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
Master of Environmental Assessment Online
- North Carolina State University (NC)
The Master of Environmental Assessment Degree and the Graduate Certificate in Environmental Assessment programs are internet-based Distance Education programs. There are no seated or face-to-face classes, which allows us to ...
- Posted Feb. 25, 2016
- Academic Programs
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2015 Higher Education Sustainability Staffing Survey
- AASHE (MA)
AASHE has been conducting a survey of campus sustainability staff since 2008. This report presents the results of the 2015 Higher Education Sustainability Staffing Survey. It examines the nature of ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Is STARS Worth the Investment? Furman University’s Point of View
- Furman University (SC)
After devoting much of the past fifteen months to painstakingly completing Furman’s first Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) 2.0 submission, while juggling myriad other professional and ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Listening Project Report: Recap
- AASHE (MA)
Through the ongoing Listening Project (LP), the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is working to instill a listening culture throughout our programs and operations. However ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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AASHE’s Board Retreat Insight
- AASHE (MA)
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) held a board retreat in early March at Stanford University. At the retreat we honed in on AASHE's ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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The Role of Collaborative Review in Achieving STARS Platinum
- Colorado State University (CO)
- AASHE (MA)
Colorado State University (CSU) has become the first institution to earn a Platinum rating in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). This achievement highlights the continuous improvement that ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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The AASHE Collaborative Vision Tree – A Study in Creative Assessment and Feedback Processes
- Portland State University (OR)
- AASHE (MA)
To build a resilient sustainability movement in higher education, we need to bring together diverse perspectives and work to design collaborative solutions. This paradigm shift includes refining the processes by ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Integrating Project Evaluation into Funding Environmental Sustainability at Universities
Initiatives to promote environmental sustainability on American higher education campuses have spurred a wide range of expenditures involving many diverse decision-makers, including new committees led by students serving in short-term ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Canadian STARS-Rated Campus Sustainability Plans: Priorities, Plan Creation and Design
- Dalhousie University (NS)
The use of integrated sustainability plans is an emerging trend in higher education institutions (HEIs) to set sustainability priorities and to create a work plan for action. This paper analyses ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Guide to Creating & Managing Sustainability Internship Programs
- Connecticut College (CT)
- University of Richmond (VA)
- AASHE (MA)
This How-To Guide explores best practices for establishing and managing highly effective Sustainability Internship Programs (SIPs). It presents information for individuals seeking guidance on creating new SIPs (Chapter 2), or ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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The Unsuspected Teachers: Environmental Identity and Sustainability Education in the Anthropocene
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
People in higher education institutions are designing, advocating, and implementing curricular changes for sustainability and ecological literacy. This study sought to understand the environmental identities of sustainability education advocates working ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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2014 Higher Education Sustainability Review
- AASHE (MA)
During its annual analysis of the higher education sustainability movement, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) found a significant increase in sustainability planning, campus living ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Sustainable Development and Quality Assurance in Higher Education: Transformation of Learning and Society
To help address the challenges of sustainable development, higher education institutions must transform themselves, bringing together best practice in quality management for tertiary education with best practice in education for ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Growth or Decline? The Form and Function of the Sustainability Agenda in Higher Education
- University at Albany (NY)
Literature on organizational strategy in higher education suggests that colleges adapt to new circumstances based on differing motivations: some colleges are seeking new growth strategies while others are trying to ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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The University of Hawai'i System Heads Toward its First Sustainability Policy
- Hawaii Pacific University (HI)
- University of Hawaii Maui College (HI)
- University of Hawaii at Hilo (HI)
- AASHE (MA)
This month AASHE was invited to give a keynote presentation and overview of its Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) at the first-ever Hawai’i Sustainability in Higher Education ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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2013 Higher Education Sustainability Review
- AASHE (MA)
This year’s Higher Education Sustainability Review highlights the achievements of more than 60 institutions across the globe. You’ll find inspiring examples of regional and global partnerships for sustainability ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Presidential Voices Interview Series: Beverly Daniel Tatum, Spelman College
- Spelman College (GA)
Beverly Daniel Tatum, Spelman College President since 2002, is our guest for this interview. Spelman is America's oldest historically Black college for women, and a leading liberal arts institution ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Presidential Voices Interview Series: Jo Ann M. Gora, Ball State University
- Ball State University (IN)
Jo Ann M. Gora, our guest for this interview, became President of Ball State University in 2004. She was one of 12 charter signatories to the American College & University ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Envisioning the Carbon-Neutral Campus: Planning for Reduced Energy Consumption at St. Olaf College
- St. Olaf College (MN)
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Four practices impacting campus carbon neutrality are increasingly common at Colleges and Universities in the United States: faculty and students are engaging in hands-on sustainability curriculum, facilities personnel are analyzing ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Assessing Sustainability Knowledge of a Student Population: Developing a Tool to Measure Knowledge in the Environmental, Economic, and Social Domains
- The Ohio State University (OH)
Purpose: The purpose of this article is to present a tool for assessing the sustainability knowledge of an undergraduate population.
Design/methodology/approach: Multiple-choice questions were developed through soliciting expert ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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University of California, Santa Barbara Water Action Plan
- University of California, Santa Barbara (CA)
The University of California, Office of the President, has required that UC campuses prepare a water action plan that defines a strategy for reducing potable water use 20% by 2020 ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Presidential Voices Interview Series: Wim Wiewel, Portland State University
- Portland State University (OR)
Wim Wiewel, President of Portland State University, is our guest for this interview. Dr. Wiewel serves on the steering committee of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. Under ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Presidential Voices Interview Series: James H. Mullen, Allegheny College
- Allegheny College (PA)
With this interview, AASHE is pleased to launch our Presidential Voices interview series, featuring conversations with inspiring sustainability leaders who play unique roles as heads of higher education institutions or ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Resilience vs. Campus Sustainability?
The transition from an exploitive business plan for the planet to a sustainable one has gone through a few iterations—and we are definitely not there yet—but we keep ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Greening Universities Toolkit: Transforming universities into green and sustainable campuses
- United Nations Environment Programme
The focus of this Toolkit is to provide University staff and students with a selection of strategies, tools and resources, gleaned from the literature, from global case studies and from ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Why We Submitted a STARS Report Two Years In A Row
- Babson College (MA)
If you recently completed STARS, you may be basking in the idea of not having to do it again for another few years. You might be reading the title of ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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STARS Blog: Advancing Sustainability during the Summer Transition
- AASHE (MA)
Today more than ever, summer is a season of intense transition and opportunity at colleges and universities – an ideal time for advancing campus sustainability. While a new cohort of graduates ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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STARS Facts: Strengths and Challenges for Two Year Institutions
- AASHE (MA)
Gearing up for the launch of STARS 2.0 in 2013, the STARS team is developing and refining ideas for STARS that will raise the bar for advancing sustainability in ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Cool Campuses?! The National Movement for Campus Climate Action Deserves High Grades But a Greater Effort is Needed to Address the Growing Climate Crisis
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
- Cornell University (NY)
- Ithaca College (NY)
- University of California, Irvine (CA)
- Tompkins Cortland Community College (NY)
- Ball State University (IN)
Who will lead this energy revolution? One hopeful possibility is higher education. As one example, many institutions of higher education are already involved through the American College & University Presidents ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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2012 Higher Education Sustainability Review
- AASHE (MA)
The 2012 Higher Education Sustainability Review outlines 2012 AASHE Bulletin trends in three areas: New Developments, Changing Dynamics, Areas of Prevalence. Highlights from over 40 institutions are included, summarizing innovative ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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The Death of Campus Sustainability? I Don’t Think So!
- AASHE (MA)
In a recent blog, Dave Newport, Director of the Environmental Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, AASHE board member, and colleague began tolling the bell over the “Death ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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The Death of Campus Sustainability
OK, starting with a title like “The Death of Campus Sustainability” could easily be seen as cheap, manipulative, sensational, or simply wrong. And yes, the implicit reference to Shellenberger and ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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The Sustainable University: Green Goals and New Challenges for Higher Education Leaders
While almost seven hundred chief executive officers have signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, several thousand have yet to do so. This book identifies four of the ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Operational Analysis: Green Grants Program
- New York University (NY)
This Operational Analysis is an overall description of how New York University's Green Grants Program is functioning, including how well the program supports its stakeholders, grantees, staff and how ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Comparative Analysis of Campus Greening Grant Programs at U.S. Post-Secondary Institutions
- New York University (NY)
This document compares New York University's Green Grants program with twelve similar campus sustainability granting programs within the United States. It has been prepared as part of an internal ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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A Sustainability Fund at Rensselaer: A Policy Analysis and Guide for the Future
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY)
The sustainability fund, also known as a green fund, has been introduced at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada in the past two decades as a methodology ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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A Study of the Implementation of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System
- American University (DC)
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) is rapidly becoming the leading sustainability reporting tool for higher education. This research presents an analysis of STARS' strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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2011 Higher Education Sustainability Review
- AASHE (MA)
Looking through the lens of AASHE Bulletin stories in 2011, this year's review reveals an increased focus on higher education access, affordability, and success; more green building efforts than ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Sustainability and Catholic Higher Education: A Toolkit for Mission Integration
- Association of Catholic Colleges & Universities (DC)
Eight U.S. Catholic organizations published this toolkit in partnership with AASHE. It is designed for Catholic colleges and universities to strengthen Catholic mission and sustainability on campus and publicly ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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An Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Taylor University
- Taylor University (IN)
This is a master's thesis project for the Department of Environmental Science at Taylor University in Upland, IN. It is focused on sustainability which requires considering the social, economic ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Student Green Fund Implementation in U.S. Colleges and Universities from 1973-2010
- Harvard University (MA)
- University of Vermont (VT)
College campuses across the U.S. and abroad have seen a growth of student campaigns to take institutional action on climate change. The campus sustainability movement, an outgrowth of the ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Perception and Organizational Outcomes in Higher Education Sustainability Inquiry
- The College of Saint Scholastica (MN)
The concept of sustainability has become a topic of prime consideration for government and business alike in the 21st century, both in terms of its conceptual definition and practical application ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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University Avenue Redevelopment: Prioritizing Pedestrians and the Environment
- Dalhousie University (NS)
This report presents a redevelopment plan for the main road on the Dalhousie University campus in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The plan is designed to achieve three goals: promote active transportation ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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2010 Higher Education Sustainability Review
- AASHE (MA)
Revealing new ways of thinking about and incorporating sustainability into campus operations, planning and curriculum, the "2010 Campus Sustainability Review" takes a look at the higher education sustainability movement through ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Are Canadian Universities Taking Sustainability Seriously? A case study analysis of sustainability initiatives at three Canadian campuses and the lessons decision-makers can learn from these efforts
- Carleton University (ON)
This study attempts to answer the question 'are universities taking sustainability seriously'? Specifically, this paper examines the extent higher education institutions have institutionalized sustainability into their decision-making processes. It investigates ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Climate Neutral Campus Report
- U.S. Green Building Council (DC)
- AASHE (MA)
This report by Kyoto Publishing, in collaboration with AASHE and USGBC, aims to educate major stakeholders about the successful initiatives and rapid return on investment that colleges and universities are ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Higher Education Leadership Stages and Strategies that Relate to Campus Environmental Sustainability at U.S. Colleges and Universities
- Mercer University (GA)
This study explored and described leadership strategy implementation stages that related to the development of environmental sustainability on college and university campuses within the United States. The goals of the ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Cool Campus! A How-To Guide for College and University Climate Action Planning
- AASHE (MA)
This manual is designed to assist colleges and universities in creating climate action plans. It is intended to fill the gap in currently available resources by outlining a how-to approach ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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Evaluating the Sustainability Tracking, Assesment and Rating System (STARS) at The Evergreen State College
- Evergreen State College, The (WA)
Higher education provides an ideal setting for engaging in the dialogue of sustainability while creating opportunities to integrate sustainability into society today. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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UC San Diego vs. Preuss Ecology Club - Top Down vs Bottom Up
- University of California, San Diego (CA)
For a university like UC San Diego (UCSD), it appears that they are at the forefront of most innovative environmental projects and objectives. However, as they continue to receive national ...
- Posted Feb. 24, 2016
- Publications
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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.