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
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New Resources
STARS Intro. Pre-Conference Workshop: Edmonds Community College: Our Journey to (the) STARS
- Edmonds Community College (WA)
Community colleges are a little different. We have less money per student and ever-shrinking budgets to work with. We have a revolving door of students. A successful student is usually …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Adaptable model to assess sustainability in higher education: Application to five Chilean institutions
- Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
The present study has two main objectives. In first place, the development of a model, the Adaptable model for Assessing Sustainability (AMAS), to assess the degree of implementation of sustainability …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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An Assets-based Approach for Sustainability Strategic Planning and Engagement
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
We will conduct a workshop to introduce an innovative approach to sustainability strategic thinking and planning. This process was used at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) to broadly …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability in the Boardroom: Perspectives from a Provost & CFO
- Appalachian State University (NC)
Appalachian State University has long embraced sustainability in the campus culture. Early operational initiatives were conceived and implemented within the Business Affairs area and sustainable principles were included in focused …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Using Developmental Evaluation to Advance Innovation in Sustainability Programs
- Dalhousie University (NS)
Sustainability in Higher Education is an exciting emergent field filled with energetic and good-intentioned efforts to innovate teaching methods, curriculum, learning outcomes, and programs. As new sustainability programs emerge in …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Dutch National Pilot with STARS
- Utrecht University
- University of Twente
- Eindhoven University of Technology
- Maastricht University
- Wageningen University
In 2013 six Dutch universities started participating in the STARS International Pilot. From January until June they are doing a pilot on their own to find out if STARS is …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Engaged learning and sustainability leadership: A case study approach
- Dalhousie University (NS)
The Sustainability Leadership Certificate (SLC) program is a new and innovative program developed and implemented by a North American university. This case study presentation focuses on the program components implemented …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Establishment of a Campus Sustainability Network in Japan
- Kyoto University
After the Great East-Japan Earthquake and the followed nuclear reactor’s accident in Fukushima which occurred on March 2011, fostering a culture of sustainability, reducing energy consumption, installing energy more efficient …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Green Fund Implementation Guide- Campus Green Fund Collaborative
- Butler University (IN)
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
- McGill University (QC)
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
- University of Vermont (VT)
The Campus Green Fund Collaborative (CGFC) is a non-registered group of campus sustainability staff involved with coordinating and managing green funds on their respective campuses. In partnership with the Association …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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A Distributed Reporting Model for Implementing STARS
- Cal Poly Humboldt (CA)
Attendees will gain knowledge of STARS based on Humboldt State University's experience with STARS. The university earned STARS Silver on May 8, 2013.
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Collective Impact of Sustainability!
- Grand Valley State University (MI)
Sustainability reporting has grown to increased levels of importance both for shareholders on campus including faculty, staff, and students, as well as for community stakeholders such as businesses, NGO’s, and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Knowing the Full Story: Creating a Blueprint for Effective Program Evaluation
- Brown University (RI)
- GreenerU (MA)
There is so much talk about the value of sustainability outreach programs, yet there is little data which proves their value. In order to make sure the hard work many …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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STARS 101 (2013)
- AASHE (MA)
Since 2006, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), a membership organization of colleges and universities committed to building a sustainable world, has engaged in a …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainable Planning, Development and Implementation at a Multi-Campus Community College
- Cuyahoga Community College (OH)
This presentation will cover a case study about planning, implementing and operating a LEED Gold Academic Facility. The presentation will follow how from the initial concept of the development of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Shooting for the STARS and Beyond: Green Mountain College's Attempt to Measure Authentic Sustainability
- Green Mountain College (VT)
At Green Mountain College we have developed a suite of metrics for measuring authentic sustainability in higher education that reaches beyond STARS, AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking and Assessment Rating System. STARS …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Cross-Institution Collaboration: Composting Pre-and-Post Consumer Food Scraps In An Urban Environment
- Dominican University (IL)
- Loyola University Chicago (IL)
- Northwestern University (IL)
- National Wildlife Federation (VA)
According to a 2011 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Global Food Losses and Food Waste, the average American wastes over 200 pounds of food …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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STARS Advanced Workshop: A Conversation on STARS 2.0 and Continuous Improvement
- American University (DC)
- Moraine Valley Community College (IL)
- University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
- AASHE (MA)
This workshop is geared towards conference participants that would like to engage in a high-level discussion about STARS 2.0. AASHE staff will share a detailed overview of major changes between …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Climate Adaptation – The Role of Higher Education Institutions
- Florida International University (FL)
- Stanford University (CA)
- University of San Francisco (CA)
- Arup (NY)
As global action languishes, institutions of higher education are beginning to ask questions. If the global community is successful in greenhouse gas mitigation, there will still be changes in climate. …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Stronger Together: Collaboration Opportunities for Campus Diversity Officers and Campus Sustainability Officers
- Cornell University (NY)
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- Yale University (CT)
- McGill University (QC)
Campus diversity and inclusion departments educate and engage students, staff and faculty to promote inclusion, diversity and equity. Campus sustainability departments educate and engage students, staff and faculty about how …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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A Framework for Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Leadership
- Second Nature (MA)
- U.S. Green Building Council (DC)
- AASHE (MA)
With an eye to the future, AASHE, the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council and Second Nature will share their vision for resilient and sustainable campuses. …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Divestment: Successful Case Studies
- College of the Atlantic (ME)
- Unity Environmental University (ME)
- Responsible Endowments Coalition (PA)
With active campaigns on over 250 college campuses, divestment from fossil fuels has shifted the sustainability conversation significantly over the past year, pushing the “operational boundary” for campus sustainability, and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Transforming Enemies Into Allies: How to Have Difficult—But Necessary—Conversations in Our Roles as Sustainability Change Agents
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- University of Hawaii - West Oahu (HI)
- GreenerU (MA)
This workshop will give us the space to learn and practice some tactics for having those difficult conversations that are unavoidably part of the work of making change happen within …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Starting Over: Strategies for Building a New Sustainability Program
- Alfred State College (NY)
- University of Hawaii - West Oahu (HI)
- Wake Forest University (NC)
In this session, three professionals with long experience in the campus sustainability movement who in the past several years started jobs at institutions that were just beginning the journey to …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Beyond Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities at the Growing Edge of Campus Sustainability
- Appalachian State University (NC)
- Warren Wilson College (NC)
- Western Michigan University (MI)
Over the past 15 years, sustainability has grown from obscurity to a mainstream higher education phenomenon. The field’s maturity was evident in three questions raised during informal conversations at AASHE …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainable Purchasing: Developing a "LEED for Purchasing"
- American University (DC)
- AASHE (MA)
The potential for purchasing to positively influence supply chains has yet to be realized at scale, due largely to the lack of an overall sustainable purchasing framework. Lacking a coherent …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainable Investing for Endowments: Solving the Problem
- Northwestern University (IL)
- Breckinridge Capital Advisors, Inc. (MA)
Our presentation focuses on empowering and motivating universities to adapt to a new world of sustainable investing. The presentation will address the limited amount of sustainable investment strategies currently available, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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[eco]logical Succession: Cultivating Learning in Place
- Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
- Purdue University (IN)
Living buildings often rely on the Integrative Design Process to effectively gather information from a diverse ecosystem of project participants. This presentation will provide methods that leverage the design and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Roadmap to Resilience: Assessing Tools and Strategies for Climate Preparedness on Campus
- Second Nature (MA)
- Clean Air-Cool Planet (NH)
While campuses have made great strides in mitigating dangerous greenhouse gas emissions, the climate is changing in a way which will require alterted strategies for building, maintenence, investment, teaching and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Faculty Development Workshops: Planning, Implementation & Outcomes
- Middlebury College (VT)
- Skidmore College (NY)
Two liberal arts colleges will offer their experiences in offering faculty development workshops for sustainability. These workshops are a structured way to work within the academic setting to offer the …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainable Spelman: HBCU Climate Action Planning
- Spelman College (GA)
- O'Brien & Gere (NY)
The Vision of a Sustainable Spelman requires all of us to adopt an ethic of conservation. In January of 2013, Spelman College completed its Climate Action Plan (CAP) and submitted …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Green Capital Projects: How to Get Cash Flow and Reduce Emissions
- Sweet Briar College (VA)
- Stone House Group (PA)
Sweet Briar College realized the need to reduce energy cost and consumption on campus after four environmental engineering students conducted an energy audit in 2008. The audit inspired the College's …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Adapting Planning and Reporting for a Sustainable Future: A Case Study of the use of Ecological Footprinting to 40 Campuses.
- Macquarie University (NSW)
- The Footprint Company Pty Ltd (New South Wales)
A central mission of sustainability in the tertiary sector is equipping future generations with the understanding of the interdependencies between the environment, economy and society and to build the capability …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Power in Numbers: How a Basic Understanding of Green Building Science Can Empower University Decision Makers
- Husson University (ME)
- Thornton Tomasetti (ME)
This presentation will introduce technical and non-technical attendees to the types of studies, metrics, and tools green building designers are using with today’s sustainable campus building design. These methodologies will …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Collaborative Advocacy in the Southeast: Creating a Southeast College and University Coalition
- University of Arkansas (AR)
- Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (GA)
National organizations, such as AASHE, convene institutions of higher education on the premise that the exchange of ideas, resources and best practices better enable the design and adoption of sustainable …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Students: The Face of Food Auditing
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
- Real Food Challenge (MA)
Nation-wide, University dining services are actively seeking ways to assess the sustainability of their on-campus food system. The Real Food Challenge provides such a tool for sustainability assessment in dining …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Minnesota's Next Generation Environmental Congress: A Sustainability Leadership Model
- Hamline University (MN)
- University of Minnesota, Morris (MN)
The Next Generation Environmental Congress: A Sustainability Leadership Model workshop will provide key insights into and results of a university and state government hosted forum that offered students and youth …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Building and Maintaining a System-Wide, 22-Campus Sustainable Energy Initiative
- Appalachian State University (NC)
- University of North Carolina System Office (NC)
Appalachian State University, in conjunction with the 17-institution University of North Carolina system, is hosting the Appalachian Energy Summit on July 17-19, 2013 in Boone, North Carolina. This July’s event …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Implementing a Sustainable Post-Consumer Composting Program for a Large Campus Community
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)
- Aramark (PA)
At most universities food service operations generate a substantial amount of waste.
At the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), the university recycling program, UT Recycling, and the Dining Service Company, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Motivating People Toward Sustainability: Applying Psychological Science to Green Behavior
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Achieving sustainability on university campuses requires engaging and changing the behavior of students, faculty, administrators, staff, and other members of the university community. New programs can suffer unexpected roadblocks if …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Food Waste Management: Developing a Comprehensive Food Waste Management System for Green Campus
- Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
Food waste is one of the most challenging components in the waste stream. Americans refuse 25% of all the food they prepare each year, leading to 33 million tons of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Building Blocks of Integrated Design: Goal-Setting Charettes Using the Nominal Group Technique
- Harvard University (MA)
This session uses a flash charette format to provide attendees with a hands-on opportunity to learn specific strategies to engage diverse stakeholders in an integrated process to set robust sustainability …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Five Years of an Integrated Approach to Campus Sustainability: Linking Academics, Operations and Student Life
- Dalhousie University (NS)
At the 2008 AASHE Conference, [X] University presented two ambitious campus sustainability initiatives, one academic and one operational, and an overarching sustainability framework. The university has since put these initiatives …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability Initiatives Revolving Fund: A Unique Application With A Proven Track Record
- Arizona State University (AZ)
A major research university developed and launched its Sustainability Initiatives Revolving Fund (SIRF) in fiscal year (FY) 2010 with the goals of investing wisely in projects that promote sustainability, accelerating …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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A Comprehensive Framework for Driving Sustainability Collaboration Through Athletics
- Davidson College (NC)
Many athletic departments and teams have sustainability initiatives. However, few have comprehensive programs using sustainability in athletics to drive adaptation of practices and awareness building throughout campus, alumni and surrounding …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Participatory Planning Processes for Sustainability
- McGill University (QC)
Sustainability is the process of a community working together towards a shared vision for a better future. Strategic planning should be participatory – for and from the community. At McGill, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability at Michigan State is Bolder, by Design
- Michigan State University (MI)
This session will outline a progressive strategic initiative at Michigan State University and its impact on its sustainability program. This initiative is called Bolder by Design. Launched by President Lou …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Turning the Campus Into a Living Laboratory via the Classroom and the Boardroom
- Middlebury College (VT)
This session will explore the current state of practice bringing sustainability issues to the decisionmaking level via a two way exchange coming either from the administrative/boardroom level to the classroom …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus to Community: Fostering Community-Wide Resilience And 21st Century Competencies Through Vision, Leadership, Projects and Partnerships
- National Wildlife Federation (VA)
This interactive session explores how students are participating in projects that bridge beyond campus borders to advance sustainability in partnership with the wider community. The session is a combination of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Creating Awareness: A Student's Quest For Reducing Energy Consumption
- Paul Smith's College of Arts & Sciences (NY)
Our College has been dedicated to reducing and eventually eliminating its carbon emissions. In doing so, we hope to become a carbon neutral campus by 2029. Since the majority of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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From Fringe to Familiar - Mainstreaming the Sustainability Message
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
Gone are the days when the notion of living a sustainable lifestyle implied hugging trees and growing your own organic kale. Stereotypes like this can be powerful obstacles to engaging …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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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.