October 24, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Andrea Huggins
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
(888) 347-9997
andrea.huggins@aashe.org

Latest publication recognizes top institutions overall and in 17 sustainability topic areas.

October 24, 2016 (Philadelphia, PA) – The 2016 Sustainable Campus Index, a publication by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), recognizes top-performing colleges and universities overall and in 17 distinct aspects of sustainability, as measured by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). This report also highlights innovative and high-impact initiatives from institutions that submitted STARS reports in the 12 months prior to July 1, 2016.

Institutions that achieved the top spot overall according to institution type include:

  • Appalachian State University (Master’s institutions)
  • Colorado State University (Doctoral/research institutions)
  • Green Mountain College (Baccalaureate institutions)
  • Kankakee Community College (Associate colleges)

Institutions that achieved the top spot in each sustainability topic area are listed below:

  • Arizona State University (Purchasing)
  • Colby College (Air & Climate)
  • Colorado State University (Public Engagement, Waste, Diversity & Affordability)
  • Columbia University (Transportation)
  • Green Mountain College (Curriculum)
  • Stanford University (Buildings, Water)
  • Sterling College (Food & Dining)
  • Unity College (Investment & Finance)
  • University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Energy)

Multiple institutions tied for first in the areas of Campus Engagement, Coordination & Planning, Grounds, Research, and Wellbeing & Work. The full list of top performers is provided in the report.

Sustainable Campus Index Publication“The institutions and initiatives featured in this year’s Sustainable Campus Index showcase the great work that higher education institutions are doing to lead the global sustainability transformation,” said AASHE’s Executive Director, Meghan Fay Zahniser. “I hope the contents of this report will inspire students, administrators, faculty and staff at colleges and universities to work together to implement innovative solutions to the challenges that we face today.”

STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance developed by AASHE. With nearly 800 participating institutions, STARS is the leading tool for measuring higher education sustainability performance. 124 reports were submitted in the most recent calendar year, resulting in an 11 percent increase over the previous year and a third consecutive year of growth. All reports are publicly accessible on the STARS website.

About AASHE
AASHE empowers higher education administrators, faculty, staff and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. AASHE enables members to translate information into action by offering essential resources and professional development to a diverse, engaged community of sustainability leaders. We work with and for higher education to ensure that our world’s future leaders are motivated and equipped to solve sustainability challenges. For more information, visit www.aashe.org. Follow AASHE on Facebook and Twitter.