in various contests and exceptional participation in SuperOFF Challenge.


The website URL where information about the campaign is available (2nd campaign):
A brief description of other sustainability-related outreach campaigns, including measured positive impacts:

Every year before the Winter Break, all students in campus housing (including Greek Houses) receive a "Winter Break Energy Checklist" detailing energy conservation steps to take before leaving campus for break, including turning down heat and unplugging personal refrigerators. Students sign the checklist, affirming they have competed all actions, and tape them to their room doors. Any rooms without a posted checklist are entered and audited and checklist items are be completed by staff. Also, campus Energy Specialists perform periodic unoccupied audits of various spaces on campus and leave reminder notes for individuals when items that should be off (eg computers, printers etc) have been left on. Small rewards and notes of congratulation are left at perfect workstations.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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