Coordination & Planning

2858 resources

How Do Sustainability and Resilience Work Together in Practice?

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)
  • University of New Hampshire (NH)

Resilience and sustainability have had a confusing relationship over the past decade. While resilience has long been an important element of sustainability, for example going back to the work of ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Resilience Bootcamp - Turning Threats into Opportunities

  • Rochester Institute of Technology (NY)
  • St. Lawrence University (NY)
  • Second Nature (MA)

Resilience is a hot topic for those who work within the campus operational and built environment. But what does it really mean for a campus community and how does it ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Leading and Integrating Sustainability 2.0: A Discussion About Deep Organizational Change

  • University of Vermont (VT)

Many institutions are entering a 'Sustainability 2.0' phase, where offices have been established for up to ten years and topics such as recycling, composting, Eco-Reps, and active transportation plans ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Creating a Sustainability Director Position for the Student Body Government (presentation)

  • University of Minnesota, Duluth (MN)

In the spring of 2017, University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) student Dave Herrera proposed to UMD Student Association (UMDSA) to create a Student Director Of Sustainability. After much discussion and ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Creating Sustainability Director Position for Student Body Government (poster)

  • University of Minnesota, Duluth (MN)

In the spring of 2017, University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) student Dave Herrera proposed to UMD Student Association (UMDSA) to create a Student Director Of Sustainability. After much discussion and ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Fostering Sustainability Culture on an Irish Campus, Lessons Learned from UCC's Green Campus Journey

  • University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork (Co. Cork)

This session will tell the story of University College Cork's experience in embedding sustainability on campus over the last decade. This journey has taken UCC from a student-led campaign ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Facilitation for Organizational Change

  • GreenerU (MA)

One of the most important, yet often under-appreciated, skill sets of any profession is the ability to be a strong group meeting facilitator. Whether it is a small staff meeting ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Partnering With Purpose: Curating Sustainability Leadership With Staff, Students, and Faculty

  • Gonzaga University (WA)

During the 2017 academic year, the Office of Sustainability at our university partnered with two AmeriCorps volunteers to create the Student Sustainability Leadership Program and the Employee Sustainability Ambassadors Program ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Wrestling With the Invisibility Cloak: Catalyzing Student Action and Creating Office Recognition

  • Amherst College (MA)
  • Boston University (MA)
  • Smith College (MA)
  • University of Southern Maine (ME)
  • Villanova University (PA)

As sustainability officer's we often lead from behind, supporting students as a silent or invisible partner. This enables them to bring awareness to issues and take ownership over the ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Green in a Red State: Working Towards Sustainable Development Goals in a Conservative Environment

  • University of Central Oklahoma (OK)

The era of Trump may have officially begun on in 2017, but Trump era ideas on issues of sustainability, inclusion & equity have existed in parts of the country for ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Campus Controversies: How Should Sustainability Offices Respond?

  • Dartmouth College (NH)

Election results, sexual misconduct allegations, racist graffiti, controversial op-eds, poorly worded emails are resulting in cycles of anger, backlash, emotional release, exhaustion and division on many of our campuses. At ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Undergrads as Consultants: Sharing Strategies and Experiences From a Student Intern Program

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)

The UW-Madison Office of Sustainability (OS) employs student interns year-round to work on campus sustainability projects. The model for their efforts is one of consultation; the students serve as a ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Graphic Design Strategies for Sustainability

  • Western Michigan University (MI)

Graphic designers can create positive change by integrating sustainability into their work. Graphic design is often not a sustainable practice, even so, sustainable design guidelines can reduce its impact. Energy ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Instilling Professional Development Into Eco-Reps Programs

  • University of Southern Maine (ME)

This presentation will present key areas where you can grow professional development within your Eco-reps program, drawing on experience at four institutions of higher education. We will cover why it ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Environmental Justice Grant Funding: Piloting Equity Efforts in Campus Green Funds

  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)

The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) at UC Berkeley has a 10-year history of funding environmental sustainability projects for its campus community; however, the program has not specifically prioritized environmental justice ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Incorporating Environmental Justice Into Peer Mentor Programs

  • Western Washington University (WA)

Many of us have been grappling with the question of how to intentionally incorporate environmental justice into higher education sustainability work. This session will identify key areas where a holistic ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Intersections: Integrating the UN SDGs to On-Campus Living Environments

  • Texas A&M University (TX)

The goal of this presentation is to discuss how on-campus housing programs, in conjunction with academic partnerships & campus sustainability staff, can weave the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Transformative Change, the SDGs, and the Future of Sustainability in Higher Education

  • Middlebury College (VT)
  • Western Washington University (WA)
  • National Wildlife Federation (VA)
  • AASHE (PA)
  • Mary Ann Liebert Publishing (NY)

This session uses a panel discussion format to explore transformative change, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the future of sustainability in higher education by drawing on the wisdom ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Green Office Programs and Certifications

  • Lehigh University (PA)
  • Washington University in St. Louis (MO)

Green Office Programs can be an effective strategy to engage the campus community by identifying and training allies that may otherwise be out of reach. Engaging sustainability champions can become ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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New Best Practices for Resilient Design: From Theory to Application

  • Arup (NY)
  • HGA (MN)

Taking resilient design beyond theory, speakers will illustrate how new tools and resources can inform design, including developing and piloting resilient design guidelines for university campuses. When clients, designers, engineers ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Computer Networks Doing Their Part to be Sustainable - New Industry Standards

  • The Sextant Group (PA)

College and University planners are challenged by the exploding demand for data services, as more and more devices are added to campuses. Administrators and students are asking whether this trend ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Becoming BREEAM: How UC Davis Achieved the First Institutional BREEAM In-Use Certification in the US

  • University of California, Davis (CA)
  • Healthy Buildings (VA)

In November 2017, University of California at Davis became the first academic institution in the country to achieve BREEAM In-Use (BIU) Certification for a building on their campus. BREEAM stands ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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US Department of Energy Funding to Simplify Sustainable Campus Design

  • Seventhwave (WI)
  • MIST (IL)

Campuses that use fewer natural resources and buoy health, learning and happiness are increasingly vital for educational institutions, as students and faculty voice demand for it. To deliver a sustainable ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Earning AASHE STARS credits via the ENERGY STAR Buildings program

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)

Colleges and universities can use ENERGY STAR's free tools and resources to earn credits in all four categories of AASHE STARS v2.1 -- Academics; Engagement; Operations; and Planning & ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Evolving Pennsylvania State University's Sustainability Policy Within a Regenerative Paradigm

  • Pennsylvania State University (PA)

Penn State University (PSU) is a public research university serving Pennsylvania and the global community with a vision to integrate sustainability throughout its campuses and to prepare students to be ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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GHG Accounting in Higher Education - The Case for Forging Our Own Path

  • Amherst College (MA)

Quantifying Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission inventories and setting reduction goals started at the national level in the 1990's with the formation of UNFCCC and the first guidelines for inventory ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Understanding the Entire Campus Carbon Footprint: How and Why to do Comprehensive Scope 3 Reporting

  • University of New Hampshire (NH)
  • University of Texas at Austin (TX)

Scope 3' emissions (i.e., those from upstream and downstream activities, such as producing the goods purchased by a campus, extracting and refining fuels, or commuting/business travel) are notoriously ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Examining Data from Across Higher Ed: Does a Commitment Drive More Progress?

  • University of New Hampshire (NH)

In November 2017, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) launched the Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform (SIMAP™), a new inventory tool replacing the Campus Carbon Calculator and the CarbonMAP ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Climate Resiliency Planning: What We're Learning

  • Black Hills State University (SD)
  • Verdis Group (NE)

Black Hills State University is in the process of creating a Climate Resiliency Plan in partnership with city and county partners and facilitated by Verdis Group. The planning process will ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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NE Drawdown: A Multi-College Effort to Adapt & Implement Impactful Regional Climate Change Solutions

  • Amherst College (MA)
  • Smith College (MA)
  • Williams College (MA)

This past summer, students from Amherst, Smith, and Williams colleges investigated the global Drawdown methodology, compiled regional climate data to determine the top priorities for the area, and conducted a ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Approaches to Carbon Offset Procurement

  • Colgate University (NY)
  • Duke University (NC)
  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)
  • Second Nature (MA)

This presentation will feature a diversity of institutions and their approaches to carbon offset procurement in pursuit of carbon reduction goals. The institutions represented on this panel share the perspective ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Boston University's Climate Action Plan and The Public Process

  • Boston University (MA)

Boston University's Climate Action Plan provides a roadmap to address energy use and sourcing, resiliency and climate preparedness, transportation, supply chain, and waste. Moreover it recommends the creation of ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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From Incremental to Transformative Climate Action: Lessons Learned From Addressing Barriers

  • University of California, Office of the President (CA)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (CA)

What are the most fundamental and challenging barriers to achieving carbon neutrality at a large research university? The first University of California campus to publish a climate action plan (CAP ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Leverage Your Renewable Energy Impact Through Emerging Avoided Emissions PPA Strategies

  • Boston University (MA)
  • Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
  • Edison Energy (CA)
  • WattTime (CA)

Renewable energy procurement is a critical strategy for reducing an institution's greenhouse gas emissions. However, not all renewable energy projects avoid the same amount of GHG emissions per kWh ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Creating Positive Impact and Achieving Sustainability Goals through Custom Carbon Reduction Projects

  • Native (VT)

How can your institution achieve more through your climate goals? Carbon offsets and RECs have long been an effective way of addressing the environmental impacts of running an academic institution ...

  • Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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JUST Label and STARS – Comparison and Synergies

  • AASHE (PA)
  • International Living Future Institute (WA)

The JUST Program has been adopted by organizations worldwide as a robust organizational transparency platform with a specific lens into social equity performance. As organizations and institutions seek to be ...

  • Posted Oct. 31, 2018
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Recent trends in sustainability reporting by German universities

  • University of Hamburg

Voluntary sustainability reporting in the higher-education sector is still in its early stages. To better understand it, we looked at all 401 German universities to examine the specific contents of ...

  • Posted Oct. 23, 2018
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University Mission Statements and Sustainability Performance

  • DePaul University (IL)

This paper examines the relationship between university mission statements and sustainability practices by institutions of higher education. We examine mission statement constructs and the degree to which higher educational institutions ...

  • Posted Oct. 23, 2018
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Climate adaptation planning in the higher education sector

  • RMIT University

Purpose There is a growing interest in climate change action in the higher education sector. Higher education institutions (HEIs) play an important role as property owners, employers, education and research ...

  • Posted Oct. 23, 2018
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UCC becomes first university outside the US to win top Green award

  • AASHE (PA)
  • University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork (Co. Cork)

The University College Cork is the first institution in Ireland to earn a STARS Gold rating.

  • Posted Oct. 10, 2018
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California State University East Bay Climate Action Plan 2018

  • California State University, East Bay (CA)

Cal State East Bay made a commitment to climate neutrality when President Morishita signed the Carbon Commitment (formerly the American Colleges and Universities Presidents’ Climate Commitment) in January 2015. Once ...

  • Posted Aug. 30, 2018
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Engagement Experiments for the CMC Sustainability Action Plan

  • Colorado Mountain College (CO)

The Colorado Mountain College's Spring Valley campus conducted a couple experiments in the "Fostering Sustainable Behavior" class of Fall 2017. This included an action team, survey team, and an ...

  • Posted Aug. 29, 2018
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UW-Madison has long list of sustainability efforts. So why isn't it a 'green college'?

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
  • AASHE (PA)

UW-Madison explores why they have not submitted an AASHE STARS report and why it is one of thee Big 10 schools not to make The Princeton Review's list. With ...

  • Posted Aug. 21, 2018
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UIC Campus Bike Rack Inventory

  • University of Illinois Chicago (IL)

In the summer of 2018, this project was undertaken to inventory all bike racks at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Knowing for certain the capacities and locations of the ...

  • Posted Aug. 10, 2018
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Strategic leadership for sustainability by higher education: the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment

  • Greenland Enterprises (MA)

Higher education has a strong influence in shaping the mental models of many of society's professionals and leaders and is a critical leverage point in creating a sustainable society ...


Accelerating Change through the President’s Sustainability Research Program

  • Swarthmore College (PA)
  • AASHE (PA)

This webinar describes the President’s Sustainability Research Fellowship (PSRF) model, an innovative program at Swarthmore College that matches motivated students with staff and faculty mentors to research, develop, and ...

  • Posted Aug. 2, 2018
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OSU Search Advocates Training Session

  • Oregon State University (OR)

Anne Gillies, Search Advocate Program Director, shares current research about implicit bias, diversity, inclusive employment principles, and effective ways to be an advocate on a search committee. According to reviews ...


Nitrogen Footprint Network Workshop

  • University of Virginia (VA)

Fifth annual Nitrogen Footprint Network meeting, hosted by the University of Virginia.


Dickinson's Online Sustainability Dashboard

  • Dickinson College (PA)

Dickinson is monitoring our sustainability performance over time and holding ourselves accountable for advancing sustainability practices. Our online sustainability dashboard allows users to explore up to date performance metrics for ...


Johnson County Community College Green Circle Certification in Cosmetology

  • Johnson County Community College (KS)

In February 2017, Johnson County Community College’s Center for Sustainability began to develop a certification protocol for the campus’ cosmetology program to become Green Circle certified. This third-party certification ...

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

PA 2: Sustainability Coordination

PA 3: Sustainability Coordination

PA 4: Reporting Assurance

Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.

Coordination & Planning Partners