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Coordination & Planning

Introduction

Staff and other resources help an institution organize, implement, and publicize sustainability initiatives. These resources provide the infrastructure that fosters sustainability within an institution. Sustainability planning affords an institution the opportunity to clarify its vision of a sustainable future, establish priorities and help guide budgeting and decision making.

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The Sustainable Campus Observatory: A Comprehensive Framework for Benchmarking University Performance Toward Sustainability

  • University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines

This paper aims to address the lack of global assessment approaches for benchmarking the sustainable performance of higher education institutions. Such approaches are critical for universities wishing to analyse and …

  • Posted June 20, 2018
  • Publications
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Grappling with Climate Uncertainties: MIT’s Resiliency Approach

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)
  • AASHE (MA)

Heightened awareness from recent extreme weather events and emerging data about current and future climate risks is placing increasing pressure on university campuses to develop processes for enhancing the resilience …

  • Posted May 31, 2018
  • Videos & Webinars
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Soka University of America Student Sustainability Committee with mentor Dr. Robert Hamersley. (Left to right: Samikchhya Bhusal, Dr. Robert Hamersley, Prashank Mishra, Lauren Ng)

Initiating STARS at Soka University of America

  • Soka University of America (CA)

In the Spring of 2016, our group of four Sustainability Committee student representatives came together and decided that our primary goal was to succeed in getting our university’s first STARS …

CSU Zero Waste Symposium engaging students, faculty, staff and community members

Creating a Composting Culture at Colorado State University

  • Colorado State University (CO)

As Colorado State University (CSU) students, many of us were drawn to this school because of its unique ability to institutionalize sustainability. However, during our time here, we have often …

Earth Day Flyer

University of Memphis - Green Fee

  • University of Memphis (TN)

The Sustainability Fee, commonly known as the Green Fee, at the University of Memphis, was initiated by students and launched in 2007. The purpose of the fee is to support …

Sustainability Strategic Planning

  • University of California, Merced (CA)

The University of California Merced (UC Merced) within the next five years will undergo significant infrastructure expansion to accommodate student, faculty and staff growth. The acceleration of the university’s built …

Tackling it Together: A Framework for Assessing Climate Vulnerability in the Pioneer Valley

  • Smith College (MA)

In Western Massachusetts, stakeholders are engaging with vulnerability in different ways. While some are planning at the campus and city levels, others have engaged only in areas specific to their …

Carbon Neutrality Celebration with Office Staff

American University Achieved Carbon Neutrality Two Years Ahead of 2020 Target

  • American University (DC)

In 2018, American University became the first university, first research university, and first urban higher education campus to achieve carbon neutrality. This major goal was reached two years ahead of …

Making Climate Commitments into Climate Action

  • University of Illinois Chicago (IL)

The Climate Action Implementation Plan (CAIP) is the sustainability action plan for the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). The UIC Climate Commitments, announced in April 2016, form the basis …

Departmental Sustainability Mission & Vision Statement -University of Washington Housing & Food Services

  • University of Washington, Seattle (WA)

In the academic year 2017-18, Housing & Food Services unveiled its Sustainability Mission & Vision statement. This articulation of the department’s greater commitment to sustainability was the culmination of a …

Ariel Photo of Construction

University of California Merced 2020 Project

  • University of California, Office of the President (CA)

In 2012, UC Merced launched the “2020 Project”, an initiative to add a significant amount of new teaching, research, housing, recreation and support facilities to the campus that would accommodate …

Exterior bin stations now only have a blue recycle and green compost bin

Campus-wide Zero Landfill Waste Policy Implementation & Outreach Program - Emory University

  • Emory University (GA)

In January 2018, Emory University implemented a completely redesigned waste policy as a leap toward the goal of zero landfill waste (defined nationally as diverting 95% of waste from municipal …

Presentation during Yale Sustainability Action Planning workshop

Sustainability Action Planning Program

  • Yale University (CT)

In 2017, the Yale Office of Sustainability launched a cohort-based sustainability action planning program that offered students, faculty, and staff members from 10 Professional Schools and three Officer Units the …

Sustainable Nation Podcast

  • Swarthmore College (PA)
  • University of California, Office of the President (CA)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (CA)

This podcast releases three new episodes every week, consisting of interviews with global sustainability leaders in higher education, business and government. This can be a great resource for any sustainability …

Using Technology to Motivate and Quantify Behavior Change: My Cardinal Green

  • Stanford University (CA)

In today’s increasingly technological and personalized world, sustainability professionals must provide opportunities to engage their community in a way that is relevant for them, while also quantifying the impacts of …

compost sign

Improving office recycling

  • Raritan Valley Community College (NJ)

Every semester, the Environmental Science and Sustainability (ENVI201) class studies recycling on campus and comes up with ideas for improvements. Student Deidre Supple had the idea of improving recycling in …

Designing a Proxy Carbon Price Strategy for Smith College

  • Smith College (MA)

This thesis to Design a Proxy Carbon Price Strategy for Smith College was written to internalize the social cost of carbon emissions into financial decision-making. A proxy carbon price is …

The Most Popular, Annual Sustainable Event at UC Merced - EARTH DAY!

UC Merced's 1st Annual Earth Month Celebration

  • University of California, Merced (CA)

Earth Month was an opportunity for UC Merced organizations and departments as well as Merced Community members to come together in an effort to increase student engagement with our campus …

Introduction to the Leading Deep Change in Higher Education Workshop

  • Wilfrid Laurier University (ON)
  • AASHE (MA)

In response to member interest in higher level, leadership- and change-management focused programming AASHE has partnered with REFOCUS to offer a 1.5 day leadership development workshop in Summer 2018. REFOCUS …

  • Posted May 15, 2018
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Leveraging Sustainability Reporting in Higher Education Institutions—A Multidimensional Research Agenda

  • University of Hildesheim

Sustainability has become increasingly important to research and practice. In order to determine impacts, identify improvement potential and to disclose efforts towards sustainability, an organization needs appropriate reporting. Thus, sustainability …

Voluntary disclosure of sustainability reports by Canadian universities

  • University of Hamburg

In contrast to corporate firms, voluntary sustainability reporting by universities is still in its infancy. Against this background, we have investigated which Canadian universities report their sustainability performance and what …

University-Community Partnership Models: Employing Organizational Management Theories of Paradox and Strategic Contradiction

  • University of Louisville (KY)

University–community (U-C) partnerships have the potential to respond to society’s most pressing needs through engaged scholarship. Despite this promise, partnerships face paradoxical tensions and inherent contradictions that are often not …

University ad Sustainable Urban Development Indicators for Analysis and Evaluation

  • Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Madrid)
  • Carlos III University of Madrid

University is an institution with a high potential to promote changes that lead to better social outcomes in terms of sustainability and social responsibility. Therefore, it is seems highly necessary …

The Efficacy of Third-Party Certifications and Memberships: Bridge to Institutional Sustainability at Colleges and Universities

  • Messiah University (PA)

This study researches the effects of third-party certifications and memberships on decision-making pertaining to environmental practices at higher education institutions (HEIs). A survey containing up to 22 questions was sent …

Towards the integration of sustainability in Higher Eeducation Institutions: A review of drivers of and barriers to organisational change and their comparison against those found of companies

  • Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Madrid)

In recent years, there have been a considerable number of efforts to integrate sustainability into Higher Education Institutions (HEIs); however, there are still challenges that need to be overcome. A …

Towards integrated sustainability in higher education – Mapping the use of the Accelerator toolset in all dimensions of university practice

  • University of Calgary (AB)
  • Vert Energy Group
  • Uppsala University
  • Charles University

The role of individual change agents and the human dimension in general are increasingly being acknowledged as critical elements in sustainability integration at higher education institutions. Yet few studies focus …

Towards a universal carbon footprint standard: A case study of carbon management at universities

  • University of Southampton

Organisations of all types are significant contributors to international greenhouse gas emissions. The business case for supporting low-carbon practices is gathering pace, alongside the regulatory demands imposed through carbon emission …

Towards a sustainability reporting guideline in higher education

  • University of Hamburg

So far, sustainability reporting in higher education is in a very early stage – partly, because of the lack of an established and widely recognized sustainability reporting framework for higher …

First Application of UN-Toolkit to a Collegiate Climate Action Plan

  • San Diego State University (CA)

The United Nations Guiding Principles for Climate Action Planning Toolkit: City-Level Reviews was re-engineered to allow for the applicability and utilization towards university-level climate action plans. Through tailoring the eight …

The Role of Eco-campus Assessment Management System in the Sustainable Development of British Universities

  • Nottingham Trent University

The university is a key driver of sustainable development. In the UK, environmental management systems (EMSs) are increasingly being used by organizations to improve environmental performance. Environmental management systems bring …

Pedestrian Planning on College Campuses

  • University of California, Santa Cruz (CA)

College campuses provide an ideal setting to promote walking, and on-campus pedestrian planning efforts can provide leadership for the wider community as well.

Developing Boundary-Spanning Capacity for Regional Sustainability Transitions—A Comparative Case Study of the Universities of Augsburg (Germany) and Linz (Austria)

  • University of Marburg

The potential of universities to become ‘change agents’ for sustainability has increasingly been highlighted in the literature. Some largely open questions are how universities get involved in regional sustainability transitions …

Strategic Planning to Advance Equity on Campus: A Case Study at Portland State University

  • Portland State University (OR)

Propelled by many factors, including a newly appointed Board of Trustees responsible for governance of our university, resource shortages, and enrollment swings, Portland State University embarked on a strategic planning …

Climate Change and the Canadian Higher Education System: An Institutional Policy Analysis

  • University of Rochester (NY)
  • University of Saskatchewan (SK)

Climate change is a pressing concern. Higher education can address the challenge, but systematic analyses of climate change in education policy are sparse. This paper addresses this gap in the …

Sustainability Assessment Tools in Higher Education Institutions

The book Sustainability Assessment Tools in Higher Education Programs seeks to analyze trends and best practices in across higher education institutions, focusing on positive aspects of sustainability. The book seeks …

HVAC

Fashion Institute of Technology Energy Master Plan

  • Fashion Institute of Technology (NY)
  • NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability (NY)

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a leading art and design school in New York City, has made impressive strides to reduce its energy and carbon footprints. By implementing an …

recycling jeopardy

Penn State Green Team

  • Pennsylvania State University (PA)

The Penn State Green Team hosted an earth day jeopardy competition with the College of the Liberal Arts department and the help of the Sustainability Institute every one enjoyed Earth …

Identifying and Overcoming Obstacles to the Implementation of Sustainable Development at Universities

  • National Taiwan Normal University
  • Universidade Aberta
  • University of Passo Fundo
  • University of Aveiro

Although there have been proven and successful developments in the field of Higher Education for Sustainable Development over the past 15 years or so, there are still numerous challenges to …

  • Posted April 24, 2018
  • Publications
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Aggie participating in an educational presentation during Earth Day.

Texas A&M University Earth Day

  • Texas A&M University (TX)

Texas A&M University | Sports & Recreation Texas A&M University Office of Sustainability - Kelly Wellman, Director & Ben Kalscheur, Sustainability Operations Coordinator Texas A&M University Earth Day Event Aggie …

  • Posted April 24, 2018
  • Photographs
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Students, faculty, staff, and friends from the community worked together to remove leaf litter and tree limbs from the Wake Forest cross-country trails on Friday, March 23, as part of the Office of Sustainability’s Earth Week celebration.

2018 Earth Week at Wake Forest

  • Wake Forest University (NC)

Students, faculty, staff, and friends from the community worked together to remove leaf litter and tree limbs from the Wake Forest cross-country trails on Friday, March 23, as part of …

  • Posted April 19, 2018
  • Photographs
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The FIU Nature Preserve: Achieving Biological Conservation Through Diversification of Stakeholders

  • Florida International University (FL)

Many institutions of higher education have sustainability initiatives; however, not all consider the importance of proximity to nature in the psychological well-being of their associated human community. Florida International University …

  • Posted April 18, 2018
  • Publications
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Sustainability Reporting by Australian Universities

  • Victoria University (Victoria)

There is continuing debate about the consequences of climate change and an increasing emphasis placed on the disclosure of social and environmental indicators by organisations. Universities have been traditionally known …

  • Posted April 17, 2018
  • Publications
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Integration of Sustainability into Architectural Education at Accredited Korean Universities

  • Korea University
  • Seoul National University
  • University of Seoul
  • Chungbuk National University
  • Sungkyunkwan University
  • Hongik University

This paper examines the integration of sustainability principles into architectural education programs at South Korean Universities that have been accredited by the Korea Architectural Accrediting Board (KAAB). Accreditation requires the …

  • Posted April 16, 2018
  • Publications
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Benchmarking Sustainability between Higher Education Institutes

  • Ghent University

As our population keeps rising and the boundaries of our ecosystem become more and more transgressed, a clear call for a transition towards sustainable development is heard. Higher education institutions …

  • Posted April 11, 2018
  • Publications
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Developing Campus Sustainability Plans in a Capstone Course

  • Furman University (SC)
  • AASHE (MA)

Sustainability education high impact practices emphasize the importance of project-based, applied learning experiences as well as collaborative learning. Higher education professionals also emphasize the importance of capstone signature experiences. Students …

  • Posted April 5, 2018
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SCIP logo

The Sustainability Cultural Indicators Program

  • University of Michigan (MI)

The Sustainability Cultural Indicators Program (SCIP) is a multi-year effort designed to measure and track the culture of sustainability at the University of Michigan (U-M). It is intended to inform …

  • Posted April 3, 2018
  • Case Studies
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Incorporating Sustainability into Campus Strategic Planning

  • Spelman College (GA)
  • AASHE (MA)
  • Waste Management (TX)

This webinar is designed to assist school officials who are in the strategic planning process incorporate sustainability into their goals. Presented by Waste Management and Spelman College on April 2, …

  • Posted April 3, 2018
  • Videos & Webinars
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Everything You Need to Know About STARS 2.0

  • Alfred State College (NY)
  • AASHE (MA)

Tune in to learn about the new and improved STARS 2.0, which made its debut in the fall of 2013. Led by AASHE staff and the STARS Steering Committee Chair, …

  • Posted April 3, 2018
  • Videos & Webinars
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Strategies for a sustainable campus in Osaka University

  • Osaka University

This paper reports strategies toward achieving a sustainable campus at Osaka University, Japan. We advance a daily energy-use schedule for each building type to provide effective energy-saving strategies. We classify …

  • Posted March 29, 2018
  • Publications
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Strategic alignment between sustainability and information systems: A case analysis in Malaysian public Higher Education Institutions

  • National University of Malaysia
  • Islamic Azad University
  • Brno University of Technology

Higher Education Institutions have embedded sustainability initiatives into their core activities of curriculum, research, community, and operational to respond the global transformation towards a sustainable future. Numerous studies have been …

  • Posted March 29, 2018
  • Publications
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.

All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.

PA 1: Sustainability Coordination

PA 2: Sustainability Coordination

PA 3: Sustainability Coordination

PA 4: Reporting Assurance

Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.

Coordination & Planning Partners

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