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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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 …
- Posted May 25, 2016
- Publications
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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 …
- Posted May 12, 2016
- Publications
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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 …
- Posted May 9, 2016
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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 …
- Posted May 9, 2016
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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 …
- Posted May 9, 2016
- Publications
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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 …
- Posted May 9, 2016
- Publications
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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 …
- Posted May 9, 2016
- Publications
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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, …
- Posted May 9, 2016
- Case Studies
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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 …
- Posted May 6, 2016
- Photographs
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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 …
- Posted May 6, 2016
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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 …
- Posted May 6, 2016
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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 …
- Posted May 6, 2016
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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 …
- Posted May 6, 2016
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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 …
- Posted May 6, 2016
- Publications
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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 …
- Posted May 6, 2016
- Publications
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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 …
- Posted May 6, 2016
- Photographs
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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 …
- Posted May 3, 2016
- Case Studies
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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 …
- Posted May 3, 2016
- Publications
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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 …
- Posted May 3, 2016
- Publications
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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 …
- Posted May 3, 2016
- Publications
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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.
- Posted May 3, 2016
- Publications
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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.
- Posted May 3, 2016
- Publications
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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 …
- Posted May 2, 2016
- Photographs
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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 …
- Posted May 2, 2016
- Publications
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UConn Earth Day Spring Fling & Arbor Day
- University of Connecticut (CT)
Students gather on Fairfield Way for UConn’s annual Earth Day Spring Fling.
- Posted May 2, 2016
- Photographs
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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 …
- Posted May 2, 2016
- Publications
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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 …
- Posted May 2, 2016
- Publications
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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 …
- Posted May 2, 2016
- Publications
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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
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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 …
- Posted April 27, 2016
- Tools
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Getting an empirical hold of the sustainable university: a comparative analysis of evaluation frameworks across 12 contemporary sustainability assessment tools
- Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Although it is increasingly recognised that higher education institutions have to play a critical role in the progression towards a sustainable development, the question of what fields and issues universities …
- Posted April 20, 2016
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Campus sustainability governance in Canada: A content analysis of post-secondary institutions’ sustainability policies
- University of Saskatchewan (SK)
- Dalhousie University (NS)
Purpose
This paper aims to provide an overview of a content analysis of sustainability policies from Canadian post-secondary education institutions. The paper reports findings on the orientations to sustainability evident …
- Posted April 20, 2016
- Publications
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Job Market Sees Growing Demand For Sustainability Managers
Way back before the turn of the century (when we partied like it was 1999), I could count the number of real "sustainability managers" on my fingers and toes and …
- Posted April 15, 2016
- Publications
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Conversations in Sustainability: The University of British Columbia
- The University of British Columbia (BC)
"We have the chance, which doesn't come very often in human history, to make this fundamental change." The University of British Columbia is exploring and exemplifying new ways of addressing …
- Posted April 14, 2016
- Videos & Webinars
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The State of Campus Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate
- Haley & Aldrich, Inc. (MA)
- Society for College and University Planning (MI)
Climate-related events pose a major threat to college and university campuses across the country, and this is only expected to worsen as the climate continues to change. Along with an …
- Posted April 8, 2016
- Publications
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STARS Silver for NAIT
- Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (AB)
NAIT’s environmentally friendly programs and initiatives have earned the institute a STARS Silver sustainability ranking, the highest of any Canadian polytechnic. NAIT was the first Canadian polytechnic to achieve a …
- Posted April 3, 2016
- Outreach Materials
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Pulling Up the Higher-Ed Ladder: Myth and Reality in the Crisis of College Affordability
This brief attempts to pinpoint the cause(s) of spiraling tuition by taking a deep dive into public university revenue and spending data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ Delta …
- Posted March 31, 2016
- Publications
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Sustainable Development Primer for Higher Education Presidents, Chancellors, Trustees and Senior Leaders
- Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium (HEASC) (PA)
This primer describes the sustainability related, crucial roles and tasks for presidents, trustees and senior leadership and explains how sustainability is a robust national trend in higher education. The primer …
- Posted March 30, 2016
- Publications
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Higher Education’s Role in Adapting to a Changing Climate
- Second Nature (MA)
This report describes the role of colleges and universities in preparing society for a changing climate through their education, research, operations, and community engagement activities.
- Posted March 28, 2016
- Publications
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AASHE Award Winner Webinar - Student Leadership for Campus and Community Sustainability
- University of Hawaii Maui College (HI)
- The University of British Columbia (BC)
This webinar looks at two differing and successful approaches to deepening student engagement in campus and community projects that integrate sustainability into the fabric of the student experience. Both top …
- Posted March 17, 2016
- Videos & Webinars
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Dr. Stephen Mulkey Presents AASHE 2015 Opening Keynote Address
- Unity Environmental University (ME)
- AASHE (MA)
Dr. Mulkey has been the president at Unity College for more than four years ago. As president, he is a champion of sustainability science, which he sees as the defining …
- Posted March 3, 2016
- Videos & Webinars
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State of Sustainability: 10 Things to Know About Colorado State University
- Colorado State University (CO)
Colorado State has a long history as one of the nation’s most sustainable universities, but now CSU is the first university in the world to ever have its sustainability efforts …
- Posted March 3, 2016
- Outreach Materials
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AASHE Award Winner Webinar - Biodiversity-friendly Campuses
- Lewis & Clark College (OR)
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
- AASHE (MA)
- Audubon International (NY)
- Salmon Safe (OR)
Colleges and universities are playing a crucial role in protecting wildlife and restoring habitats on and off campus, and students, faculty, administrators, and staff are champions for sustainable environmental practices. …
- Posted March 3, 2016
- Videos & Webinars
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Simple Key Facilities Benchmarks That Make a Difference
- National Association of College & University Business Officers (NACUBO) (DC)
Some campus personnel have the ability (time and expertise) to gather great detail on benchmarking. However, many campuses are not able to expend the time or expertise to be a …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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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.