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
PLASTIC - How to Organize a Movement to Ban Disposable Plastics on Campus!
- Eckerd College (FL)
- The Student PIRGs (OR)
- Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)
Coffee cups, bags, straws, take-out containers, swag, etc. Let's talk about how to build a movement to eliminate all disposable items from campus! Organizing around eliminating disposable plastics can ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Catalyzing Sustainable Communities through Change Management
- Oberlin College (OH)
- University of Pennsylvania (PA)
- AASHE (MA)
- Trust (MA)
Sustainability practitioners are at the forefront of building just, sustainable communities. But how many of us have research-backed tools and principles to help us be effective change makers? Join us ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Biodiversity Assessment for Non-Biologists: Tools for Completing the STARS Credit
- University of Dayton (OH)
Are you intimidated by the STARS Biodiversity Assessment credit? If so, you're not alone. Thirty percent of STARS reporters do not complete this credit. And yet biodiversity loss and ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Learning from Nature to Become a Better Change Maker
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
As sustainability staff, building relationships between other staff and students can be critical to making change. Pulling from the lessons learned in adrienne maree brown's book, Emergent Strategy, this ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Tackling Plastic from Policy to Implementation
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
- University of California, Santa Cruz (CA)
Recent changes in the recycling markets have made it more important than ever to prevent waste from being generated before it needs to be managed at the end of life ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Not Just an Efficient Toilet: Shifting from Water Management to Water Stewardship
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (WI)
- Alliance for Water Stewardship
Universities have employed traditional water efficiency strategies effectively. But what if your institution's water is sourced from communities adversely impacted by water withdrawals? Or if rainfall on your campus ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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The Roadmap to Zero: Decarbonizing Swarthmore's Energy Systems
- Swarthmore College (PA)
Climate change poses a grave threat to human health, safety, and well-being. Building on Swarthmore's mission to educate for the common good, the College seeks to model the transformation ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Conversations on STARS as a Strategic Tool for Advancing Sustainability
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Boston University (MA)
- AASHE (MA)
- GreenerU (MA)
This panel will dive into the different opportunities that exist to use AASHE's STARS as a tool to advance sustainability within an institution. Each panelist will dive into their ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Your Mileage May Vary: Creating Your Institution Roadmap to Just Employment
- Saint Joseph's University (PA)
An increasing number of institutions have adopted living wage policies or practices to ensure that their employees (and in some cases contractors' employees) are paid an adequate income to make ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Facilitation for Organizational Change
- Trust (MA)
One of the most important, yet often underappreciated, skill sets of any profession is the ability to be a strong group meeting facilitator. Whether it is a small staff meeting ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Leveraging the Buying Power of Universities for Sustainable Procurement and Market Transformation
- Boston University (MA)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (MA)
College campuses are seeking to use purchasing power to drive sustainability goals, yet lack the leverage, as single institutions, to shift supplier behaviors. This session will begin with the compelling ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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A Student Club Revolutionizes the Meaning on Green at a Community College in Dallas
- Dallas College (TX)
The Green Club is a group of Cedar Valley College students who are spreading awareness of the importance of taking care of our environment by being involved with the external ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Integrating Sustainability and Development With Gala at the University of Michigan
- University of Michigan (MI)
Sustainability is a necessary transition that poses unprecedented challenges for ensuring widely shared well-being and prosperity. Sustainable development seeks to illuminate specific pathways to sustainability, especially in geographic areas that ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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A Community College Partnership: Forty-Eight Members in One State
- Illinois Green Economy Network (IL)
The Illinois community college system is the third largest in the United States, educating nearly one million students each year. The Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN) is a consortium of ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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From 'I Guess I Recycle' to Organizing for Action - Cultivating a Culture of Student Leadership
- Boise State University (ID)
As the first full-time Sustainability Coordinator at Boise State, I started my role as a department of one with no budget, no staff, and the guiding mission of my day-to-day ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Northern Arizona University Green Fund: Successes and Struggles
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
This 40 minute session would cover how Northern Arizona University's Green Fund operates, what it has had success doing, what it has struggled with, and what it looks to ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Institutional Implications on Promoting Education in Sustainability: Student Learning Outcome
- California Polytechnic State University (CA)
California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo (herein referred to Cal Poly), was awarded the silver STARS rating in 2017. In all evaluated categories, Cal Poly received lower scores ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Inputs to Outputs: Taking an Event Beyond Zero-Waste to Green Certification
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
The University of Pittsburgh has a strong hold on zero-waste. This presentation would include an introduction to our zero-waste infrastructure and the progress we have made, while the bulk of ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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The Voluntary University Review: Linking AASHE STARS to the Sustainable Development Goals
- Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
This session will consist of a presentation from Alexandra Hiniker, the Executive Fellow for Sustainability Initiatives at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), who will share her experience developing the Voluntary University ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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A Whole is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts : Creating Synergy through a Network of Small Colleges
- Eastern Mennonite University (VA)
The fundamental challenge for smaller colleges is how to maintain momentum with sustainability efforts in the face of limited resources, and limited numbers of personnel and students committed to sustainability ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Jungle Navigation: Leadership Engagement Without Process or Procedure
- University of Delaware (DE)
One of the most common challenges for Sustainability Professionals is opening lines of communication and engagement with campus leadership in institutions where such processes and procedures do not exist. How ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Empowering and Transforming Universities through Sustainable Grant Projects
- University of Northern Colorado (CO)
This session is for university affiliates looking for ways to create a more sustainable campus through capital projects. For the past three years, I have served on my university's ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Making Room for Millennials: Strategies for creating an office culture that we want to work in
- University of Florida (FL)
Standard values for workplaces are shifting and members of the emerging workforce are expecting more from their office culture. At the University of Florida (UF) Office of Sustainability, our team ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Looking ahead to 2030: Updating the University of California Sustainable Food Policy
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
In 2009, the University of California (UC) developed a goal to meet 20% sustainable food by 2020, asking each UC campus to integrate sustainable food into their menus while remaining ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Climate Action Planning: How to build momentum for a new plan despite missing the deadline
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
Northern Arizona University (NAU) launched an ambition Climate Action Plan in 2010 with the target date of Carbon Neutrality of 2020. This set in motion a series of efficiency upgrades ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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2 Universities, 1 Climate Goal
- College of William & Mary (VA)
- University of Virginia (VA)
William & Mary and the University of Virginia jointly announced a carbon neutrality date of 2030 along with a climate action partnership between the two. Choosing to collaborate, each university ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Leveraging Town Gown Relationships to Promote Community Sustainable Development Initiatives
- Denison University (OH)
Colleges and Universities are uniquely positioned to leverage resources to drive sustainable development initiatives in their respective communities. These efforts can and should be mutually beneficial to the school and ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Just Transition in Action: Lessons from Freiburg, Germany and New York
- Elected Officials to Protect America (SC)
This dynamic workshop inspires participants with detailed case studies of just transition in action. It challenges participants to engage in practical solutions in ways that build economic and community solidarity ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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A Communiversity Resiliency Mobilization
- Indiana University South Bend (IN)
- University of Notre Dame (IN)
In response to partisan and divisive politics and relationships in our nation and our communities, the University of Notre Dame, in partnership with Indiana University South Bend and the city ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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When the Silos Break: Creating Connections and Coalescing Sustainability Efforts
- University of Oregon (OR)
Through research, and teaching, and by serving as a testing ground or model for sustainable physical spaces, colleges and universities have the potential to help solve the most complex environmental ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Creating Organizational Culture Change to Advance Sustainability in Higher Education
- University of St. Thomas (MN)
Culture is a shared set of assumptions that guides people's thoughts and behaviors. Within organizations, aligning structures and process with organizational culture is crucial for maintaining successful organizational functioning ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Campus as a Living lab: Building Resilient Teams Across Operations, Academics, and Administration
- California State University, East Bay (CA)
- San Mateo County Community College District Office (CA)
- Strategic Energy Innovations (CA)
Building resilient systems is now more critical than ever, particularly in realizing the promise of preparing a climate ready workforce for a just and equitable transition. California institutions of higher ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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The Post Carbon Neutrality Story: A Student Perspective on how to Pursue Meaningful Peer Engagement
- Colgate University (NY)
In 2019, Colgate University became the first university in New York, and one of the first in the country, to achieve carbon neutrality. While the road to carbon neutrality was ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Imagining New Realities: the Green Fund and Student-Led Change
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
Come learn from the experiences of students involved with the Green Fund at a large public university. A Green Fund offers money to student-led projects that reduce the operating costs ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Building Campus-Community Relationships and Resilience
- Bemidji State University (MN)
- Precipitate, PLLC (MN)
Located in Northern Minnesota, Bemidji State University (BSU) operates within a dispersed, rural, and diverse community. Bemidji State staff and faculty will be joined by planning consultant Precipitate to share ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Using Smartsheets, Dashboards and ArcGIS Insights to Track and Analyze Waste Stream's Weights
- University of Kentucky (KY)
The University of Kentucky's (UK) Waste and Recycling Department is using Smartsheets, Dashboard and ArcGIS Insights to collect and analyze the different waste streams. UK has about 300 dumpsters ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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The Nature and Contents of Current Campus Sustainability Plans in the United States.
- Texas State University, San Marcos (TX)
A campus sustainability plan is a detailed document that integrates sustainability within an institution of higher education's operational, academic, and administrative aspects. These plans are significantly different from campus ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Campus as a Living Lab Curriculum: Lessons from a Diversity of Institutional Types
- Michael Roy Iversen, Urban and Campus Sustainability Consultancy (IL)
The 'campus as a living lab' approach blends academic curriculum and campus facilities management, so as to both benefit students with experiential, real-world learning, and institutions with a purposeful means ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Emotional Intelligence, Effective Advocacy and Sustainable Operations: The Path to Zero Waste
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (NY)
Municipal solid waste landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the U.S. Landfills have also been shown to be environmentally unjust. Since the 1980's, studies ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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GHG's and EIS: Automating the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Process
- California State University, Northridge (CA)
Universities nationwide have made impressive commitments to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases that drive climate change. This has led to a variety of emission-tracking tools and methodologies, ranging widely ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Creating Pathways to Empower Sustainability Professionals
- Colorado Mountain College (CO)
- International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) (OR)
Sustainability professionals lead organizations and communities in driving social justice, environmental health, and a regenerative economy. For graduates of sustainability-oriented academic programs, professional, post-nominal, credentials help create an immediate on-ramp ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Resilient Recycling- Build a Strong Recycling Program Against Market Forces and Beyond Good Behavior
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (WI)
Contamination, 'wish-cycling', and global market changes are shaking the very foundation of recycling. The barriers to recycling and zero-waste are not just in marketing & campus behavior, but rather they ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Transitioning from Ideation to Implemention: How to Launch an Impactful Campaign or Program
- Wilfrid Laurier University (ON)
As sustainability staff or students, we often want to create innovative campaigns or programs on campus to reach a large audience. Sometimes we skip the basics of designing a program ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Organizing a Campus-Community Resilience Building Workshop
- Second Nature (MA)
This workshop will train participants in how to organize and facilitate a Community Resilience Building (CRB) Workshop. The CRB Workshop is a community-driven process, rich with information, experience, and dialogue ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Preparing a Faculty Cohort to Facilitate Internal Curriculum Integration Workshops
- University of Michigan (MI)
- Dallas College (TX)
An increasing number of colleges & universities are working to integrate sustainability & social justice into the curriculum. This often involves faculty development workshops led by external facilitators. In-house efforts ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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New Methodology and Measurement Tool Linking Curricula to the 2030 Agenda and University Strategy
- Copenhagen Business School
At Copenhagen Business School (CBS), 2008 marked the beginning of a university-wide effort towards connecting curriculum to Responsibility, Ethics and Sustainability (RES). As a United Nations PRME (Principles of Responsible ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Embedding SDG competencies into global education curriculum
- The GREEN Program (PA)
This session will discuss the process of designing global education programs that educate for SDG competencies and measure progress in SDG comprehension through pre- and post-program assessment. The session will ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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University Sustainability Funds 2.0: A Model for the Next Generation
- University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
- McGill University (QC)
The University of Washington's Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) and McGill University's Sustainability Project Fund (SPF) are two of the largest university sustainability funds in North America with yearly ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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A Global Affairs Office and a Sustainability Office: What's the Connection?
- University of California, Davis (CA)
Over the past year, the University of California, Davis Global Affairs office and the Office of Sustainability have collaborated in ways that are mutually supportive of each office's mission ...
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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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.