Case Studies
Grow Up, Not Out
Issues Management and Education Campaign
This three-year public relations and government relations initiative was designed to overcome the perception that GW was “The University that Ate Foggy Bottom” and to gain community support and zoning approval for a 20-year campus development plan.
Issues Management Case Study (PDF)
Photo Credit: GWU
Sustainable George
Corporate and Social Responsibility
Goal: Raise awareness of The George Washington University’s leadership in sustainability.
Program: Conceived communications strategy comprising messaging, media relations, social media, rankings and events.
Key Message: The George Washington University is committed to operating its programs and activities in ways that express its responsibilities as a pre-eminent institutional citizen of the nation’s capital. The campaign slug was “Sustainable George”.
Accomplishments:
1) Codifying The Commitment To Sustainability. GW was the first university in the District of Columbia to commit to minimum LEED scores for new buildings and was the first in D.C. to sign the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.
2) Rankings
Sierra Magazine: from “five that fail” in 2008 to among the top 100 in 2009
College Sustainability Report Card: B grade in 2010 report (steady improvement from C+ in 2009 and D+ in 2008)
3) Student Events: The Green Move-Out 2009 program produced 2,169 bags of clothing that amounted to 50,537 pounds of clothing donations and secured 2,719 pounds of food donations. The program was featured in Time Magazine, USA Today and ABC World News Tonight and received the Washington Business Journal Green Business Award. Other events included a design competition for the new recycling truck and Earth Week 2009 featuring PlanetForward with Frank Senso, tree plantings across campus, GW’s first green roof and green living open house. Hundreds of graduating seniors also signed the Green Graduation Pledge.
4) Policy Symposia on Urban Sustainability and Green House Gas Reduction (live Tweets at #GW_ghg). These public policy discussions featured keynote speeches and expert panels comprising Federal and District of Columbia officials, industry executives and university faculty and students.
5) Sustainability Social Networks (launched Spring 2008)
6) Presidential Task Force on Sustainability, award-winning design for GW Presidential Task Force on Sustainability Final Report and Recommendations (PDF, June 2008)