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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Sustainable Academia: Translating the Vision of a Full Sustainable University into a Measurable Reality
- Technische Universiteit Delft
There is a growing public expectation that universities should start focusing on delivering sustainability. The topic of sustainability in higher education has gathered a significant amount of interest from students, …
- Posted May 4, 2017
- Publications
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Resources for hope: Ideas for alternatives from heterodox higher education institutions
- Berea College (KY)
- Deep Springs College (CA)
This report describes my field visits to Berea and Deep Springs Colleges in the U.S.A. and explores their forms of ownership/control, governance, financing and organisational structure. Berea and Deep Springs …
- Posted May 4, 2017
- Publications
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Vanderbilt University FutureVU Expo
- Vanderbilt University (TN)
More than 800 students, staff, faculty and others stopped by the Wond’ry April 19 to learn about FutureVU, Vanderbilt’s campus land use planning initiative, and how the university’s built environment …
- Posted May 1, 2017
- Photographs
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Southern Oregon University Earth Week
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
- Posted April 28, 2017
- Photographs
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EcoChallenge 2017 Winner Dinner
- Berea College (KY)
Each year, Berea College hosts the EcoChallenge, a competition among residence halls on campus to increase the amount of recycling produced by each student. In 2017, the factor of participation …
- Posted April 28, 2017
- Photographs
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UIC Growing Green
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
Did you know that the University of Illinois at Chicago has been a designated as a Tree Campus USA since 2011? UIC is dedicated to the health and preservation of …
- Posted April 27, 2017
- Photographs
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Earth Fest Oklahoma State University
- Oklahoma State University (OK)
Oklahoma State University's 2017 Earth Fest, organized by students of the SGA Sustainability Committee, was held on campus April 20th and open to the public. Organizations had exhibits on sustainability …
- Posted April 27, 2017
- Photographs
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The Nitrogen Footprint Tool Network: A Multi-Institution Program to Research and Reduce Nitrogen Pollution
- University of Virginia (VA)
- Eastern Mennonite University (VA)
- Brown University (RI)
- Dickinson College (PA)
- Colorado State University (CO)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
- University of Chicago (IL)
Humans release reactive nitrogen into the environment at a rate that is 4 to 5 times as large as from natural terrestrial processes. They do this by producing and applying …
- Posted April 26, 2017
- Publications
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Beauty in the World We Find: Earth Week at Wake Forest University
- Wake Forest University (NC)
Students, faculty, staff, and community members came together to celebrate our urban forests, waterways, and the landscapes that surround us during Earth Week at Wake Forest. Inspired by Terry Tempest …
- Posted April 26, 2017
- Photographs
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Universities run for, by, and with the faculty, students and staff: Alternatives to the neoliberal destruction of higher education
After analysing the organisational pathologies and societal ills created by the neoliberalisation of universities, the article engages in an organisational critique of the pseudo-business model currently in use. It poses …
- Posted April 26, 2017
- Publications
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Successful Sustainability Efforts, Action from Constructive Communication
- University of North Texas (TX)
- Understand the field and the reach of technical communication in relation to how it affects campus sustainability efforts, specifically, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) report and in …
- Posted April 26, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Embracing Sustainability at Alamo Colleges
- Alamo Community College District (TX)
Alamo Colleges is a network of five community colleges serving San Antonio, TX and surrounding areas. As a signatory in one of Second Nature's three Climate Leadership Commitments, Alamo Colleges …
- Posted April 25, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Process for UT Austin Sustainability Master Plan
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
Ability to describe key process points of a planning process for sustainability.
- Posted April 25, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Honored Members of the Sustainability Community
- Indiana State University (IN)
Our student, faculty, and staff award winners! From left to right: Ivy Coble, Dara Middleton, Dr. Joy O'Keefe, and Dr. Jim Speer
These four people have worked so diligently to …
- Posted April 25, 2017
- Photographs
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RMIT University Climate Risk Assessment
- RMIT University
This report details the process and findings from the first climate risk assessment carried out for RMIT University, with a primary focus on the Melbourne City campus. The analysis considered …
- Posted April 24, 2017
- Publications
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Repeat performance: CSU earns second STARS Platinum
- Colorado State University (CO)
This news story from Colorado State University mentions highlights from the university that helped it achieve AASHE STARS Platinum rating for the second time, the only university thus far to …
- Posted April 21, 2017
- Publications
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Opening up the Pandora's box of sustainability league tables of universities: a Kafkaesque perspective
The aim of this paper is to explore the institutional impact of sustainability league tables on current university agendas. It focuses on a narrative critique of one such league table, …
- Posted April 12, 2017
- Publications
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STARS & Beyond: Adventures of an Embedded Librarian in the Campus Sustainability Office
- University of Utah (UT)
Webinar [30 mins], presented by Amy Brunvand for the American Library Association Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT) on 3/9/17. Amy Brunvand, an academic librarian at the University of Utah, took a …
- Posted March 15, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Getting Started with STARS 2.1
- University of Vermont (VT)
- AASHE (MA)
Watch this webinar for an overview of STARS 2.1, AASHE's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System launched Spring 2016. STARS 2.1 includes a number of new features to help participants …
- Posted March 7, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Campus as a Living Laboratory for Sustainability Resources
- Princeton University (NJ)
Google doc with links to general resources, scholarly works, STARS data, and campus' websites for case studies on Campus as (Living, Learning) Lab for sustainability. Please feel free to suggest …
- Posted March 2, 2017
- Tools
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Impact of a participatory analysis of a campus sustainability social network: A case study of Emory University
- Emory University (GA)
Social network analysis makes visible the invisible connections and flows that underlie complex social relationships. Applied organizational researchers have used social network analysis to assess and improve organizational and leadership …
- Posted March 2, 2017
- Publications
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Plans and Living Practices for the Green Campus of Portland State University
- Portland State University (OR)
This study aims to comprehend Portland State University (PSU)’s green campus strategies, and students’ level of knowledge and living practices relating to green campus. PSU’s sustainable campus plan has been …
- Posted Feb. 21, 2017
- Publications
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Good Practices on Campus Sustainability in Japan 2016
- Hokkaido University (Hokkaido)
- Chiba University
- Kyoto University
- Fukushima College
Released by the Campus Sustainability Network in Japan (CAS-Net Japan), the booklet was created to share campus experiences in conducting environmental activities and efforts to find solutions to environmental problems …
- Posted Feb. 21, 2017
- Publications
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A fragility approach to campus sustainability – methodological explorations
Aim: Often, the approach towards entering a path of sustainable development is that intervention needs to take place. This may lead to unwanted side effects. This paper presents the …
- Posted Feb. 20, 2017
- Publications
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Mapping a Pathway to Low-Carbon Campuses
- Rocky Mountain Institute (CO)
Over the last few years, RMI has partnered with universities to develop aggressive carbon-reduction/neutrality plans and to share best practices associated with energy efficiency and renewable energy across organizations. Through …
- Posted Feb. 13, 2017
- Publications
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Defining sustainable universities following public opinion formation process
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to define the sustainable university in Turkey, by considering perspectives of various stakeholders such as experts, intellectual, public, political parties and media …
- Posted Feb. 13, 2017
- Publications
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Is Higher Education Economically Unsustainable? An Exploration of Factors that Undermine Sustainability Assessments of Higher Education
- Eastern Michigan University (MI)
- Technische Universiteit Delft
As students continue to review the sustainability of higher education institutions, there is a growing need to understand the economic returns of degrees as a function of a sustainable institution. …
- Posted Feb. 9, 2017
- Publications
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A grid approach to managing sustainability: evidence from a multiple Italian case study
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the coherence between sustainability conceptualization (the “what”) and its implementation (the “how”) in terms of implemented actions and stakeholders’ interactions. …
- Posted Feb. 9, 2017
- Publications
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A methodological framework to analyze stakeholder preferences and propose strategic pathways for a sustainable university
Building sustainable universities calls for participative management and collaboration among stakeholders. Combining analytic hierarchy and network processes (AHP/ANP) with statistical analysis, this research proposes a framework that can be used …
- Posted Feb. 7, 2017
- Publications
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SF State Submits Report for Sustainability Rating
- San Francisco State University (CA)
The Office of Sustainability at SF State will submit a report February 1 to participate in a sustainability rating program that tracks and assesses efforts for maintaining a food and …
- Posted Feb. 6, 2017
- Publications
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The Construction of an Environmental Management Model Based on Sustainability Indicators on a Higher Education Institution in Mexico
Without depreciating the importance of environmental regulations directed to university environmental managements systems in this country, nowadays, the instruments of international importance like the Sustainable Development Goals or ONU’s 2030 …
- Posted Feb. 6, 2017
- Publications
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Assessment of carbon neutrality and sustainability in educational campuses (CaNSEC): A general framework
- TERI School of Advanced Studies
This study presents the cross-institutional Carbon Neutrality and Sustainability in Educational Campuses (CaNSEC) framework. This framework estimates carbon footprints along with overall sustainability of the institution. The carbon footprint analysis …
- Posted Jan. 30, 2017
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Sustainability in Canadian post-secondary institutions: The interrelationships among sustainability initiatives and geographic and institutional characteristics
- University of Saskatchewan (SK)
- Dalhousie University (NS)
Purpose
This paper aims to report on a census of high-level sustainability initiatives at all accredited post-secondary institutions in Canada by documenting the institutions that have undertaken sustainability assessments, have …
- Posted Jan. 30, 2017
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Is it even espoused? An exploratory study of commitment to sustainability as evidenced in vision, mission, and graduate attribute statements in Australian universities
- Griffith University (Queensland)
Since Agenda 21 and the United Nations' Decade for Education for Sustainable Development published, higher education institutions have been recognized as playing a critical role in shifting our society's awareness …
- Posted Jan. 30, 2017
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Exploring a transformative orientation to sustainability in universities: a question of loose and tight framings
This review essay examines three new books on higher education and sustainability. It explores a number of the issues raised in the books, in particular, the meaning of a transformative …
- Posted Jan. 30, 2017
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Measuring the linkage between strategies on sustainability and institutional forces: an empirical study of Spanish universities
Policy documents are commonly identified as key outcomes that guide initiatives directed by senior university leaders towards sustainability through plans and policies. Many studies have called for a more integration …
- Posted Jan. 30, 2017
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Factors influencing the presence of sustainability initiatives in the strategic planning of Spanish universities
Sustainability issues in higher educational institutions have attracted increasing levels of attention from both the public and policy-makers in recent decades. Many studies have called for greater integration of sustainability …
- Posted Jan. 30, 2017
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Strategic Planning for Sustainability in Canadian Higher Education
- McMaster University (ON)
- University of Saskatchewan (SK)
This paper reviews representations of sustainability in the strategic plans of Canadian higher education institutions (HEIs). A content analysis of the strategic plans of 50 HEIs was undertaken to determine …
- Posted Jan. 30, 2017
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Towards a vision of a sustainable university
- Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
Sustainable development is the biggest challenge to universities in the twenty‐first century. As many different definitions and interpretations of the concept exist, it is not surprising that the strategies of …
- Posted Jan. 27, 2017
- Publications
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Benchmarking presidents’ compensations in institutions of higher education relative to sustainability and other institutional practices
- Rowan University (NJ)
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the strategic effects of academic institutional factors including environmental, social, and economic sustainability indices on the compensation of the president …
- Posted Jan. 27, 2017
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A review of commitment and implementation of sustainable development in higher education: results from a worldwide survey
- Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Madrid)
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)
- Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Campus Monterrey
- UC Leuven-Limburg
- KU Leuven
- Utrecht University
During the last two decades, many higher education institutions have become involved in embedding sustainable development into their academic systems. The research for this paper was built upon discussions on …
- Posted Jan. 23, 2017
- Publications
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Corporate Identity of a Socially Responsible University – A Case from the Turkish Higher Education Sector
- Istanbul Bilgi University
Facing increased competition, universities are driven to project a positive image to their internal and external stakeholders. Therefore some of these institutions have begun to develop and implement corporate identity …
- Posted Jan. 23, 2017
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A conceptual synthesis of organisational transformation: How to diagnose, and navigate, pathways for sustainability at universities?
- Maastricht University
Universities will play a profound role in a century in which society will be judged by its capacity for self-transformation in response to pandemic crises of climate change and capitalism. …
- Posted Jan. 23, 2017
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A Methodology for Sustainability Evaluation and Reporting in Higher Education Institutions
The purpose of this paper is to present a methodology that allows higher education institutions (HEIs) to promote, to evaluate and to report on sustainability. The ultimate goal of the …
- Posted Jan. 20, 2017
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Engaging sustainability good practice within the curriculum design and property portfolio in the Australian higher education sector
- Deakin University
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the extent to which universities’ strategic plans affect the level of incorporation of sustainability within the curriculum design and property portfolio. …
- Posted Jan. 18, 2017
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Quest for a sustainable university: a review
Purpose
The paper aims to deliver a general review of the methods used to pursue the concept of a “sustainable university”.
Design/methodology/approach
The research was Internet based, and it included …
- Posted Jan. 18, 2017
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Assessing the Infusion of Sustainability Principles into University Curricula
- The Hashemite University
- Universita degli Studi di Padova
The current paper presents the assessment of the infusion of sustainability principles into university curricula at two Jordanian universities. The peer review process of revising the curricula infusing sustainability principles …
- Posted Jan. 18, 2017
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Developing a Whole-of-University Approach to Educating for Sustainability: Linking Curriculum, Research and Sustainable Campus Operations
- Australian National University
Institutions of higher education are poised to play a significant role in the search for a more sustainable future. Most universities are tackling sustainability issues in a compartmentalised manner, sustainability …
- Posted Jan. 18, 2017
- Publications
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Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education Institutions: Its Influence on the Pro-Sustainability Orientation of Mexican Students
The role that higher education plays in the promotion of sustainable development is evident in a variety of declarations on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and is also a research …
- Posted Jan. 18, 2017
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Assessment tools’ indicators for sustainability in universities: an analytical overview
- Technische Universiteit Delft
- King Saud University
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse 12 assessment tools of sustainability in universities and develop the structure and the contents of these tools to be more intelligible. …
- Posted Jan. 13, 2017
- 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
- 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.