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.
Featured Resources
Latest News from AASHE Bulletin
New Resources
New Best Practices for Resilient Design: From Theory to Application
- Arup (NY)
- HGA (MN)
Taking resilient design beyond theory, speakers will illustrate how new tools and resources can inform design, including developing and piloting resilient design guidelines for university campuses. When clients, designers, engineers, …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Computer Networks Doing Their Part to be Sustainable - New Industry Standards
- The Sextant Group (PA)
College and University planners are challenged by the exploding demand for data services, as more and more devices are added to campuses. Administrators and students are asking whether this trend …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Becoming BREEAM: How UC Davis Achieved the First Institutional BREEAM In-Use Certification in the US
- University of California, Davis (CA)
- Healthy Buildings (VA)
In November 2017, University of California at Davis became the first academic institution in the country to achieve BREEAM In-Use (BIU) Certification for a building on their campus. BREEAM stands …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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US Department of Energy Funding to Simplify Sustainable Campus Design
- Seventhwave (WI)
- MIST (IL)
Campuses that use fewer natural resources and buoy health, learning and happiness are increasingly vital for educational institutions, as students and faculty voice demand for it. To deliver a sustainable …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Earning AASHE STARS credits via the ENERGY STAR Buildings program
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
Colleges and universities can use ENERGY STAR's free tools and resources to earn credits in all four categories of AASHE STARS v2.1 -- Academics; Engagement; Operations; and Planning & Administration. …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Evolving Pennsylvania State University's Sustainability Policy Within a Regenerative Paradigm
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
Penn State University (PSU) is a public research university serving Pennsylvania and the global community with a vision to integrate sustainability throughout its campuses and to prepare students to be …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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GHG Accounting in Higher Education - The Case for Forging Our Own Path
- Amherst College (MA)
Quantifying Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission inventories and setting reduction goals started at the national level in the 1990's with the formation of UNFCCC and the first guidelines for inventory development …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Understanding the Entire Campus Carbon Footprint: How and Why to do Comprehensive Scope 3 Reporting
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
Scope 3' emissions (i.e., those from upstream and downstream activities, such as producing the goods purchased by a campus, extracting and refining fuels, or commuting/business travel) are notoriously difficult to …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Examining Data from Across Higher Ed: Does a Commitment Drive More Progress?
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
In November 2017, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) launched the Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform (SIMAP™), a new inventory tool replacing the Campus Carbon Calculator and the CarbonMAP …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Climate Resiliency Planning: What We're Learning
- Black Hills State University (SD)
- Verdis Group (NE)
Black Hills State University is in the process of creating a Climate Resiliency Plan in partnership with city and county partners and facilitated by Verdis Group. The planning process will …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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NE Drawdown: A Multi-College Effort to Adapt & Implement Impactful Regional Climate Change Solutions
- Amherst College (MA)
- Smith College (MA)
- Williams College (MA)
This past summer, students from Amherst, Smith, and Williams colleges investigated the global Drawdown methodology, compiled regional climate data to determine the top priorities for the area, and conducted a …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Approaches to Carbon Offset Procurement
- Colgate University (NY)
- Duke University (NC)
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
- Second Nature (MA)
This presentation will feature a diversity of institutions and their approaches to carbon offset procurement in pursuit of carbon reduction goals. The institutions represented on this panel share the perspective …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Boston University's Climate Action Plan and The Public Process
- Boston University (MA)
Boston University's Climate Action Plan provides a roadmap to address energy use and sourcing, resiliency and climate preparedness, transportation, supply chain, and waste. Moreover it recommends the creation of an …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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From Incremental to Transformative Climate Action: Lessons Learned From Addressing Barriers
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
What are the most fundamental and challenging barriers to achieving carbon neutrality at a large research university? The first University of California campus to publish a climate action plan (CAP) …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Leverage Your Renewable Energy Impact Through Emerging Avoided Emissions PPA Strategies
- Boston University (MA)
- Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
- Edison Energy (CA)
- WattTime (CA)
Renewable energy procurement is a critical strategy for reducing an institution's greenhouse gas emissions. However, not all renewable energy projects avoid the same amount of GHG emissions per kWh. The …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Creating Positive Impact and Achieving Sustainability Goals through Custom Carbon Reduction Projects
- Native (VT)
How can your institution achieve more through your climate goals? Carbon offsets and RECs have long been an effective way of addressing the environmental impacts of running an academic institution …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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JUST Label and STARS – Comparison and Synergies
- AASHE (MA)
- International Living Future Institute (WA)
The JUST Program has been adopted by organizations worldwide as a robust organizational transparency platform with a specific lens into social equity performance. As organizations and institutions seek to be …
- Posted Oct. 31, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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Recent trends in sustainability reporting by German universities
- University of Hamburg
Voluntary sustainability reporting in the higher-education sector is still in its early stages. To better understand it, we looked at all 401 German universities to examine the specific contents of …
- Posted Oct. 23, 2018
- Publications
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University Mission Statements and Sustainability Performance
- DePaul University (IL)
This paper examines the relationship between university mission statements and sustainability practices by institutions of higher education. We examine mission statement constructs and the degree to which higher educational institutions …
- Posted Oct. 23, 2018
- Publications
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Climate adaptation planning in the higher education sector
- RMIT University
Purpose There is a growing interest in climate change action in the higher education sector. Higher education institutions (HEIs) play an important role as property owners, employers, education and research …
- Posted Oct. 23, 2018
- Publications
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UCC becomes first university outside the US to win top Green award
- AASHE (MA)
- University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork (Co. Cork)
The University College Cork is the first institution in Ireland to earn a STARS Gold rating.
- Posted Oct. 10, 2018
- Publications
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California State University East Bay Climate Action Plan 2018
- California State University, East Bay (CA)
Cal State East Bay made a commitment to climate neutrality when President Morishita signed the Carbon Commitment (formerly the American Colleges and Universities Presidents’ Climate Commitment) in January 2015. Once …
- Posted Aug. 30, 2018
- Publications
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Engagement Experiments for the CMC Sustainability Action Plan
- Colorado Mountain College (CO)
The Colorado Mountain College's Spring Valley campus conducted a couple experiments in the "Fostering Sustainable Behavior" class of Fall 2017. This included an action team, survey team, and an education …
- Posted Aug. 29, 2018
- Publications
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UW-Madison has long list of sustainability efforts. So why isn't it a 'green college'?
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
- AASHE (MA)
UW-Madison explores why they have not submitted an AASHE STARS report and why it is one of thee Big 10 schools not to make The Princeton Review's list. With the …
- Posted Aug. 21, 2018
- Publications
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UIC Campus Bike Rack Inventory
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
In the summer of 2018, this project was undertaken to inventory all bike racks at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Knowing for certain the capacities and locations of the …
- Posted Aug. 10, 2018
- Case Studies
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Strategic leadership for sustainability by higher education: the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment
- Greenland Enterprises (MA)
Higher education has a strong influence in shaping the mental models of many of society's professionals and leaders and is a critical leverage point in creating a sustainable society. The …
- Posted Aug. 6, 2018
- Publications
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Accelerating Change through the President’s Sustainability Research Program
- Swarthmore College (PA)
- AASHE (MA)
This webinar describes the President’s Sustainability Research Fellowship (PSRF) model, an innovative program at Swarthmore College that matches motivated students with staff and faculty mentors to research, develop, and implement …
- Posted Aug. 2, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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OSU Search Advocates Training Session
- Oregon State University (OR)
Anne Gillies, Search Advocate Program Director, shares current research about implicit bias, diversity, inclusive employment principles, and effective ways to be an advocate on a search committee. According to reviews …
- Posted Aug. 2, 2018
- Photographs
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Nitrogen Footprint Network Workshop
- University of Virginia (VA)
Fifth annual Nitrogen Footprint Network meeting, hosted by the University of Virginia.
- Posted Aug. 1, 2018
- Photographs
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Dickinson's Online Sustainability Dashboard
- Dickinson College (PA)
Dickinson is monitoring our sustainability performance over time and holding ourselves accountable for advancing sustainability practices. Our online sustainability dashboard allows users to explore up to date performance metrics for …
- Posted July 31, 2018
- Photographs
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Johnson County Community College Green Circle Certification in Cosmetology
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
In February 2017, Johnson County Community College’s Center for Sustainability began to develop a certification protocol for the campus’ cosmetology program to become Green Circle certified. This third-party certification offers …
- Posted July 30, 2018
- Photographs
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UMass Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
UMass Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign
- Posted July 26, 2018
- Photographs
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Communicating sustainability: A content analysis of website communications in the United States
- Chatham University (PA)
- University of Nevada Las Vegas (NV)
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the USA communicate sustainability through their websites. Specifically, the authors compare how and to what …
- Posted July 25, 2018
- Publications
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The Mixed Political Blessing of Campus Sustainability
- University of Minnesota, Morris (MN)
The rise of sustainability rhetoric, curriculum, infrastructure, and marketing on college campuses is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, college presidents are pledging to eliminate their campuses' global warming …
- Posted June 29, 2018
- Publications
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Quantitative analysis of factors affecting greenhouse gas emissions at institutions of higher education
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
Increasingly, institutions are reporting greenhouse gas emissions as a means to measure sustainability. One way higher education is taking a leadership role is through the American College and University Presidents …
- Posted June 29, 2018
- Publications
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Measuring carbon performance in a UK University through a consumption-based carbon footprint: De Montfort University case study
- Arup (NY)
- De Montfort University
This paper presents a consumption-based carbon footprint study for a UK university including scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions under the classification of the WRI/WBCSD Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard. …
- Posted June 29, 2018
- Publications
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Exploring the applications of carbon footprinting towards sustainability at a UK university: reporting and decision making
- University of Leeds (West Yorkshire)
Campus greening is often the first step universities take towards sustainability. In order to infer the current level of environmental performance and the progress being made it is imperative that …
- Posted June 29, 2018
- Publications
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University sustainability reporting: taking stock of transparency
- University of Melbourne (Victoria)
This paper interrogates the case for improved and broadened public sustainability reporting by universities, and explores whether and how global performance measures capture the institutional attitudes and activities pertinent to …
- Posted June 28, 2018
- Publications
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The Nitrogen Footprint Tool for Universities
- University of California, Davis (CA)
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
- University of Virginia (VA)
- AASHE (MA)
The Nitrogen Footprint Tool (NFT), designed for institutions of higher education, assesses the impact of campus consumption and activities on excess reactive nitrogen (N) in the environment. Excess reactive nitrogen …
- Posted June 28, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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An analysis of Canadian STARS-rated higher education sustainability policies
- Dalhousie University (NS)
Uptake of sustainability into campus administration has been identified as important for establishing and maintaining campus sustainability initiatives because of its ability to institutionalize sustainability on campuses. This paper explores …
- Posted June 28, 2018
- Publications
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Developing ecological footprint scenarios on university campuses: A case study of the University of Toronto at Mississauga
- University of Toronto Mississauga (ON)
The ecological footprint represents a simple way to assess the amount of materials consumed and waste produced by a given entity. The approach has been applied to countries, towns, households, …
- Posted June 28, 2018
- Publications
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The Issues and Methodologies in Sustainability Assessment Tools for Higher Education Institutions
- University of Tokyo
Assessment tools influence incentives to higher education institutions by encouraging them to move towards sustainability. A review of 16 sustainability assessment tools was conducted to examine the recent trends in …
- Posted June 28, 2018
- Publications
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University Sustainability Reporting: A review of the literature and development of a model
- University of Windsor (ON)
Many universities have made a commitment to improving the sustainability of their campuses however only a small number report to stakeholders on their sustainability performance to allow accountability and the …
- Posted June 26, 2018
- Publications
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Ecological Footprinting as a Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approach to Complete Campus Engagement and Transformation Towards the One Planet Goal
- Macquarie University (NSW)
Enabling students to apply well-informed and skill-based understandings to their own decision-making about the dynamic relationships between individuals, societies, environments and economies in a resource constrained world is a central …
- Posted June 25, 2018
- Publications
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A Living Laboratory: How the University of Dayton Went from Green to Gold
- University of Dayton (OH)
This spring, the University of Dayton earned a gold rating in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education sustainability tracking, assessment and rating system (STARS). This is …
- Posted June 25, 2018
- Publications
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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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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 …
- Posted May 21, 2018
- Case Studies
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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 …
- Posted May 21, 2018
- Case Studies
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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 …
- Posted May 21, 2018
- Case Studies
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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.