WashU is now one of the many institutions who has closed its campus doors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The suite of radical measures that have been so rapidly adopted in the past week put priority on the health and safety or our community, which is the most important thing.
The world’s response to the coronavirus pandemic sets a new reality to which all of us — people and organizations — need to adapt. The Office of Sustainability team has transitioned to remote work this Wednesday (today) and we are planning to take full advantage of the technologies enabling us to stay connected and engaged.
In addition, many of the WashU Office of Sustainability’s spring programs must be adjusted or cancelled. Note that given the uncertainty of how the situation will evolve, more changes to our programs may be needed. Bookmark this page to stay tuned!
Cancelled/postponed events
While events planned to take place on-campus and in-person must be cancelled, we are exploring ways to shift the format of some of these events to make them available either online or off-campus. Events include:
- Recycling Genius training, March 16 and April 6 // POSTPONED
- E-Waste Recycling and Confidential Paper Shredding Event, March 31 // POSTPONED
- Bike tune-ups, March 23, 25, and April 7 // Alternative solutions are being thought out
Programs on hold until further notice
- The greenware program (loan of reusable dining ware for campus events) requires physical presence of our staff and therefore we are no longer able to provide this service. However, the organization of events is currently highly discouraged so this should not be too much of a problem!
- LED Swap: while the swap is on hold until further notice, check out the Ameren online store that offers energy efficient devices at discounted prices for all Ameren customers, including a selection of light bulbs, smart thermostats, low flow water fixtures, and more.
- Green Cup, energy saving competition among ResColleges, will likely pick up again in early April, in an online only format.
Adjusted programs
- Internships: we are working with our spring student associates to continue work remotely. We are still accepting applications for summer and fall internships positions. Check out this page for an updated list of open positions within the different branches of our internship program.
- Active Commuter Hub: spring members will be given the opportunity to receive a refund or to postpone the use of their memberships to the summer or the fall. We are now accepting applications for summer memberships.
- The WUSM Farmers Market is suspended until April 30th. However, local farmers are baring the economic burden of the situation and they need our support. Find a list of alternative ways you can purchase food and goods from market vendors at this page, and check out the Known & Grown website to see what farmers offer online ordering and where to get local products during the pandemic.
- Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): The WashU CSA program in partnership with Local Farmer CSA is on hold until the end of March. We will evaluate interest among current members to resume the CSA program starting April with off-campus pick-up locations.