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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Implementing an Effective Campus Recycling & Waste Bin Infrastructure
- University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
- CleanRiver Recycling Solutions (ON)
A uniform system of well-designed recycling and waste bins is crucial for colleges to achieve significant diversion rates. The challenge is to identify bins that can address four key needs: …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Identifying Holistic Metrics to Redefine Zero Waste
- Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)
While diversion has been the go-to metric for evaluating our waste reduction efforts, it skips over several levels of the waste reduction hierarchy, resulting in the prioritization of recycling and …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Western State Colorado University Role in Advancing SDGs- Road Map to Institutionalizing Zero Waste
- Western Colorado University (CO)
Higher education plays critical roles in the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More specifically, higher education should strategically strive in its physical operations in advancing the …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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A Residential Recycling Competition at Skidmore College
- Skidmore College (NY)
Energy conservation competitions are a cornerstone project in many schools' outreach efforts, and this program utilized a similar approach to address apartment waste patterns. This recycling and compost-oriented competition involved …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Thinking Outside of the Trash: Waste Policy Implementation and Education at Emory University
- Emory University (GA)
Emory University consulted with Cascadia and Burns & McDonnell during 2016-2017 to assess Emory's materials management program and make recommendations for innovative and programmatic strategies to help Emory achieve its …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Using Waste Audit Data to Drive Waste Reduction, Diversion, and Engagement
- Northwestern University (IL)
- Oakton Community College (IL)
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (IL)
- University of Richmond (VA)
Unlike other utilities, such as electricity and natural gas, actual waste and recycling data are more difficult to track. The lack of ready to use data creates challenges in goal …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Utilizing Waste Management Plans in Residence Halls: A Case Study
- University of South Carolina (SC)
In large universities, waste and recycling can be a daunting task to take on and fix. At the University of South Carolina, there are 28 residence halls, all built slightly …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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From Cars to Bikes - A Campus Transformation
- Purdue University (IN)
- Rundell Ernstberger Associates (REA) (IN)
The transformation of physical environments on college campuses typically comes in the form of a formal master planning effort with great vision and fanfare. BUT there are other, more granular, …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Data-Driven Planning for Campus Materials Management - From Inputs Through Outputs
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)
While the higher education sustainability field is grappling with materials management challenges, from procurement through waste operations, there are limited tools and processes for data-driven planning. University campuses yield the …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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EAN Sustainability Index: How to Measure the Sustainability in an University Incubator?
- Universidad EAN
The implementation of sustainability at the EAN University is a process that takes more than eight years, however, being an institution whose focus is entrepreneurship, it is clearly necessary to …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Educating, Engaging and Empowering Sustainable Businesses Through a Smart Business Challenge
- Iowa State University (IA)
A vital facet in ensuring a sustainable community is sustainable awareness and commitment of its businesses. As part of the Town Gown Collaboration with the Iowa State University Office of …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Using the UN SDGs to frame community resilience assessment and planning for students and partners
- Allegheny College (PA)
After Allegheny signed Second Nature's Resilience Commitment (Climate Commitment signed in 2007), the sustainability coordinator cultivated collaborative partnerships in the community and explored ways to support existing work while developing …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Mapping our Participation in the United Nations Global Compact: Storytelling and Sustainability
- State University of New York at Geneseo (NY)
As a participant of the U.N. Global Compact, the State University College of New York at Geneseo uses the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals as a framework to talk about our …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Community Outreach on Steroids: Impacting People in 8 Counties While Recruiting Great Students
- Slippery Rock University (PA)
In June 2017, Slippery Rock University's Office of Sustainability launched the 'Healthy Planet, Healthy People Environmental Summer Camp and Community Project Incubator'. The focus of this program was to create …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Celebrating Anniversaries: Reflecting and Adapting within Campus Green Funds
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
Adaptability is key for any successful program. In spring of 2016, students renewed The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) at UC Berkeley for an additional 10 years, celebrating 10 years of …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Solutions for Evaluating Projects: Quadruple Bottom Line & Financial Models for Climate Neutrality
- Cornell University (NY)
It's time to move the conversation beyond 'financing climate neutrality.' In order to move away from traditional financial, single bottom line decision making for large capital investments, institutions must create …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Leadership in Sustainable Grounds Management: The Audubon International Experience
- American University (DC)
- University of Florida (FL)
- Niagara College Canada (ON)
- Audubon International (NY)
This presentation will provide an open dialogue and best practice sharing on the process of achieving Audubon International's (AI) Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP) certification at both public and private, …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Leveraging Sustainability in Food Service Across Campus
- University of Houston (TX)
The University of Houston has undergone a physical and culture transformation with a different food service provider and new collaboration with our Office of Sustainability. In spring 2017 the Food …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Food Service Contracts and RFPs as Vehicle for Sourcing More Sustainable Food
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
- University of Vermont (VT)
- Farm Forward (OR)
College and universities need new strategies to scale sustainable food procurement. Programs like STARS and the Real Food Challenge have institutionalized sustainable food purchasing targets and many campuses have made …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Hitting Bumps in the Road to Renewables
- Connecticut College (CT)
- Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
Almost every month it seems like a new renewable energy project is announced on a college campus, feeding a sense of urgency at those colleges and universities who have not …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Student-Developed Energy Management Information System
- Macalester College (MN)
Like many other educational institutions, our college cares about the efficient use of energy and seeks ways to reduce its impact on the environment. We promote energy-wise behavior among students, …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Rising to Meet the Challenge of 100% Renewable Energy
- Boston University (MA)
- University of Richmond (VA)
- Edison Energy (CA)
Campuses are increasingly looking to renewable energy as the most financially attractive strategy for making dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and achieving their GHG goals. The costs of …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Sustainability Best Practices to Contain the Uncontainable: Lessons Learned From UVA & August 11/12
- University of Virginia (VA)
UVA's responses to the white supremacist rallies at UVA and Charlottesville during the summer of 2017 can serve as an example to other institutions as white supremacy and violence on …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Anti-Oppressive Youth Facilitation
- Power Shift Network (DC)
From organizing campaigns to coordinating community engagement events. From engaging in political advocacy efforts to training with youth. Wherever your youth engagement falls, there are best practices for working with …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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How Higher Education is approaching its commitment to sustainability through sustainability courses
- Western Michigan University (MI)
For over a decade, the concepts of education for sustainable development have been recognized by many higher education institutes. A significant number of higher education institutions have signed agreements and …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Campus Sustainability Plans as Pedagogical Opportunities for High Impact Student Experiences
- Furman University (SC)
As universities strive for increased sustainability, there is a growing need for coordinated and comprehensive campus sustainability plans that provide specific action items and clear roadmaps to improved sustainability within …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Demonstrating Impact Through SDG Cases - Creating Common Language and Shared Purpose Across Campus
- Harvard University (MA)
- Danish Energy Management
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) exist as a Global platform for taking action to achieve sustainable development. The SDGs recognize that staying within our planetary boundaries and achieving sustainable …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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STARS Reporting as an Undergraduate Educational Opportunity
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (IL)
The University of Illinois, a STARS Gold Campus, has a strong focus on expanding its campus sustainability efforts. Since our 2017 report, administrators have made an increased effort to align …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Scenario Planning and Applied Learning in Sustainability Practica
- Middlebury College (VT)
Scenario planning is a versatile and widely applicable tool for developing robust strategies for dealing with uncertainty. It is used across numerous domains including national visioning and transition efforts, military …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Using STARS reporting as a framework for a modular campus sustainability plan
- University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
Creating a campus sustainability plan can be a daunting and complex task. In addition, limited staff and financial resources may also be barriers to creating a robust sustainability plan. The …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Sustainability Workshop Series
- Northern Michigan University (MI)
Northern Michigan University: EcoReps cohort one Sustainability Workshop Series This poster highlights the structure, funding, and success of the Sustainability Workshop Series piloted by Northern Michigan University EcoReps in the …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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State of the Association Address: AASHE Member Meeting
- AASHE (MA)
Come join the AASHE Board and Staff while we present the AASHE 'state of the organization' address. You'll hear highlights from the member survey, programmatic priorities, and AASHE's vision for …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Strategies for an Actionable Sustainability Plan: Tools and Lessons Learned From the Field
- American University (DC)
- Santa Clara University (CA)
- University of North Carolina, Charlotte (NC)
- LINK Strategic Partners (DC)
A common institutional challenge is to find an appropriate process for developing or revisiting strategic plans to advance sustainability, resilience, and climate action. Though a one-size-fits-all model has not emerged, …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Leveraging the Campus Sustainability Committee: Zombie Committees vs Robust Change Agents
- Cornell University (NY)
- Duke University (NC)
- North Carolina State University (NC)
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
What is the secret to successful sustainability committees? Is there a magic formula for long-term effectiveness or do the committees need to evolve over time? Once sustainability programs become more …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Sustainability in the C-Suite: Preliminary Study Results
- Swarthmore College (PA)
- Unity Environmental University (ME)
- GreenerU (MA)
- Koya Leadership Partners (DC)
Sustainability can be a strategic driver when the function is included at the highest level of an organization. What are the most innovative leaders in higher education, business, and government …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Shooting for the STARS - How your Campus can use STARS to Measure Progress Toward the SDGs
- University of Calgary (AB)
In late 2017, the University of Calgary was selected by public vote as a UN Sustainable Development Goal winner in Canada. The majority of outcomes that attracted this positive recognition …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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STARS Town Hall
- AASHE (MA)
This session will feature a preview of the next version of STARS (2.2) from AASHE staff and will also provide an opportunity for attendees to pose questions and participate in …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Is STARS Pre-Submission Review Required Now?
- Connecticut College (CT)
- Creighton University (NE)
- AASHE (MA)
- GreenerU (MA)
As part of our efforts to improve STARS data quality, AASHE released a STARS Review Template and conducted a STARS Review Pilot in spring 2018. Over a dozen Pilot participants …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Overcoming Administrative Barriers in Waste Management Projects
- University of Nebraska - Lincoln (NE)
My project will be primarily covering the barriers that many students face when trying to implement new sustainable projects on their campuses. The focus of my project will be a …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Case Study Revisited: Confirming how to Achieve Progressive Campus Sustainability Measures
- South Dakota State University (SD)
A decade has passed since previous qualitative research was collected and evaluated to determine how three campuses achieved progressive measures of environmental sustainability. The findings of this comparative case study …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Global Priorities, Educated Solutions: the Role of Academia in Advancing the SDGs
- Yale University (CT)
In 2015, the Office of Sustainability created a project aimed at understanding how Yale's teaching and research aligns with the SDGs, with the purposes of: (i) identifying pathways for collaboration …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Incorporating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into Collaborative Sustainability Planning
- Ohio University (OH)
Ohio University is proud to have an ambitious and community-created Sustainability Plan, and to reside in a community that values sustainability. Both the City of Athens and Athens County have …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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The Role of Private Sector Partnership in Sustainable Higher Education Operations & Education
- American University in Cairo (Cairo)
Throughout the American University in Cairo's 100-year history, we have strived to be leaders in all we do. Recently, that mission has been applied to sustainability. AUC has implemented meaningful …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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The Power of Process: Thoughtful Engagement for Successful Projects
- Brown University (RI)
- GreenerU (MA)
You probably know best practices in, say, composting. Maybe you have researched the best compost haulers, how composting food can reduce GHG emissions, and how it saves water and energy. …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Developing an Energy Strategy for Sustainability to meet Climate Action Planning Goals
- Lafayette College (PA)
- Stone House Group (PA)
As ideas related to sustainability continue to grow on college campuses, college administrators and facilities directors look to develop plans that align campus infrastructure and facilities to fulfill sustainability goals. …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Sustainability Goal Setting at Universities: A Nitrogen Action Plan at the University of Virginia
- University of Virginia (VA)
A nitrogen (N) footprint is the amount of reactive N released to the environment as a result of an entities' resource use. In 2010, the University of Virginia (UVA) became …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Go Green or Get Gone: Teachers College as a Case Study
- Teachers College, Columbia University (NY)
What is the role of graduate schools of education in the face of local and global environmental challenges? This session explores this question by presenting the development process and implementation …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Preaching Beyond the Choir: How to Institutionalize Sustainability Into Organization-Wide Culture
- Denison University (OH)
It is easy to get caught up in and become comfortable in a group that shares the same views. We know the people who have our back and who will …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Inducing Paradigm Shifts through Complementary Curricular and Co-curricular Program Engagement
- College of Charleston (SC)
The Office of Sustainability (OoS) at the College of Charleston offers a unique work environment. Housed in Business Affairs & led by 2 Staff who also serve as College Faculty, …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Integrating Social Equity: Texas A&M's 2018 Sustainability Master Plan
- Texas A&M University (TX)
- Ayers Saint Gross (MD)
Released in the Spring 2018 semester, Texas A&M's new Sustainability Master Plan has three primary objectives: to better integrate social equity objectives with environmental and economic efforts, to balance the …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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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
- Description of the sustainability committee(s)
- Description of the sustainability office(s)
- Description of activities and accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years
- First sustainability position (upload)
- First sustainability position (text)
- Second sustainability position (upload)
- Second sustainability position (text)
- Third sustainability position (upload)
- Third sustainability position (text)
- Website URL - Sustainability Coordination
PA 2: Sustainability Coordination
- Published measurable objectives - Academics
- Published measurable objectives - Engagement
- Published measurable objectives - Operations
- Published measurable objectives - Planning & Administration
- Website URL - Highest Guiding Strategic Plan
- Sustainability plan (upload)
- Sustainability plan (website URL)
- Website URL - Sustainability planning
PA 3: Sustainability Coordination
- Description of participatory or shared governance bodies
- Percent of official members of the highest governing body that are women
- Website URL - Institution’s highest level governing body
- Description of campus-community council or equivalent body that gives external stakeholders a regular voice in institutional decisions
- Website URL - Institutional governance body
PA 4: Reporting Assurance
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.