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
Taking sustainability to next level – The UAF Sustainability Plan
- University of Alaska Fairbanks (AK)
UAF is already a high performing institution with respect to sustainability. In 2009 a student sustainability fee of $20 per semester was implemented after a vote by the student body. …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Getting Their Attention: The Facts and Stats to get Your Sustainability Proposal Accepted
- University of St. Thomas (MN)
The single most important and often most challenging step in initiating a campus sustainability program is gaining alignment from university officials. At last year's AASHE Conference, a conversation was begun …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Strategic Energy & Utility Strategies
- Saint Louis University (MO)
Saint Louis University (SLU) is motivated to work towards sustainable energy solutions and committed to the reduction of energy consumption. The Division of Facilities Services has recognized this need and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Implementing Sustainable or Resilient Initiatives: Drivers and considerations in the Midwest
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Universities are in a changing and interconnected landscape. Some of the key challenges they face are how to respond to new patterns of funding for higher education, issues of a …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Standardizing Greenhouse Gas Protocols in the 14-member Ivy+ Sustainability Consortium
- GreenerU (MA)
- Harvard University (MA)
- Duke University (NC)
- Yale University (CT)
- Stanford University (CA)
- The Climate Registry
One of the most challenging issues facing the higher education sustainability movement is how to track and report greenhouse gas emissions in ways that allow for benchmarking and comparison while …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Life after achieving your CAP Goals: What are teaching moments for others and how do you plan for the next big thing?
- Chatham University (PA)
- Colby College (ME)
- Dickinson College (PA)
- Virginia Commonwealth University (VA)
- GreenerU (MA)
This session will focus on three key concepts. First, for the institutions that are close to or have obtained climate neutrality, what are learning outcomes that they can provide to …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
How Are We Doing? Objectively Assessing the Data Regarding Campus GHGs and Energy
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
- Gordian (SC)
- Sustainable Endowments Institute (MA)
- Second Nature (MA)
- U.S. Green Building Council (DC)
After more than a decade of focused collective effort to make higher education a model for operational climate change leadership in North America, what do we have to show for …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
How Sustainability Directors Can Bring Simple Innovations to Campus
- Colby College (ME)
- Michigan State University (MI)
- Staples Business Advantage (MA)
- Kimberly-Clark Professional (GA)
An interactive panel discussion on how Sustainability Directors can set SMART sustainability objectives and implement simple solutions across campuses to achieve their goals. From office furniture to paper towel selection …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
The Value of Measurement (At the Cost of Your Time?)
- Indiana State University (IN)
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (WI)
- AASHE (MA)
As sustainability programs on campuses of all sizes mature, the staff & committees at many institutions find themselves on the proverbial hamster wheel of measurement. While survey results, greenhouse gas …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Changing Behaviors through Green Office Certification
- Duke University (NC)
- Pomona College (CA)
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
Developing a Green Office Certification program at your college or university is nothing new. However, measuring Green Office Certification program impacts through behavior change and tangible energy and water savings …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Institutional Performance Energy Optimization: How a Management Model and Skilled Workforce Embed Efficiency
- University of California, Irvine (CA)
- ICF International (VA)
- United States Department of Energy (DC)
University of California, Irvine has achieved 23% energy savings over 5 years, the 20% goal of U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge, 7 years early. The Smart Labs program …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
STARS Data Quality: Two Case Studies on Third-Party Reviews with Group Discussion
- State University of New York at New Paltz (NY)
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- AASHE (MA)
Both University of Colorado at Boulder and the State University of New York at New Paltz enlisted third parties to review their STARS submissions. Boulder hired a third-party paid consultant …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
New Developments in STARS
- Colorado State University (CO)
- AASHE (MA)
This workshop is designed for individuals who would like to engage in high-level discussion about new developments with AASHE's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). AASHE staff will provide …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
STARS Sourcing, Data Collection and Reporting Technology Solutions and Tools
- Aramark (PA)
- FarmLogix, LLC (IL)
The panel would represent several Aramark universities' (Boston University, American University, Loyola University for example) uses of online aggregation technology to both source locally grown and produced foods, and to …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Old Dogs, New Tricks: Lessons Learned While Shifting Roles In The Higher Education Sustainability World
- California State University, East Bay (CA)
- Gonzaga University (WA)
Sustainability in higher education continues to grow as a career, academic pursuit, and institutional priority. As more schools hire and retain sustainability professionals to coordinate programs, incumbents for new or …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Achieving Ambitious Energy Goals on a University Campus
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs (CO)
- Hord Coplan Macht (MD)
This session will describe the tools and process used to design a public higher education building that is modeled to save 40% over ASHRAE. The owner utilized a quasi-Performance Design …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
What should a Specialty Certification for Higher Educational Sustainability Practitioners look like?
- Oakland Community College (MI)
- International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) (OR)
This highly interactive session is focused on collecting input from participants on a specialty certification for a sustainability practitioner in higher education. The session will begin with an overview of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Rice University Integrated Climate and Energy Master Plan (RICEMaP)
- Rice University (TX)
- Sebesta (MN)
Beginning in 2012, Rice University - a signatory of the American College and University President's Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) - partnered with Sebesta to develop the Rice Integrated Climate and Energy …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Developing a Network for Campus Carbon Offset Projects
- Clarkson University (NY)
- Second Nature (MA)
This networking meeting will focus on the development of carbon offset projects for colleges and universities. Offsetting carbon associated with campus-financed airfare was the tangible action least committed to within …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Developing a Strategic Sustainability Plan based on the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) framework
- Thompson Rivers University (BC)
- Stantec Consulting, Ltd. (WA)
Through an extensive consultation process in 2014, Thompson Rivers University (TRU) identified 'advancing Sustainability' as 1 of 5 strategic priorities. TRU developed a Strategic Sustainability Plan (SSP) using AASHE's Sustainability …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
STARS 101: The Basics of Conducting a Campus Sustainability Assessment
- State University of New York at New Paltz (NY)
- AASHE (MA)
AASHE's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. With more than 700 registered institutions on six …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Georgia Tech: Leading the Way to Sustainability Through Comprehensive Water Management (2015)
- Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
- NextEra Distributed Water, Inc. (VA)
Georgia Tech has taken strides to understand and improve its water footprint. From its Stormwater Master Plan to wastewater reclamation/reuse, Georgia Tech is implementing a water management system to minimize …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
From Atrophy to Agility: Disruptive Organizational Design To Accelerate Change
- Harvard University (MA)
- University of Hawaii System Office (HI)
This program introduces sustainability practitioners to a new conceptual framework designed to enable organizations to undertake deep transformation by positioning sustainability as the problem that can solve their organization's need …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Food Tracking: Identifying Problems and Solutions to Reach the Most Accurate Report for Your Campus
- University of North Carolina, Asheville (NC)
- Chartwells Higher Education (NY)
This session will assist university students and staff working on tracking sustainability progress in dining. Many universities currently use multiple tracking tools and processes to synthesize data for STARS, and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
A Paradigm Shift in College and University Master Planning
- AKF Group (NY)
Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) recently completed a Campus Master Plan (2014) which shows a modest growth in expanded space for academic, housing and support services. The real focus of the …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Restructuring Sustainability: Implementing Economicology through a Governance Redesign
- Aquinas College (MI)
Are your sustainability committees simply not meeting your expectations any longer? After an 8 year stretch with the same committee format, Aquinas College decided to redesign its internal sustainability structure …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Establishing Pipelines for Sustainability Students, Two-year to Graduate Level: A Working Session
- Colorado Mountain College (CO)
In recognition of the importance of integrated approaches to address the pressing challenges of sustainability, sustainability-focused academic programs are growing rapidly among higher education institutions. This growth necessitates increased coordination …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Mapping A University's Sustainability Network: Visualization for Inspiration, Participation and Impact at Emory
- Emory University (GA)
Over the last decade, sustainability has gained an impressive foothold in higher education institutions around the world. There are many examples of campus infrastructure improvement projects, faculty sustainability education efforts, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Sustainability Officers: The Dream, The Sometimes Harsh Reality, The Reasons You Want Us on Your Leadership Team (Video Shoot!)
- Green Mountain College (VT)
Vanishing budgets, departmental silos, outdated policies, lack of training, lack of access to decision-makers, skewed perceptions of what our jobs entail sustainability officers face serious challenges in the highly dynamic …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Intentionally Designed Endowments
- Intentional Endowments Network (MA)
For decades the socially responsible investment community has puzzled over the fact that colleges and universities have not been more intentional in aligning their investment practices with their mission and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Formalizing a Sustainability Engagement Strategy at Niagara College of Applied Arts and Technology
- Niagara College Canada (ON)
The journey of sustainability engagement at Niagara College has come a long way, with origins in an informal outreach strategy that tracked participants through excel, to utilizing a more formally …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Defining Polytechnic Sustainability: NAIT Case Study
- Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (AB)
In 2012 the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) was the first Canadian polytechnic institute to achieve a STARS rating. Through the rating renewal process, NAIT set out to not …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Planting the AASHE Seed: Applying the Conference Experience to Your University
- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (IL)
Students from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) have attended AASHE conferences for many years and have had great success in implementing ideas and materials encountered at the conference. Using our …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Bee Campus USA as a Model for Pollinator-Friendly Campuses
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
After our university's hometown of Ashland, Oregon and the neighboring city Talent became members of Bee City USA, a designation given through the Bee City USA non-profit based in Asheville, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Sustainability Implementation: A Process-Based Approach Based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle
- Tavares Group Consulting Inc. (ON)
For too long, the implementation of sustainability has been an unknown to many organizations. Ample guidance is available about what sustainability is, what metrics should be considered, and how an …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Sustainability as a movement: How do you keep pushing a rock up a mountain?
- University of Arizona (AZ)
This session will start with a review by the presenter of sustainability as seen through a 'movement lens'. The audience, as a group, will review successful campus social/environmental movements and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Transforming the University through Strategic Sustainability Initiatives
- University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
Change and transformation at an institutional level cannot happen overnight and requires active management. Universities are increasingly responding to pressures for efficiency, increasing enrollment, recruiting the best faculty and students, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Advancing Mutual FM/Academic Goals through Strategic Partnerships
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
Universities have long been places for intense dialogue about sustainability issues. However, the emerging paradigm is that dialogue alone is insufficient for addressing the challenges of environmental, economic, and social …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
STARS Town Hall (2015)
- AASHE (MA)
This interactive session will feature a small panel of STARS Steering Committee members, Technical Advisors, and AASHE staff who will facilitate a high-level discussion about potential improvements to the STARS …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
The Greening of an Appalachian College of Business
- Appalachian State University (NC)
The Greening of an Appalachian College of Business Training future business people on the tools and skills needed to run sustainable businesses is a key challenge for our society, but …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Developing a Campus Sustainability Literacy Survey as a Metric for a Sustainability Themed Strategic Plan
- Appalachian State University (NC)
This talk will describe of creation a sustainability metric for one of the only college and university campuses in the country that uses sustainability as the primary guiding principal for …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
The Proactive Sustainability Council
- Appalachian State University (NC)
How do you engage faculty, staff, and students in a Sustainability Council? What initiatives take place in a successful Council? How do you keep the momentum? These questions and more …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Preparing for Climate Change
- Boston University (MA)
While sustainability officers have appropriately been focused on reducing their campus' impacts on climate change, few have had the opportunity to begin preparing their campuses for the impacts of climate …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Striking a Balance Between Growth and Engagement: A Case Study of the Student Internship Program at the College of Charleston
- College of Charleston (SC)
As sustainability continues to be one of the fastest growing fields in the country, institutions across the US are working to develop internship programs to meet the needs of both …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
EcoVate: Design Thinking for Sustainability Challenges
- Dartmouth College (NH)
According to Forbes '...design thinking is a proven and repeatable problem-solving protocol that any business or profession can employ to achieve extraordinary results.' Design thinking is used in the field …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Case Study of Program Review for Sustainability Offices: Benefits, Challenges, & Resources Required
- James Madison University (VA)
Though credit is given for degrees and research activities, STARS reporting also includes a wide range of activities that lie outside the scope of activities usually included in academic program …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Green Office Certification at Lane Community College
- Lane Community College (OR)
Many colleges and universities have Green Office Certifications. These programs can be complicated, time-consuming, and confusing. They can also be overly simplistic and not result in any meaningful changes. Lane …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Developing a sustainability brand and visual identity guide for your campus
- Lehigh University (PA)
In this workshop, participants will learn to develop and apply an unique sustainability brand and visual identity for their campus. We will discuss strategies for leveraging this brand to engage …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Stormwater Runoff Management and Green Infrastructure on Loyola University Chicago
- Loyola University Chicago (IL)
Stormwater runoff is a major problem all cities face. The Stormwater Runoff Management Project is a student-led project working with campus sustainability staff who's goal is to reduce the amount …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Big Potato, Hot Potato, Little potato: Start Sub-Metering Utilities with Limited Resources
- Macalester College (MN)
The 'big-potato' task of sub-metering your entire campus can be daunting just thinking about it, let-alone getting it going. Where do you start? Which 'hot-potato' do you meter first? Electrical …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- 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.