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
Making Sustainability Sustainable: The Dollars and Cents of It
- Grand Valley State University (MI)
Sustainability at GVSU has become the 7th value for the University and embraces the triple bottom line of environmental, economic and social impacts on campus and in the community.
Sustainability ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Implementing a Climate Action Plan with a Campus-wide Committee
- University of Wyoming (WY)
The University of Wyoming Campus Sustainability Committee (CSC) was established in 2006 by President Tom Buchanan after students from the Campus Sustainability class (ENR 4600/5600) garnered support and proposed ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Tackling Barriers for LEED EBOM in Unique University Buildings
- Colorado State University (CO)
Colorado State University has a long history of leadership in environmental stewardship. A grant from the Governor's Energy Office provided the perfect opportunity for CSU to extend that leadership ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Building Climate Action Plans from Existing Plans, Targets and Laws
- University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (WI)
The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh submitted its first Climate Action Plan (CAP) to ACUPCC in 2009. The Director of Sustainability (author) was asked to develop the CAP in approximately one ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability planning within broader university planning - collaboration around collective goals
- Vancouver Island University (BC)
Vancouver Island University (VIU) is located on Canada's West Coast and includes campuses in four communities as well as other research and teaching sites. Previously called Malaspina University-College, the ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Higher Ed in the Green Economy
- College of Lake County (IL)
- Harvard University (MA)
- Heartland Community College (IL)
- Moraine Valley Community College (IL)
This panel presentation will address the role of higher education in the emerging green economy. The lessons learned greening our own campuses are helping us to understand the common barriers ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Portland Community College-Measuring Progress of Climate Action Plan Implementation
- Portland Community College (OR)
Portland Community College (PCC) developed a Climate Action Plan (CAP) adopted in September 2009. The PCC CAP sets forth broad objectives and specific strategies for achieving the college's greenhouse ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Forgotten Art: Art Toxins and Safety
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Dining plays a central role in campus life, as has been reflected in a plethora of recent dining-related initiatives—from trayless cafeterias to composting to community gardens on campus. A ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Building the New Green OR Greening the Already Built: Evaluating the optimal strategy for your campus
- University of California, Santa Barbara (CA)
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- Western Michigan University (MI)
- Second Nature (MA)
- U.S. Green Building Council (DC)
Many higher education institutions across the country are investing efforts and resources in promoting and implementing sustainable practices on their campuses. However, while addressing the infrastructure, these institution often run ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Small is Beautiful: Climate Action Planning Opportunities for Small Colleges
- Randolph College (VA)
Randolph College is a Charter signatory of the ACUPCC. Developing a Climate Action Plan (CAP) is a major undertaking. Many institutions hire consultants to carry out the task, but other ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Portland Community College - Walking our Talk on Sustainability
- Portland Community College (OR)
This presentation will describe actions being taken to implement the Portland Community College (PCC) Climate Action Plan. The panel will describe the background and structure of the PCC Climate Energy ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Creating a Green Campus Action Plan
- Texas Tech University (TX)
Texas Tech University successfully pulled its community together to develop a plan of action in the spring 2009 after receiving consecutively dismal scores from the Campus Sustainability Report Card. One ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Expanding Campus Initiatives to Include a Water Action Plan
- Agnes Scott College (GA)
Colleges and universities are the model for environmental stewardship across the nation. At the forefront of sustainability, institutions that sign the ACUPCC have made it clear that a reduction in ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Engaging Students: Creating a Sustainability Internship Program
- Oregon Institute of Technology (OR)
Most campuses engaged in sustainability efforts have ambitious goals yet lack the resources and personnel to reach these goals. Students can help with sustainability activities by participating in a carefully ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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STARS Town Hall Meeting (2010)
- American University (DC)
- Furman University (SC)
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- AASHE (MA)
This interactive session will feature a small panel of STARS Steering Committee members, Technical Advisors, and STARS staff who will address key topics related to STARS. More importantly, this session ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Global Green in the 21st Century: Macalester College, Student Networks, and LEED Platinum
- Macalester College (MN)
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- Bruner/Cott Architects (MA)
This panel presents different sustainability initiatives that build on the institution's academic mission with a special emphasis on internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society. The College's Sustainability Manager ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Behavior Matters: Program Results from Stanford, MIT, Princeton, and Cornell
- Cornell University (NY)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)
- Princeton University (NJ)
- Stanford University (CA)
Sustainability communication, education, and implementation tools that address the triple bottom line of sustainability- environment, economy, and social equity—behavioral programs at Stanford, MIT, Princeton, and Cornell showcase the importance ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Is it Time for a Revolution?
- Dickinson College (PA)
- Ithaca College (NY)
- Pacific University (OR)
- Second Nature (MA)
We've come a long way baby... but are we moving fast enough? Although great strides have been made in the sustainability movement in higher education, is the pace of ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Accelerating Campus Climate Initiatives
- Furman University (SC)
- Luther College (IA)
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- AASHE (MA)
This panel highlights inspiring examples from the book, "Accelerating Campus Climate Initiatives," a collaborative project by RMI and AASHE. Panelists from Furman University, Luther College, and University of Colorado at ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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STARS 101 (2010)
- Delta College (MI)
- State University of New York at New Paltz (NY)
- 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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Sustainability Leadership -The Ohio State University Sustainability Plan and Process
- The Ohio State University (OH)
- Mithun (WA)
- Heapy Engineering (OH)
As interest in organizational impacts on climate takes hold, sustainability must be seen as increasingly comprehensive and not just focused on individual buildings. In the university world, how is the ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Same Goal, Different Models: Leading Sustainability in Different Colleges in a Multi-College District
- Dallas College (TX)
As the sustainability movement in higher education has gained momentum, various approaches to leading efforts to integrate sustainability into the fabric of an institution have emerged. At some colleges, sustainability ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Engaging Students in Measuring Sustainability: Aligning STARS with People, Planet, Purpose
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs (CO)
The role of higher education is to provide education and research as well as leadership by example. With regard to such an important issue as sustainability, it is vital that ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Climate Neutrality & Land Grant Universities: Resources, Challenges, and Cooperative Solutions
- Auburn University (AL)
- University of Florida (FL)
- Second Nature (MA)
This workshop will focus on the unique resources and challenges faced by the Land-grant Universities (LGU) as they commit to, and develop plans to become carbon neutral. There are 106 ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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ACUPCC: Writing, Implementing and Supporting Climate Action Plans
- San Francisco State University (CA)
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
Over 600 chancellors and presidents have signed the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment. However, making the commitment and meeting it represent two very different tasks, the challenges which ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Climate Action Implementation on research campuses: Lessons from large scale energy projects
- Cornell University (NY)
- Stanford University (CA)
- University of Pennsylvania (PA)
For large research campuses achieving climate neutrality requires a combination of supply-side and demand-side energy initiatives. Panelists will focus on the implementation of Climate Action Plans underway at three universities ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Building Weatherization Planning through Cross-Campus Collaboration
- Colby College (ME)
- Harvard University (MA)
- University of Virginia (VA)
Last May, more than 50 students took a break from studying for finals and partnered with the school's Environmental Action Committee, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Green Program, and ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Internal Energy Auditing to Meet Portfolio-Wide GHG Reduction Goals at 3 Institutions
- Colby College (ME)
- Harvard University (MA)
- University of Virginia (VA)
Universities worldwide are committing to greenhouse gas reduction goals and implementing climate action plans. Optimizing building efficiency is often identified as a central strategy to achieving these ambitious goals. To ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Maintaining Progress: Moving from a GHG Inventory to a Climate Action Plan
- University of Colorado Denver - Anschutz Medical Campus (CO)
- Auraria Higher Education Center (CO)
Many individuals and institutions understandably struggle with how to move from a campus GHG inventory, which is simply a list of what you "use", to a campus climate action plan ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Eden Hall Campus: Laboratory for 21st century climate positive living
- Chatham University (PA)
- BNIM Architects (MO)
As the alma mater of Rachel Carson, Chatham University has long been committed to environmental education, advocacy and stewardship. In recent years, that commitment has included establishing a dorm focused ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Values and Attitudes: Okanagan College's Journey to Sustainability
- Okanagan College (BC)
- CEI Architecture Planning Interiors (BC)
This presentation will demonstrate how a commitment to sustainability was developed over a five-year period, culminating in a $28 million dollar investment in a new Centre o f Excellence in ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Measuring Sustainable Dining with the Real Food Challenge Calculator
- Eastern Washington University (WA)
- Real Food Challenge (MA)
There's no question that determining the sustainability of a college dining hall-and other foodservice operations-is difficult. Between dealing with confusing and often competing claims about food sustainability to actually ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Change Management for Sustainability
- Harvard University (MA)
- Yale University (CT)
This workshop is structured to define the new frontier for managing institutional change for sustainability. At its heart, change management for sustainability is about making change easy, desirable and rewarding ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Implementation of a Custom Sustainability Action Plan at Lynn University
- Lynn University (FL)
- Buro Happold (NY)
This discussion with outline the comprehensive masterplanning exercise and the Sustainability Implementation process that Buro Happold provided Lynn University, a private, coeducational institution located in Boca Raton, Florida.
Lynn University ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Measuring and managing sustainability using SAS at Duke University
- Duke University (NC)
- SAS (NC)
Higher education institutions face many complexities tracking and reporting emissions and other sustainability measures that extend beyond the capacities of spreadsheets and manual reporting tools. Institutional sustainability performance today requires ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Nine Elements of a Sustainable Campus
- Unity Environmental University (ME)
- Second Nature (MA)
Unity College in Maine is assessing its efforts according to President Mitchell Thomashow's Nine Elements of a Sustainable Culture - as highlighted in Kyoto Publishing's recent Climate Neutral Campus ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Six Competencies of Integrated Sustainability Planning
- University of Michigan (MI)
- Society for College and University Planning (MI)
Building an integrated planning process is critical to the success of sustainability efforts on any campus. However, it's much easier said than done. In order to bring planning efforts ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Creating a Truly Sustainable Campus: Integrating Sustainability Into Curriculum and Operations Throughout an Entire College
- Algonquin College (ON)
- Sustainability Solutions Group (QC)
The workshop will highlight the importance of taking an integrated approach to sustainability by bridging the divide between curriculum and operations. Algonquin College is currently integrating a broad-based sustainability strategy ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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SCORE: A Sustainability Rapid Assessment Launchpad to AASHE STARS
- Dartmouth College (NH)
- Sustainable Measures, LLC (CT)
Dartmouth College used SCORE, a sustainability 'rapid assessment' tool, in conjunction with AASHE's STARS Pilot assessment tool to analyze the College's sustainability progress. SCORE, based on The Business ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Climate Action Planning and Student Engagement
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (NY)
- Syracuse University (NY)
Sustainability and Climate Action efforts SUNY ESF first engaged students in a formal way in 2000. Students developed ESF's first assessment of the energy required to educate and undergraduate ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Sustainability Plan 1.0 - a framework for transformative action
- University of California, Santa Cruz (CA)
- University of Hawaii - West Oahu (HI)
UCSC drafted its first comprehensive Campus Sustainability Plan (the Plan) during the 2009-10 academic year, building on a long history of environmental stewardship and nine years of active campus sustainability ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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No half measures, making an institution wide commitment to sustainability
- Dickinson College (PA)
In Boldly Sustainable, Peter Bardaglio and Andrea Putnam argue that "halfhearted measures won't work," that colleges and universities need to make an authentic commitment to sustainability that involves the ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Effective Strategies for Implementing Sustainability Across a Large Catholic University
- DePaul University (IL)
Sustainability in a Catholic institution starts with mission and values. Implementing a comprehensive sustainability plans requires integrating curricula, operations, research and engagement with the institutional mission. In a Vincentian institution ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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goCARTS: Driving Learning Through Climate Action Plan Implementation
- Ithaca College (NY)
Ithaca College has pledged to achieve climate neutrality by the year 2050. Climate neutrality means zero NET emissions. Interim goals include a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2015 ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Aligning Sustainability Commitments with Actions at A Wild West University
- New Mexico State University (NM)
This is a panel on how to encourage a university to align stated sustainability commitments with actions. Four faculty at a Wild West University (hereafter WWU, not its real name ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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University of Minnesota System-Wide Sustainability
- University of Minnesota, Duluth (MN)
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Put a cougar, a bulldog, a gopher, and an eagle in one room - do you find sustainability? You betcha!
The University of Minnesota community has created new, regional models of ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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How We Live and How We Learn: Sustainability at U.Va.
- University of Virginia (VA)
U.Va.'s Presidential Committee on Sustainability, Office of the Architect and Utilities staff focus on achieving university-wide curricular and operations goals. Simultaneously, individual Schools have set sustainability goals, such ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Recreation as a viable Partner in Sustainability Efforts
- Washington State University, Pullman (WA)
Over the last 10 years the Student Recreation Center at Washington State University (WSU) has been utilized over 6 million times by students, staff, and faculty. 89% of the freshman ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Feeding Innovation in Sustainability: Ithaca's Comprehensive Dining Energy Plan
- Ithaca College (NY)
Sodexo's Facility Management team approached Ithaca College with a proposal to conduct a comprehensive energy audit of all food service facilities on campus (3 board dining halls, 1 food ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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From Red To Green: Sustainability Planning In A Shifting Environment
- North Carolina State University (NC)
Many colleges and universities are beginning the task of creating formal plans for how they will reach their sustainability, energy and climate neutrality goals. Many campuses are also still creating ...
- 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.