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
Portland State University - All Gender Restroom Policy
- Portland State University (OR)
In late 2015 Portland State University (PSU) administration officially adopted an all gender restroom policy (also sometimes referred to as gender-neutral, unisex, or universal) for the PSU campus. The all ...
- Posted May 19, 2017
- Case Studies
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Stanford achieves dramatic greenhouse gas emissions reductions to surpass state, national, and international climate targets
- Stanford University (CA)
Stanford Energy System Innovations (SESI) is a new campus energy system powered by renewables, designed to meet the current and future energy needs of Stanford University in an environmentally, socially ...
- Posted May 18, 2017
- Case Studies
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Johnson County Community College Student Sustainability Committee
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
As a broadly effective, innovative, engaging, and replicable project, Johnson County Community College’s Student Sustainability Committee [the SSC, the Committee] is a compelling and powerful tool for developing student ...
- Posted May 18, 2017
- Case Studies
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KMRB Energy Reduction Project
- University of Rochester (NY)
The University of Rochester’s Medical Center operates 24-hours a day, seven days a week in a 5.4 million square foot complex. Facilities Operations is responsible for providing conditioned ...
- Posted May 18, 2017
- Case Studies
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American University in Cairo 2017 Carbon Footprint Report
- American University in Cairo (Cairo)
The first step of reducing a university’s carbon footprint is measuring its current size. The 2017 Carbon Footprint Report is the 4th in the American University in Cairo’s ...
- Posted May 18, 2017
- Case Studies
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Project Green Step 2030: Catawba College Campus Solar Energy Installation
- Catawba College (NC)
Catawba College completed a solar energy project in 2016 that is projected to produce more solar electricity than all the other North Carolina colleges and universities combined. This was the ...
- Posted May 18, 2017
- Case Studies
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The Ohio State University Sustainability Goals Development Project
- The Ohio State University (OH)
In November 2015, The Ohio State University announced the establishment of sustainability goals to guide the university as it develops durable solutions to the challenges of sustainability and in evolving ...
- Posted May 16, 2017
- Case Studies
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Transition communities and the glass ceiling of environmental sustainability policies at three universities
- University of Edinburgh
Purpose: This paper deals with the experiences of three European universities that have implemented transition initiatives, using the Transition Network’s methodology to promote their sustainability plans. The Transition Communities ...
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Publications
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Linking Sustainability with Study Abroad
- Delta College (MI)
This project describes the planning, development, and implementation of integrating sustainability into study abroad in existing travel and through establishing new destinations. It also constructs a model that includes a ...
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Case Studies
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Campus Sustainability: A Lightbulb Moment | Caitlin Marsh | TED x Alma College
- Alma College (MI)
As a sustainability expert, and Alma College alum, Caitlin opens up the conversation about what sustainability looks like on a college campus. And brings forward fresh implementation ideas.
After pursuing ...
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Sustainability@BU / It's what you do.
- Boston University (MA)
The video from Boston University highlights the impact that each student at BU has on the environment. This includes individual footprints on things like carbon, water, waste, and electricity. After ...
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Leveraging college sports to advance campus sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and community inclusion
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- AASHE (PA)
- Bonneville Environmental Foundation (OR)
By launching from collegiate sports’ high profile platform, sustainability efforts have the reach to more broadly engage stakeholders on and off campus and enhance sustainable behaviors among fans such as ...
- Posted May 15, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Recommendations on Campus Sustainability Development at Duke Kunshan University
- Duke University (NC)
- Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (Hong Kong)
- Duke Kunshan University (Jiangsu)
As the Sustainable Duke Office at Duke University determines the next steps on how best to integrate a satellite campus such as Duke Kunshan University (DKU) into its Climate Action ...
- Posted May 11, 2017
- Publications
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Simon Fraser University’s Zero Waste Initiative
- Simon Fraser University (BC)
SFU was one of the first universities to implement a standardized, 4-stream Zero Waste system (including composting) uniformly across all three of its campuses, each of which lies in a ...
- Posted May 9, 2017
- Case Studies
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Next Generation Sustainability Strategy and Structure: Whole-Institution Approaches to Sustainability in Universities and Colleges
- Environmental Association for Universities & Colleges (EAUC) (Gloucestershire)
Across the U.K. and beyond there is growing recognition of the important contribution that the post-16 education sector can make towards a more sustainable future, well beyond addressing the ...
- Posted May 9, 2017
- Publications
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Communication Network Among Campus Sustainability Influencers
- Loyola Marymount University (CA)
Systems of all types require efficient communication between its parts and units in order to be successful and effective. It is thus important to understand a system's units in ...
- Posted May 8, 2017
- Publications
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Promoting Sustainable Transportation with Campus Car Policies and Public Outreach
- California State University, Monterey Bay (CA)
In fall of 2016 at California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB), the Environmental Studies undergraduate program began offering its first group-based capstone course that was based on its first Projects ...
- Posted May 8, 2017
- Publications
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Perspectives on the University as a Business: the Corporate Management Structure, Neoliberalism and Higher Education
- Rider University (NJ)
In the past three decades, the administration of many institutions of higher education have progressed towards a corporate style management structure. What has been a collegial, collaborative approach to managing ...
- Posted May 4, 2017
- Publications
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Catholic Universities and Social Action in the Context of the Transgressing of Planetary Boundaries
- Creighton University (NE)
This paper will reflect upon Catholic universities’ mission of pursuing the truth and promoting justice in light of the ecological crisis. First, it will examine how the truth of our ...
- Posted May 4, 2017
- Publications
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Sustainable Academia: Translating the Vision of a Full Sustainable University into a Measurable Reality
- Technische Universiteit Delft
There is a growing public expectation that universities should start focusing on delivering sustainability. The topic of sustainability in higher education has gathered a significant amount of interest from students ...
- Posted May 4, 2017
- Publications
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Resources for hope: Ideas for alternatives from heterodox higher education institutions
- Berea College (KY)
- Deep Springs College (CA)
This report describes my field visits to Berea and Deep Springs Colleges in the U.S.A. and explores their forms of ownership/control, governance, financing and organisational structure. Berea ...
- Posted May 4, 2017
- Publications
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Vanderbilt University FutureVU Expo
- Vanderbilt University (TN)
More than 800 students, staff, faculty and others stopped by the Wond’ry April 19 to learn about FutureVU, Vanderbilt’s campus land use planning initiative, and how the university ...
- Posted May 1, 2017
- Photographs
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Southern Oregon University Earth Week
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
- Posted April 28, 2017
- Photographs
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EcoChallenge 2017 Winner Dinner
- Berea College (KY)
Each year, Berea College hosts the EcoChallenge, a competition among residence halls on campus to increase the amount of recycling produced by each student. In 2017, the factor of participation ...
- Posted April 28, 2017
- Photographs
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UIC Growing Green
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
Did you know that the University of Illinois at Chicago has been a designated as a Tree Campus USA since 2011? UIC is dedicated to the health and preservation of ...
- Posted April 27, 2017
- Photographs
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Earth Fest Oklahoma State University
- Oklahoma State University (OK)
Oklahoma State University's 2017 Earth Fest, organized by students of the SGA Sustainability Committee, was held on campus April 20th and open to the public. Organizations had exhibits on ...
- Posted April 27, 2017
- Photographs
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The Nitrogen Footprint Tool Network: A Multi-Institution Program to Research and Reduce Nitrogen Pollution
- University of Virginia (VA)
- Eastern Mennonite University (VA)
- Brown University (RI)
- Dickinson College (PA)
- Colorado State University (CO)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
- University of Chicago (IL)
Humans release reactive nitrogen into the environment at a rate that is 4 to 5 times as large as from natural terrestrial processes. They do this by producing and applying ...
- Posted April 26, 2017
- Publications
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Beauty in the World We Find: Earth Week at Wake Forest University
- Wake Forest University (NC)
Students, faculty, staff, and community members came together to celebrate our urban forests, waterways, and the landscapes that surround us during Earth Week at Wake Forest. Inspired by Terry Tempest ...
- Posted April 26, 2017
- Photographs
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Universities run for, by, and with the faculty, students and staff: Alternatives to the neoliberal destruction of higher education
After analysing the organisational pathologies and societal ills created by the neoliberalisation of universities, the article engages in an organisational critique of the pseudo-business model currently in use. It poses ...
- Posted April 26, 2017
- Publications
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Successful Sustainability Efforts, Action from Constructive Communication
- University of North Texas (TX)
- Understand the field and the reach of technical communication in relation to how it affects campus sustainability efforts, specifically, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) report and in ...
- Posted April 26, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Embracing Sustainability at Alamo Colleges
- Alamo Community College District (TX)
Alamo Colleges is a network of five community colleges serving San Antonio, TX and surrounding areas. As a signatory in one of Second Nature's three Climate Leadership Commitments, Alamo ...
- Posted April 25, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Process for UT Austin Sustainability Master Plan
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
Ability to describe key process points of a planning process for sustainability.
- Posted April 25, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Honored Members of the Sustainability Community
- Indiana State University (IN)
Our student, faculty, and staff award winners! From left to right: Ivy Coble, Dara Middleton, Dr. Joy O'Keefe, and Dr. Jim Speer
These four people have worked so diligently ...
- Posted April 25, 2017
- Photographs
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RMIT University Climate Risk Assessment
- RMIT University
This report details the process and findings from the first climate risk assessment carried out for RMIT University, with a primary focus on the Melbourne City campus. The analysis considered ...
- Posted April 24, 2017
- Publications
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Repeat performance: CSU earns second STARS Platinum
- Colorado State University (CO)
This news story from Colorado State University mentions highlights from the university that helped it achieve AASHE STARS Platinum rating for the second time, the only university thus far to ...
- Posted April 21, 2017
- Publications
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Opening up the Pandora's box of sustainability league tables of universities: a Kafkaesque perspective
The aim of this paper is to explore the institutional impact of sustainability league tables on current university agendas. It focuses on a narrative critique of one such league table ...
- Posted April 12, 2017
- Publications
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STARS & Beyond: Adventures of an Embedded Librarian in the Campus Sustainability Office
- University of Utah (UT)
Webinar [30 mins], presented by Amy Brunvand for the American Library Association Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT) on 3/9/17. Amy Brunvand, an academic librarian at the University of Utah ...
- Posted March 15, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Getting Started with STARS 2.1
- University of Vermont (VT)
- AASHE (PA)
Watch this webinar for an overview of STARS 2.1, AASHE's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System launched Spring 2016. STARS 2.1 includes a number of new features ...
- Posted March 7, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Campus as a Living Laboratory for Sustainability Resources
- Princeton University (NJ)
Google doc with links to general resources, scholarly works, STARS data, and campus' websites for case studies on Campus as (Living, Learning) Lab for sustainability. Please feel free to suggest ...
- Posted March 2, 2017
- Tools
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Impact of a participatory analysis of a campus sustainability social network: A case study of Emory University
- Emory University (GA)
Social network analysis makes visible the invisible connections and flows that underlie complex social relationships. Applied organizational researchers have used social network analysis to assess and improve organizational and leadership ...
- Posted March 2, 2017
- Publications
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Plans and Living Practices for the Green Campus of Portland State University
- Portland State University (OR)
This study aims to comprehend Portland State University (PSU)’s green campus strategies, and students’ level of knowledge and living practices relating to green campus. PSU’s sustainable campus plan ...
- Posted Feb. 21, 2017
- Publications
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Good Practices on Campus Sustainability in Japan 2016
- Hokkaido University (Hokkaido)
- Chiba University
- Kyoto University
- Fukushima College
Released by the Campus Sustainability Network in Japan (CAS-Net Japan), the booklet was created to share campus experiences in conducting environmental activities and efforts to find solutions to environmental problems ...
- Posted Feb. 21, 2017
- Publications
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A fragility approach to campus sustainability – methodological explorations
Aim: Often, the approach towards entering a path of sustainable development is that intervention needs to take place. This may lead to unwanted side effects. This paper presents the basis ...
- Posted Feb. 20, 2017
- Publications
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Mapping a Pathway to Low-Carbon Campuses
- Rocky Mountain Institute (CO)
Over the last few years, RMI has partnered with universities to develop aggressive carbon-reduction/neutrality plans and to share best practices associated with energy efficiency and renewable energy across organizations ...
- Posted Feb. 13, 2017
- Publications
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Defining sustainable universities following public opinion formation process
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to define the sustainable university in Turkey, by considering perspectives of various stakeholders such as experts, intellectual, public, political parties and media using ...
- Posted Feb. 13, 2017
- Publications
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Is Higher Education Economically Unsustainable? An Exploration of Factors that Undermine Sustainability Assessments of Higher Education
- Eastern Michigan University (MI)
- Technische Universiteit Delft
As students continue to review the sustainability of higher education institutions, there is a growing need to understand the economic returns of degrees as a function of a sustainable institution ...
- Posted Feb. 9, 2017
- Publications
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A grid approach to managing sustainability: evidence from a multiple Italian case study
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the coherence between sustainability conceptualization (the “what”) and its implementation (the “how”) in terms of implemented actions and stakeholders’ interactions. The ...
- Posted Feb. 9, 2017
- Publications
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A methodological framework to analyze stakeholder preferences and propose strategic pathways for a sustainable university
Building sustainable universities calls for participative management and collaboration among stakeholders. Combining analytic hierarchy and network processes (AHP/ANP) with statistical analysis, this research proposes a framework that can be ...
- Posted Feb. 7, 2017
- Publications
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SF State Submits Report for Sustainability Rating
- San Francisco State University (CA)
The Office of Sustainability at SF State will submit a report February 1 to participate in a sustainability rating program that tracks and assesses efforts for maintaining a food and ...
- Posted Feb. 6, 2017
- Publications
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The Construction of an Environmental Management Model Based on Sustainability Indicators on a Higher Education Institution in Mexico
Without depreciating the importance of environmental regulations directed to university environmental managements systems in this country, nowadays, the instruments of international importance like the Sustainable Development Goals or ONU’s ...
- Posted Feb. 6, 2017
- 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.