Getting a star for Sustainability

University Business, April, 2008 by Michele Herrmann

SUSTAINABILITY RATING OR RANKING SYStems often judge schools by performance or set guidelines. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education is working with higher ed institutions to test a new tracking system this calendar year. More than 90 colleges and university campuses are piloting STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System), which covers sustainability in three broad areas--education and research, operations, and administration and finance.

IHEs are assigned points for meeting the stated items in each area. For example, dining operations with both local and organic-certified foods, and fair trade coffee would be given the most possible points in that subcategory. Though modeled after some aspects of the LEED (Leadership in Energy Environmental Design) green rating system, STARS guidelines will apply to an entire campus, rather than facilities.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Input from pilot participants--who differ in their experience with sustainability--will be used to modify the tool's format. "We wanted to see how different schools can perform," says Julian Dautremont-Smith, AASHE associate director.

STARS v1.0 is planned for a spring 2009 release, and a database for campus leaders to share information about sustainability will also be created. Learn more at www .aashe.org/stars.