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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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Bike Maintenance Workshop

Sustainability Peer Educator Program - Simon Fraser University

  • Simon Fraser University (BC)

Program Vision: Students are confident, informed, and active sustainability leaders who have the skills and experience to advance sustainability at and beyond SFU.

The Sustainability Peer Education program empowers students …

Earning Capacity of Sustainable Education - A Review of Current Perceptions Regarding the Salaries, Under-employment and Over-education of Higher-Education Graduates and their Potential Application in Sustainability Assessments

  • University of Central Arkansas (AR)
  • Technische Universiteit Delft

There is a growing need to understand the economic returns of degrees as a function of a sustainable institution. The empirical data presented in this paper suggests that there is …

The Urgent Need for Universities to Comprehensively Address Global Climate Change Across Disciplines and Programs

  • Minot State University (ND)

I review the status of scientific, political, and moral problems of global climate change (GCC) and, based on lessons from environmental and sustainability programs in universities, demonstrate that universities have …

PhD Thesis: Sustainability reporting as a tool for management control and organisational change in higher education

The pursuit for a sustainable society has received increased attention over the last decades, due to global problems the world has been confronted with, such as population growth, climate change, …

ULINE Collection Bin

UC Irvine Styrofoam Recycling Pilot Program

  • University of California, Irvine (CA)

As UC Irvine strives to become a Zero Waste campus by 2020, the Facilities Management Sustainability Team of student workers has become more innovative in the ways to divert materials …

Medical Center Lighting Project- After Picture

Starting with small energy conservation projects leads to huge energy conservation success

  • University of Rochester (NY)

The University of Rochester has many competing demands for funding. In the early 2000’s energy projects were managed by individual facilities departments with typically less than $40,000 expended per year. …

Engaging Stakeholders in Education for Sustainable Development at University Level

This book discusses the role of ESD stakeholders at university level, involving civil society and the private sector and public sectors (including local, national and intergovernmental bodies). In particular, it …

The Transition to Resilience: A Comparative Case Study of Two Communities

  • Berea College (KY)
  • Oberlin College (OH)
  • University of Kentucky (KY)

This dissertation examines the question of how communities understand their risk related to global economic and environmental problems and how communities respond to those risks. Specifically, using comparative case study, …

Gaucho Certified Farmers Market

  • University of California, Santa Barbara (CA)

In the Fall of 2014, myself and a group of 5 other faculty members founded the first ever successful farmers market on the UC Santa Barbara campus.

The project was …

Sustainability reporting in higher education: a comprehensive review of the recent literature and paths for further research

Over the last decade, sustainability reporting (SR) has gained importance in both profit and non-profit environments. In spite of the slowly emerging trend of SR in higher education, it is …

Volunteers at the New2U Tag Sale

UMass New2U Reuse Collection and Tag Sale

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)

New2U is a student-led program that is in its 3rd year of operation. New2U collects unwanted items from across campus each spring during move-out and resells these collected item each …

NC State University Facilities, Academic Affairs Collaborate For Summer Energy Savings

  • North Carolina State University (NC)

A hot, humid North Carolina summer isn’t when you might expect NC State University to save nearly $900 a day in avoided energy costs. But thanks to a new initiative, …

The Role of Pro-Environmental Behavior Change in Sustainability Planning and Programming in Higher Education

  • Ohio University (OH)

Behavior change is a prominent topic among sustainability practitioners in higher education, but what role does pro-environmental behavior change play in sustainability planning and programming at institutions of higher education? …

Future sustainability scenarios for universities: moving beyond the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

As achievements of the completed United Nations Decade (2005-2014) of Education for Sustainable Development are contemplated globally, along with potential steps forward for the future, Member States have urged that …

Organizational Change and Organizational Learning for Promoting Higher Education for Sustainable Development

  • Dalhousie University (NS)

The scholarship of higher education for sustainable development has been criticised for its reliance on case studies and lack of theoretical rigour. This chapter provides a brief overview of several …

Organizational transformation and higher sustainability management education: The case of the MBA Sustainability Management

  • Griffith University (Queensland)
  • Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the roles of leadership in enabling sustainability transformation of universities and higher sustainability management education. It advocates research into the role of leadership for …

Decision-Analytic Approach for Water Sustainability Definition: A Higher Education Case Study

  • George Washington University (DC)

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a multi-criteria decision analysis approach that can be used to circumscribe the definition of sustainability within an organization or …

An integrated approach to achieving campus sustainability: assessment of the current campus environmental management practices

  • King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals

Universities can nowadays be regarded as ‘small cities’ due to their large size, population, and the various complex activities taking place in campuses, which have some serious direct and indirect …

The failure of non‐binding declarations to achieve university sustainability: A need for accountability

  • RMIT University

Purpose

This paper aims to assess the impact and value of non‐binding agreements or declarations in achieving sustainability in universities.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology …

Shaping the Education of Tomorrow: 2012 Full-length Report on the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

  • UNESCO
  • Wageningen University

This report represents the second review of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development and is conducted in the context of its Global Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (GMEF). The …

Turnaround Leadership for Sustainability in Higher Education

  • Western Sydney University (NSW)
  • Australian National University
  • University of Gloucestershire (Gloucestershire)

Universities play a central role in addressing key challenges of social, economic and environmental sustainability. For this role to be delivered effectively it is critical to identify not only what …

Longhorn Lights Out student event participants

Lights Out Starter Kit

  • University of Texas at Austin (TX)

In April 2013, a student energy conservation organization, Longhorn Lights Out, began on the UT Austin campus. This organization, sponsored by UT's Energy and Water Conservation Program, encouraged students, faculty, …

Annual Tree Planting

UC San Diego Earth Day: Annual Sustainability Fair & Tree Planting

  • University of California, San Diego (CA)

UC San Diego celebrated Earth Day with student organizations, campus departments and vendors at their annual sustainability fair. Tablers included: AQUAholics, ASEJA, CALPIRG, Dr. Bronner, EcoGrounds, EcoNauts, EWS, Green Office …

The Essex Report: Workshop on the Principles of Sustainability in Higher Education

  • Second Nature (MA)
  • Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (DC)

In February of 1995, a workshop at the Essex Conference Center of Essex, Massachusetts brought together thirty-two educators and other professionals with environmental expertise to discuss the principles of sustainability …

A mathematical decision-making procedure to assist in the development of sustainability plans based on the STARS framework

  • Dominican University of California (CA)

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to establish an objective mathematical decision-making procedure to help universities prioritize credits, while using the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) framework …

Sustainability assessment in higher education institutions: The STARS system

Sustainable development is a concern for countries, businesses and organizations sensitive to excess in terms of utilized resources. This is evident in international initiatives which aim to establish guiding principles …

Benchmarking tools for assessing and tracking sustainability in higher educational institutions: Identifying an effective tool for the University of Saskatchewan

  • University of Saskatchewan (SK)

Purpose

The University of Saskatchewan (UofS) has indentified five areas of campus life critical to improving the university's sustainability performance: education, research, operations, governance, and community engagement. In recognition of …

The state of sustainability reporting at Canadian universities

  • University of Waterloo (ON)

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the state of sustainability reporting in Canada's higher education sector, while understanding who is reporting on sustainability performance, how is information …

Higher education for today and tomorrow: university appraisal for diversity, innovation and change towards sustainable development

  • United Nations University

This article serves as a position paper of a consortium of universities in the Asia–Pacific region working to address challenges of sustainable development and rapidly changing social, economic and natural …

2016 Earth Week Carnival at UC Berkeley

2016 Earth Week at UC Berkeley

  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)

The culmination of UC Berkeley student sustainability actions is most prominent during UC Berkeley’s annual Earth Week celebration. UC Berkeley students have designated Earth Week as the time to rejuvenate …

Student holding up the SDGs

Sustainable Development Goals

  • State University of New York at Fredonia (NY)

For this project, my objective was to initially get my campus to adopt the United Nation's Sustainable Development goals. I didn't have any expectations as to how the campus would …

Greening the Ivory Tower: A Review of Educational Research on Sustainability in Post-Secondary Education

  • University of Saskatchewan (SK)
  • Dalhousie University (NS)

There is a deficit of multi-site studies examining the integration of sustainability in the policies and practices of post-secondary institutions. This paper reviews what comparative empirical research has been undertaken …

College students are flocking to sustainability degrees, careers

  • USA TODAY (VA)

With an increased interest in the environment and growth in the "green collar" job sector, colleges and universities are beginning to incorporate sustainability into their programs. From MBAs in sustainable-business …

Green, Greener, Greenest

Green is good for the planet, but also for a college’s public image. In a Princeton Review survey this year of 10,300 college applicants, 63 percent said that a college’s …

Sustainability is everyone's job, but some get paid for it

  • Macalester College (MN)
  • University of Minnesota, Morris (MN)

Employees whose sole job is to improve "ecofriendliness" are popping up at colleges and businesses in Minnesota and elsewhere.

At students' behest, colleges add efforts to address climate change

  • USA TODAY (VA)

More and more, prospective students want to know what universities are doing about climate change - from reducing their own carbon footprint to preparing students for the environmental challenges ahead.

The Campus Sustainability Leadership Award is made of reclaimed materials and designed by students.

Celebrating campus sustainability leadership on Earth Day 2016

  • University of Alberta (AB)

The University of Alberta's annual Campus Sustainability Leadership Awards are given out on April 22 to help celebrate Earth Day. This year, we awarded seven groups and individuals for their …

Green revolving funds: A sustainable investment

  • College of Saint Benedict (MN)
  • University of Dayton (OH)
  • Sustainable Endowments Institute (MA)
  • Blessed Earth (KY)
  • Saint John's University (MN)

There has recently been a groundswell of interest in sustainability in all its forms, and two organizations — Green Seminary Initiative and Seminary Stewardship Alliance — have emerged to provide …

Students gather on Fairfield Way for UConn’s annual Earth Day Spring Fling #earthday #uconn #livegreenbleedblue

UConn Earth Day Spring Fling & Arbor Day

  • University of Connecticut (CT)

Students gather on Fairfield Way for UConn’s annual Earth Day Spring Fling.

Higher Education: Features, Trends and Needs in Relation to Sustainability

  • Technische Universiteit Delft

The progress of sustainability within higher education has steadily increased in focus over the last decade and has increasingly become a topic of academic research. With various scholars, journals and …

Campus Environment 2008: A National Report Card on Sustainability in Higher Education

  • National Wildlife Federation (VA)

This comprehensive study by National Wildlife Federation and Princeton Survey Research Associates International reviews trends and new developments in environmental performance and sustainability at 1,068 institutions. It recognizes colleges and …

Routledge Handbook of Higher Education for Sustainable Development

  • University of Vechta
  • Leuphana University of Lüneburg
  • RMIT University

The Routledge International Handbook of Higher Education for Sustainable Development gives a systematic and comprehensive overview of existing and upcoming research approaches for higher education for sustainable development. It provides …

Sustainable Stanford Earth Day Photos

  • Stanford University (CA)

On April 19, 2016, Stanford’s academic, student, local community and leadership came together to celebrate our university’s history of sustainability discovery, innovations and application.

Knowledge to Action was the result …

  • Posted April 29, 2016
  • Photographs
  • View more

Business Case for Campus Efficiencies and Climate Change

  • National Association of College & University Business Officers (NACUBO) (DC)

Questions from NACUBO's Sustainability Advisory Panel for business/finance officers to ask about the future. One of 41 posters presented at the NACUBO 2015 Annual Meeting, July 18-21, 2015.

  • Posted April 28, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
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Student Sustainability Advisory Committee Materials

  • University of Central Florida (FL)

A webform was created for an easily accessible application that allowed for extensive outreach. The application did not require any paper usage and allowed for easy organization. The application did …

Beyond the Curriculum: Integrating Sustainability into Business Schools

This paper evaluates the ways in which European business schools are implementing sustainability and ethics into their curricula. Drawing on data gathered by a recent large study that the Academy …

  • Posted April 26, 2016
  • Publications
  • View more

Educating Responsible Managers. The Role of University Ethos

The current economic crisis is forcing us to reflect on where we have gone wrong in recent years. In the search for responsibilities some have looked to Business Schools and …

  • Posted April 26, 2016
  • Publications
  • View more

Greening the Campus: Institutional Environmental Change at Tulane University

  • Tulane University (LA)

This study explores the barriers to institutional change at Tulane University and attempts to develop ways to overcome them. The central conclusion is that the inability for Tulane to make …

  • Posted April 25, 2016
  • Publications
  • View more

Higher education’s sustainability imperative: how to practically respond?

  • University of Colorado Boulder (CO)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe four phases for how universities have addressed a sustainability agenda and offer specific lessons for how and where experiences on …

  • Posted April 25, 2016
  • Publications
  • View more

The contribution of sustainability assessment to policy development in higher education

This article builds upon the experiences and results of the application of sustainability assessment instruments in higher education. First, a short overview of existing sustainability assessment tools will be provided, …

  • Posted April 20, 2016
  • Publications
  • View more

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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