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
Campus Transportation Plans: Sustainable, Smart and Strategic
- Martin-Alexiou-Bryson PLLC (NC)
Making campus transportation more sustainable will not only gain points on sustainability checklists, but will also contribute to an institution's other strategic goals: accommodating growth, maintaining competitiveness, saving money and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Piloting STARS at a Small Baccalaureate Institution
- University of Mount Union (OH)
Mount Union College (MUC) is a private, undergraduate, church-related institution in northeastern Ohio with about 2100 students and a staff of about 400 FTE. MUC is piloting the AASHE STARS …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability Planning at a Public University
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
This presentation will explore some of the different challenges and opportunities for sustainability planning in large, public universitites (versus smaller, private institutions). Sustainability planning is always a very localized endeavor, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Little Things that Administrators can do
- University of Idaho (ID)
Greening a campus is often viewed as accomplished through high profile intitatives that are based on campus-wide changes. As a dean at two different institutions I've found that the greatest …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Talking Trash: Getting the Best Data Out of Your Waste and Recycling
- Meredith College (NC)
- Pacific University (OR)
Join this presentation to learn about three different efforts to collect baseline data on recycling and waste on campus. An overview of a community-based social marketing campaign (CBSM) to "green" …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Leverage Your Greenhouse Gas Inventory
- Fitchburg State University (MA)
- Gordian (SC)
- Clean Air-Cool Planet (NH)
Campuses across the country are completing GHG inventories, many for the first time. Though the effort can be daunting and complicated, the inventory is an important strategic tool that institutions …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Energy Master Plans - From Here to a Zero Carbon Footprint
- Building Services Consultants, Inc (PA)
The ACUPCC has generated a keen interest in colleges and universities to move toward a zero carbon footprint. An Energy Master Plan (EMP) is essential to facilitate a successful carbon …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Carbon Footprint and Campus Context: The Ramapo College Experience
- Ramapo College of New Jersey (NJ)
At the fall 2007 conference and expo "Green Meets Green: The Climate for Change," Ramapo President Peter Mercer underscored his seriousness about the topic by signing the College Presidents' Climate …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Role of IT in Sustainability: A Green IT Campus Model
- Monroe Community College (NY)
Information Technology's (IT's) role in sustainability efforts can be more than just powering down equipment and utilizing server virtualization. IT can play a substantive role in campus sustainability issues. This …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Creating a Green Purchasing Policy Roadmap
- National Association of Educational Procurement (MD)
The National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP) fashioned a process to harvest the knowledge and expertise of its members to create a green purchasing policy roadmap. The process has concluded …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Ithaca College's New Commit-to-Change Initiative
- Ithaca College (NY)
Ithaca College's leadership in environmental and sustainability education and operations just got a significant boost with the assistance of a three-year, $500,000 grant from the HSBC in the Community (USA) …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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UW Tower: Live Green-Work Green-Go Green
- University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
The University of Washington recently purchased Safeco Tower, an imposing landmark located in Seattle's university district. With all eyes on the tower, Transportation Services decided the timing was right to …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Launching SAC: A Colloquia Model
- Central Washington University (WA)
- Duke University (NC)
In a recent article, Daniel Sherman asserted that for campus sustainability to really take hold, it must become a "pedagogical big idea" and not just a focus of campus operations. …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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From Creating a Carbon Footprint Baseline to Achieving Climate Neutrality: A Structured Approach to Meeting your ACUPCC Goals
- Seattle University (WA)
- University of Central Oklahoma (OK)
- University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (WI)
- Johnson Controls, Inc (WI)
- City of Saint Anthony Village (MN)
Panelists will discuss how their ACUPCC activities have been couched within a broader master planning context, an energy management program context, and a dedicated process focused on meeting the terms …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Conceptualizing a Cutting Edge Sustainability Program
- Harvard University (MA)
- Johns Hopkins University (MD)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)
- Yale University (CT)
Since sustainability programs are still relatively new, there is considerable debate on what are the most salient factors that contribute to an effective campus sustainability program. It is clear that …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Developing a Climate Action Plan with the Campus Carbon Calculator
- Middlebury College (VT)
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
- Clean Air-Cool Planet (NH)
- Brighter Planet (IL)
Hundreds of schools across the US and Canada have relied upon the Clean Air-Cool Planet Campus Carbon Calculator to measure their baseline GHG emissions and to track their progress in …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Building Sustainable Local and World Community: Vision for the 21st Century Community College
- Eastern Iowa Community College District (IA)
- Grand Rapids Community College (MI)
- Dallas College (TX)
Recognizing the evolution of the junior college in the latter half of the 20th Century, the Commission on the Future of Community Colleges proposed in their 1988 publication, Building Communities, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Embracing Sustainability in the Campus Planning Process
- Emory University (GA)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (NC)
- Clark Patterson Lee (NY)
American colleges and universities have grown significantly over the past 50 years and analysis of current data and trends suggests this pattern will continue for some time in the future. …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Enacting Sustainable Initiatives on Campus
- Appalachian State University (NC)
- Perkins+Will (NY)
Environmental responsibility is embedded in our way of life and work - come find out how! Join us for an in depth look at sustainability through the lens of four …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Navigating GHG Inventory Methodologies: Comparing Experiences at Harvard and Clark University
- Clark University (MA)
- Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc. (MA)
This presentation explores the inventory tools and methods institutions of higher education might consider when approaching a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory of their campus. To elucidate the different calculation and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Envisioning Ecologically Sustainable Universities: A Holistic View
- George Washington University (DC)
- Western Illinois University (IL)
The campus sustainability movement has made remarkable progress in bringing sustainability to the forefront of university agendas, with respect to both campus operations and curricula. These efforts are now extending …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The PCC, STARS and the 2030 Challenge: Going from the Conceptual to the Concrete
- Ball State University (IN)
- Ice Miller LLP (IN)
This presentation will review the interrelation of obligations that institutions undertake when signing the Presidents Climate Commitment, implementing the Sustainable Tracking and Rating System (STARS), and adopting the 2030 Challenge …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Presidents Climate Commitment and the University of Maine Master Plan
- University of Maine (ME)
- Sasaki Associates, Inc. (MA)
The American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) is guiding over 500 institutions toward the ultimate goal of climate neutrality. As a charter signatory of the ACUPCC, the University …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Global Perspectives for a Sustainable Campus Master Plan
- Seattle University (WA)
- Mithun (WA)
The growth in sustainable initiatives on campuses has focused on the physical environment with an emphasis on green buildings. As the President's Climate Commitment collects a growing list of signatories, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Blueprint for University Campuses as Living Learning Laboratories of Sustainability
- Oberlin College (OH)
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (IL)
What role should higher education institutions play in implementing campus sustainability? Is it transforming campus facilities to become more sustainable or is it transforming the curriculum to incorporate sustainability principles …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Planning for Sustainability and Education
- Evergreen State College, The (WA)
- ZGF Architects (OR)
The Evergreen State College, located on 1,000 forested acres in Olympia, Washington, is a unique, small, public, Liberal Arts College with the aggressive strategic objective of pursuing a 'net-zero' carbon …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Comparison of How Colleges Promote Greenhouse Gas Inventory Strategies
- Bridgewater State University (MA)
Ideally, everyone should care the environment because a clean planet is a necessity for the survival of the human race. The problem is however, not all students or college campuses …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Greening the University in the Heartland
- Oklahoma City University (OK)
Oklahoma City University has undergone systematic organizational change to move the campus in a more sustainable direction. Students, staff, and faculty have been involved with several projects to change the …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Walking the Talk Together: Queen's University's Sustainability Collaboration Model
- Queen's University
Sustainability and collaboration are among today's popular buzz words. However, rigid organizational lines, resource challenges, and a fast-paced environment severely constrain well-intended efforts. There is no shortage of great ideas, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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GreenRichland: Building Sustainable Local and World Community
- Dallas College (TX)
As the threat of global warming and natural resource shortages becomes more of a reality, Richland College is among the first community colleges in the U.S. to participate in the …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Building A Campus Sustainability Effort at a Regional Public University: A Five Year Retrospective
- Western Illinois University (IL)
While student leadership on campus sustainability issues is the norm on many campuses, attention to sustainability at Western Illinois University has been driven by faculty and staff. Until recently, student …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Chandler Gilbert Community College - Sustainability as a Campus Wide Strategy
- Chandler-Gilbert Community College (AZ)
This presentation will demonstrate how to integrate sustainability into institutional effectiveness. Chandler Gilbert Community College has embedded a commitment to sustainability into its strategic plan for 2007-2012. The strategic plan …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Making Your Campus a Laboratory for Sustainability: Linking Operations and Curriculum
- Evergreen State College, The (WA)
How can you incorporate daily operations of your campus into a laboratory for learning opportunities for students? This presentation will emphasize easily transferable strategies, regardless of campus size and orientation. …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Corporate Sustainability Reports: How to Perform a Basic Analysis to Understand a Company's Sustainability Efforts
- University of Idaho (ID)
Corporate Sustainability Reports are heavily criticized for portraying more marketing and public relations material than quantitative accounts of the company's commitment to sustainability. Corporate Sustainability Reports can contain mountains of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Sustainable Community College: Internal and External Paths We Have Followed
- Grand Rapids Community College (MI)
A presentation, by the Associate Provost and Director of Sustainability at Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC), will examine how GRCC have come to integrate sustainability into the principles and practices …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Greening of a Community College
- Harford Community College (MD)
Harford Community College has been a leader of the nation's campus sustainability initiatives since 2001. This poster presentation will share how the college has institutionalized sustainability practices into all campus …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Ithaca College's Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Ithaca College (NY)
Ithaca College has estimated its greenhouse gas inventory for the last seven years using the Clean-Air Cool-Planet excel-based calculator. The emissions inventory has been accomplished each year by an undergraduate …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Being Spartan Green at MSU
- Michigan State University (MI)
Want to mobilize a sustainable movement on your campus? We invite you to participate in a presentation that can help you get your campus moving onward or take your current …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Technology Education for Sustainable Development: Institutional Transformation, Integration of Best Practices, and Associated Challenges at a Premier Canadian Institute of Technology - NAIT
- Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (AB)
NAIT is the third largest post-secondary institution in Alberta, serving over 86,500 full and part-time students in a wide range of programming. In addition to diploma and baccalaureate programming, the …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Sustainability Planning: Perceptions and Priorities
- Oberlin College (OH)
Planning for campus sustainability is often initiated by facilities and services, environment-related departments, or directly by the administration. The impetus for these entities is often serving vested interests, putting out …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Why Your Campus Needs an Office of Sustainability
- Ohio University (OH)
Sonia Marcus, sustainability coordinator at Ohio University, will discuss the benefits of creating a dedicated office of Sustainability to address green campus goals. In this presentation, you will learn why …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Portland State University: Let Knowledge Serve the City
- Portland State University (OR)
PSU's approach to sustainability seeks to integrate operations, research, education and community engagement. Our poster will draw on green building and watershed stewardship projects that demonstrate our strategy. The ways …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Carbon Budgets as a Teachable Moment
- Union College - NY (NY)
The calculation of a college's carbon budget one of the most important steps toward assessing an institution's sustainability and creating a plan to improve operations. Calculating carbon budgets also integrates …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustainability Science at a Land Grant Institution: Linking Community Visioning and Scientific Analysis
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
The need for academic researchers to have meaningful co-learning experiences with leaders in the broader community has been highlighted in much of the literature on sustainability. Scientists and community leaders …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Sustaining a University Committee on Sustainability
- University of North Carolina, Greensboro (NC)
A campus-wide Committee on Sustainability was formed at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) in the fall of 2006 through an open invitation to faculty, staff, and students …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Architecture of an Institutional Framework for Campus-wide Sustainability
- West Virginia University (WV)
West Virginia University (WVU), a major land-grant institution is well aware of the shift in thinking and reality that campus sustainability is not only an important advantage in recruiting students, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Green Honchos: How Allegheny College's Taskforce for Environmental Responsibility Created Eco-minded Administrators
- Allegheny College (PA)
Allegheny College has a long history of environmental initiatives on campus and within the community. For instance for the past decade CEED (Center for Economic and Environmental Development) has supported …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Walking our Talk: Strategies, Challenges & Successes in the Pursuit of Sustainability and Social Justice on Campus
- Antioch University, New England (NH)
This presentation will focus on identifying the tensions, obstacles and openings for moving higher ed institutions towards greater sustainability and social justice. The presentation will draw on the experience of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Exploring New Terrain in Business Education: Bringing Sustainability to Ground Level
- Aquinas College (MI)
Sustainable business, as an emerging field of study, explores new approaches to commerce and business practices. Its focus on commerce departs from the linear "heat, beat, and treat" structure of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Flying Under the Radar: Quietly Transforming a Conservative Campus
- Auburn University (AL)
In 2004 Auburn University's sustainability task force received one-time funding for a demonstration sustainability initiative. Since then we have received year-to-year support for a "temporary" office. This presentation will discuss …
- 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.