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
New Resources
Inclusive and Transparent Virtual Engagement for Climate Action Planning
- Swarthmore College (PA)
- University of Florida (FL)
- Trust (MA)
The University of Florida Office of Sustainability, with the assistance of Dallase Scott of Trust, implemented a robust engagement process to update our Climate Action Plan. In updating its CAP ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Centering Sustainability and Well-Being in University Strategic Planning
- Colorado State University (CO)
When it was time to develop a new strategic plan, Colorado State University made a bold decision to put a thriving planet and a flourishing humanity at the center of ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Sustainability Change Agent Campfire Stories: Navigating Inherent Tensions
- Georgetown University (DC)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)
- Stanford University (CA)
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
Sustainability work in higher education requires a straddling of multiple dualities such as academic/operational, incremental/transformational, deliberative pace/sense of urgency, and risk averse/risk taking. This session will ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Lightning Talks: Governance & Administration
- Austin College (TX)
- Ball State University (IN)
- Southern New Hampshire University (NH)
This session consists of 3 15-minute Lightning Talk sessions related to governance and administration. The Lightning Talks are: Harvesting Carbon Capital: Using the Carbon Credit Purchasing Program (C2P2) - This session ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Measuring Emissions From Student Travel
- Stanford University (CA)
While organizations, institutions, and companies routinely report emissions from Business Travel and Employee commuting, emissions from student travel are another source of air travel emissions that higher education institutions may ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Breakup With Your Spreadsheet: The case for a code-based ghg inventory
- Brown University (RI)
- Johns Hopkins University (MD)
To combat climate change, organizations and individuals must dramatically decrease greenhouse gas emissions and fast. Many Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have risen to the challenge by setting ambitious carbon reduction ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Beyond Carbon Neutral – Our Path to Climate Positive
- University of Toronto (ON)
The University of Toronto is committed to taking decisive action against climate change, one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Our commitment is to go beyond carbon neutral ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Data Visualization Speed Date
- Boston University (MA)
Are you curious how data could be visualized for advancing sustainability in higher education? On our campuses, data visualization is a tool or practice used to summarize a lot of ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Coping with Change: Responding to the Great Sustainability Resignation
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
How can we resiliently adapt and navigate a sustainable path forward for ourselves and our institutions? As baby boomers retire, COVID-inspired resignations soar, corporate sustainability hiring is on the rise ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Twenty Years In: What Impact are Sustainability Peer Education Programs Making?
- Champlain College (VT)
- Tufts University (MA)
Since the founding of the first “Eco-Reps” program at Tufts University in 2001, many campuses created similar sustainability peer education programs. While there have been internal program evaluations of these ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Using Reflective Structured Dialogues (RSD) to Support STARS Collaboration and Performance
- Dallas College (TX)
Dallas College’s Sustainability Office will share how they use the tools and techniques of Reflective Structured Dialogues (RSD) to build effective communication and internal support for STARS reporting. The ...
- Posted May 17, 2023
- Conference Presentations
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Pregnant and Parenting Students Belonging and Thriving Framework
- California Polytechnic State University (CA)
- AASHE (MA)
College success for pregnant and parenting students has important implications for racial, ethnic, and economic equity in higher education. Among students of color, one in three black students, one in ...
- Posted May 11, 2023
- Videos & Webinars
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Building an Embedded Sustainability Approach
- TAFE Queensland Robina Campus (QLD)
The TAFE Queensland Robina Campus has been purpose-built to lead the way as a sustainable vocational education and training (VET) provider across Australia. The campus was designed from the ground ...
- Posted May 5, 2023
- Case Studies
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Campus RainWorks Challenge
- University of Texas at Arlington (TX)
The Campus RainWorks Challenge is a green infrastructure design competition for American colleges and universities that seeks to engage with the next generation of environmental professionals, foster a dialogue about ...
- Posted May 3, 2023
- Case Studies
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Zero Waste Visioning – Campus Wide Solutions to Zero Waste
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (CA)
- University of Arizona (AZ)
- Williams College (MA)
- AASHE (MA)
- Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)
In this webinar we will hear from Sustainability Staff at 3 Universities who recently published Strategic Visions for Achieving Zero Waste on their campuses.
Developing a Strategic Vision is a ...
- Posted May 1, 2023
- Videos & Webinars
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Waste Diversion at University of Florida- Case of a student organization
- University of Florida (FL)
I am Ashpreet Kaur, final year PhD student at University of Florida. I got a chance to become a member of a student organization at University of Florida who does ...
- Posted April 27, 2023
- Case Studies
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Works and Efforts of the Environmental Sustainability Initiatives by the Institute of Technical Education (Singapore)
- Institute of Technical Education
The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) was established as a post-secondary institution in 1992, under the Ministry of Education of Singapore.
ITE is a principal provider of career and technical ...
- Posted April 25, 2023
- Case Studies
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2018-22 Progress Report on the Pitt Sustainability Plan
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
The University of Pittsburgh’s sustainability journey dates back to 1990, with commitments, activities, and engagement deepening and increasing over the past three decades. In 2018, the Pitt Sustainability Plan ...
- Posted April 18, 2023
- Publications
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Implementing Sustainability in Library Instruction: The Journey to Creating a Crowdsourced Mission Statement Informed by Positionalities and Core Values
- New Mexico State University (NM)
This chapter shares the process and rationale behind a library workshop with the Reference and Research Services Department and Archives and Special Collections Department at the New Mexico State University ...
- Posted April 13, 2023
- Publications
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Shifting Instruction for Sustainability: Lessons from COVID
- New Mexico State University (NM)
The COVID-19 pandemic irrevocably changed the ways that libraries function. Libraries had to shift and our skills as librarians and educators were put to the test in new ways. As ...
- Posted April 13, 2023
- Publications
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Campus Physical Master Plan
- California State University, Fullerton (CA)
CSUF's Campus Physical Master Plan is our blueprint for providing a safe, sustainable, welcoming and cohesive learning environment that supports student success into the future.
The Campus Master Plan ...
- Posted March 6, 2023
- Publications
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Integrating Sustainability Plans and Capital Campaigns
- Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
- AASHE (MA)
Taking sustainability to the next level, for many higher education institutions, requires a strategic, long-range, and comprehensive sustainability plan. The process by which you develop content, engage the campus community ...
- Posted March 1, 2023
- Videos & Webinars
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Bicycle Fleet Expansion
- University of Cincinnati (OH)
As part of our commitment with the environment, our community and as a Bicycle Friendly University, we have expanded our bike fleet in order to keep up with the high ...
- Posted Feb. 23, 2023
- Case Studies
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Bucknell 10-Years Sustainability Plan
- Bucknell University (PA)
January 18th 2023, President John Bravman formally announced the release of the 10-year Sustainability Plan for Bucknell University. According to President Brvaman,
"Caring for the environment and reducing waste remains ...
- Posted Feb. 2, 2023
- Publications
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Fullerton Arboretum Achieves Reaccreditation at Highest Level
- California State University, Fullerton (CA)
In October 2017, Fullerton Arboretum received its first accreditation as a Level IV arboretum. This is the highest level awarded by ArbNet, an organization that recognizes arboreta from around the ...
- Posted Jan. 24, 2023
- Photographs
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Introduction to the Regional Center of Expertise as a Model for ESD Integration
- Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
- University of Texas at Arlington (TX)
- AASHE (MA)
- University of Regina (SK)
Universities and colleges around the world are making commitments to advance the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) through their teaching, research, operations, and partnerships. One proven model for making good ...
- Posted Jan. 19, 2023
- Videos & Webinars
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Putting an Award-Winning Climate Action Plan into Action
- Mt. San Antonio College (CA)
- AASHE (MA)
Learn from Mt. San Antonio College’s (Mt. SAC) Sustainability Director and Sustainability Coordinator about how their college’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) has been put into action! Conventional climate ...
- Posted Jan. 11, 2023
- Videos & Webinars
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Zero Waste Master Plan
- Vanderbilt University (TN)
In September 2015, Vanderbilt embarked on a strategic planning process FutureVU to create a holistic and sustainable long-term vision for the physical development of the campus over 20 to 30 ...
- Posted Dec. 16, 2022
- Publications
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Webinar: Pollinators, Pesticides & People: Landscaping Certifications Explained
- AASHE (MA)
- The Xerces Society (OR)
- Re:wild Your Campus (TX)
Interested in sustainability certifications for your campus landscape? We’re here to help! Join Bee Campus USA, an initiative of the Xerces Society, and Rewild Your Campus (formerly Herbicide Free ...
- Posted Nov. 10, 2022
- Videos & Webinars
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Sustainability Policies and Plans in Higher Education: Recommendations for Florida State University
- Florida State University (FL)
This capstone project examines how higher education institutions (HEIs) use policies and plans to institutionalize their commitments to sustainability and the key success factors that influence their implementation. A systematic ...
- Posted Nov. 10, 2022
- Publications
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Climate Action Plan
- Bennington College (VT)
This plan highlights Bennington's accelerated goals to progress toward climate neutrality.
- Posted Oct. 28, 2022
- Publications
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Strategic Plan
- Western Colorado University (CO)
This Strategic Plan highlights institution initiatives that address on-site renewable energy generation, energy efficiency projects, and zero waste principles, as well as the integration of a community-wide collaboration on next ...
- Posted Oct. 28, 2022
- Publications
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Strategic Plan
- The Catholic University of America (DC)
This Strategic Plan includes several actions items related to environmental stewardship.
- Posted Oct. 28, 2022
- Publications
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Campus Master Plan
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
The UW- Madison's Campus Master Plan interweaves conservation, preservation, and sustainability through major transportation, landscape, green infrastructure, and other institution initiatives.
- Posted Oct. 28, 2022
- Publications
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Campus Master Plan
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
The Master Plan provides a framework for sustainability planning and goal setting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts.
- Posted Oct. 28, 2022
- Publications
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Water Action Plan
- Weber State University (UT)
This plan focuses on key facilities upgrades, efficiency measures, and improved stormwater management. It also calls for increased metrics to improve water planning and management.
- Posted Oct. 28, 2022
- Publications
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Energy and Sustainability Investment Plan
- Weber State University (UT)
WSU's Energy and Sustainability Investment Plan's provides a road map for converting all of the University's buildings over to all electric buildings powered by renewable energy.
- Posted Oct. 28, 2022
- Publications
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The Path to 2040: Climate Action Plan
- Radford University (VA)
The Path to 2040 establishes a pathway for the university to fulfill the obligations of the Carbon Commitment through five pillars and focal areas: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration ...
- Posted Oct. 28, 2022
- Publications
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Strategic Plan
- Radford University (VA)
This plan provides a comprehensive approach to sustainability through, curriculum development, specialized programming, community development, and operations.
- Posted Oct. 28, 2022
- Publications
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Sustainability Plan
- Bryant University (RI)
This Plan is a living document that proactively addresses each credit area with the intention of improving Bryant’s STARS rating, and each incorporated area.
- Posted Oct. 21, 2022
- Publications
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Climate Action Plan
- University at Buffalo (NY)
This plan provides an outline of strategic actions for UB to achieve climate neutrality by 2030.
- Posted Oct. 21, 2022
- Publications
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California State University Sustainability Policy
- California State University, Chancellor's Office (CA)
This policy is intended to position the nation's largest university system as a leader in the teaching and use of applied research to educate climate literate students equipped to ...
- Posted Oct. 19, 2022
- Publications
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Strategic Framework for Sustainability
- University of Tasmania (TAS)
The Strategic Framework for Sustainability provides a collective focus on activities in and for sustainability across the campus and in so doing encapsulates commitments across four areas:
- Goal 1: A ...
- Posted Oct. 19, 2022
- Publications
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Climate Neutrality Plan
- Central New Mexico Community College (NM)
This plan identifies long frame priority areas of emphasis that establish how sustainability is reflected in the identity of the university through academics, operations, planning and coordination.
- Posted Oct. 19, 2022
- Publications
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Strategic Direction Plan
- Central New Mexico Community College (NM)
This plan highlights sustainability through an academic lens and is tied to course development.
- Posted Oct. 19, 2022
- Publications
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Strategic Sustainability Plan
- Thompson Rivers University (BC)
This plan provides a comprehensive list of sustainability goals, themes, and strategies for TRU.
- Posted Oct. 19, 2022
- Publications
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Sustainability Master Plan
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
The Sustainability Master Plan identifies long frame priority areas of emphasis that establish how sustainability is reflected in the identity of the university.
- Posted Oct. 19, 2022
- Publications
- View more
Sustainability Plan
- Yale University (CT)
The Yale Sustainability Plan 2025 contains goals on Applied Research and Active Learning (to identify pathways for both and the use of the campus as a living laboratory) and for ...
- Posted Oct. 19, 2022
- Publications
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Strategic Plan
- Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas (TM)
This plan integrates Sustainable Development Goals into the strategies and objectives of the institution. Examples are: climate action, quality education, reduction in equalities, and more.
- Posted Oct. 19, 2022
- Publications
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Inclusive Excellence Action Plan
- Georgia Southern University (GA)
The four-year GSU Diversity Plan provides a list of goals, strategies, and actions the campus has taken to integrate increased representation, equity, and inclusion of underrepresented groups on campus.
- Posted Oct. 19, 2022
- 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
- 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.