Sustainability literacy is a topic of increasing interest among a growing number of higher education sustainability staff and faculty. Formal education programs and courses that address sustainability are becoming increasingly common. However, there currently exists no standardized tool or method to assess the sustainability literacy of students. Although the concept is not new, and discussions have occurred in the past, new conversations have emerged, in part because of preparation for STARS version 2.0 and research that other institutions have completed in this area.

This blog article focuses on current STARS data for ER 13: Sustainability Literacy Assessment. It also looks at the results from a recent campus survey from Ohio State University that was presented at AASHE 2012. Finally, it concludes with ideas and opportunities for collaboration.

The Challenges of Conducting Sustainability Literacy Assessment

The challenges to conducting sustainability literacy assessment are numerous, at least partly explaining the low scores in ER credit 13.

• Developing an assessment and methodology that provides meaningful results can be difficult
• Analyzing and interpreting the results can be time-consuming
• Buy-in from administration may not be there
• Students may already be experiencing survey fatigue
• No central assessment tool currently exists

There exists room for improvement and fortunately, there is a growing interest and enthusiasm on the topic of sustainability literacy assessment. At the AASHE 2012 conference in Los Angeles, Adam Zwickle and Tom Koontz from the Ohio State University (OSU) engaged participants in a discussion and presentation on the research findings from OSU’s sustainability literacy survey.

Implementation: OSU’s Sustainability Literacy Survey
Faculty and students at OSU’s Environmental and Social Sustainability (ESS) Lab developed a sustainability literacy survey instrument to measure multiple domains of sustainability knowledge. STARS’ ER credit 13 was cited as among the drivers for developing the instrument.

OSU’s sustainability assessment measured knowledge of sustainability as well as student values and beliefs in two survey segments. The sustainability knowledge segment was is built upon a “triple bottom line” approach, including an equal number of environmental, social, and economic questions. This portion of the survey included 30-questions on sustainability literacy, though this was later reduced to 16 questions. With several value-based questions included, the survey was sent via email to 10,000+ undergraduate students at OSU. Although no participation incentive was used, non-response email follow-ups were sent to help boost participation.

Results: Sustainability Literacy at OSU
OSU’s survey ultimately garnered a 19.3% response rate – a higher-than-expected rate, according to OSU researchers. The overall average score for OSU undergraduates was 69%. On average, students answered correctly 73% of environmental questions, 71% of social questions, and 61% of economic questions. A gradual increase in scores according to class level was found to be significant, as depicted in the graph below.

OSU Sustainability Literacy Results by Class Level

OSU researchers are using data collected from both portions of the survey to test for correlations between sustainability literacy and student values, attitudes, and behaviors. The findings suggest that, although respondents tended to have slightly more liberal and environmentalist views, these differences were found to be non-significant. Researchers also found that students who took the survey only after complying with one or more requests for follow-up were slightly more likely to get a subset of the sustainability knowledge questions wrong.

Opportunities for Collaboration
An outcome of the discussion following the OSU presentation was a strong desire to collaborate in the development of a common assessment tool that could be used by numerous colleges and universities. OSU researchers have spoken with representatives from several institutions, though commitments have not yet been made. Through this blog, AASHE hopes to further raise awareness on the topic of sustainability literacy assessment, and continue the dialogue on collaboration for the development of a common tool.

Should AASHE take a role in leading the development of a common sustainability literacy assessment tool? If so, in what specific ways can AASHE assist in the process? Readers can contribute to the dialogue by providing feedback below, or they can ask questions and provide suggestions at stars@aashe.org.

Now that the STARS 2.0 Public Comment Period is open and many have had a chance to look at the review documents, it seems like a good opportunity to provide some guidance for those of you that would like to participate but are not sure where to begin.

The STARS Technical Manual is a large document and reviewing it as a whole can be somewhat daunting. A couple of resources have been created to help break down and explain the proposed changes. An overview of major changes being proposed is available on the STARS website and specific changes are outlined more fully in the Summary of Proposed Changes document. In addition, staff have posted a webinar covering the process of submitting feedback, as well as explanations of the major changes being proposed.

After reviewing the supporting materials, there are two ways to participate (both are encouraged):

1. Submit one or more comments using the online form. You can submit a comment on a single credit or on an entire STARS subcategory and you may return to the form as many times as you wish. If your time is limited, one approach would be to pick an area of particular interest and focus your review and feedback there. For example, some of the more substantial changes being proposed are in the Curriculum, Climate, Grounds, Water, Planning & Coordination, Diversity & Affordability, Investment, and Public Engagement subcategories.

2. Complete the System-Wide Issues Survey. This is a brief, six-item survey covering high-level changes being considered as part of the technical development process. It represents an opportunity to weigh in on the overall structure of STARS moving forward.

By way of reminder, the public comment period will close November 30, so comment early and often!

The draft of STARS 2.0 includes some exciting new ideas and credits and reflects a lot of thoughtful discussion and feedback on the part of STARS Participants, Technical Advisors, Steering Committee members, and others. Your participation in the Public Comment Period will help make the final version of STARS 2.0 that much stronger.

In this installment of the AASHE Bulletin Sustainability Student Diary series, we revisit the campus compost project of Camille Delavaux at Lehigh University. Then a first-year earth and environmental science student, Delavaux shared the ups and downs she experienced while organizing efforts toward a campus-wide composting initiative in her May 2011 post. Now a junior, Delavaux is in the midst of piloting a project to compost all of the waste Lehigh produces on-site. We hope to see questions and feedback in the comments area! Submit diary entries of your own for consideration to bulletin@aashe.org.

In my last entry, I wrote about my preliminary composting research at Lehigh University as a first-year student. I am now a junior and compost research has remained an important part of my life and studies. I’ve continued to visit and do research on composting systems throughout the United States. Partnering with fellow student Rachel Henke (with much help from the university), we are now coordinating and operating an on-campus compost pilot program. After a semester of running the pilot program, we will create a proposal that outlines financial and environmental comparisons to current practices, and supply a plan for Lehigh to compost all of the waste it produces on-site. I never expected to create change this intensely in my university. Here is the story of how two motivated students, along with hours of work and a supportive advisor, worked with their university to move campus composting forward:

I had been doing composting research for two semesters when I decided to do something. An extremely daunting task as a 19-year-old, I decided I wanted to run a composting system to show my university how easy and effective it really is. The project, Garbage to Gold, was born. Really, the decision was pretty impulsive. I did have two semesters of research, questioning, reading and traveling behind me, but I was aware that there was still a great deal I did not know. I was coming back from Pittsburgh after attending the AASHE 2011 conference. I’m not exactly sure what spurred it, but I remember typing up my notes on the ride back, trying to connect what I had learned with my project, becoming frustrated in theoreticals, and typing myself a response. I told myself to start, because that was the only way to ensure change.

"I told myself to start, because that was the only way to ensure change."

In the best timing I could imagine, one of my sorority sisters, Rachel Henke, told me she thought composting was neat. "Hey, do you want to plan and run a composting system with me?” I asked, and her answer was "yes." From there ensued a barrage of meetings, emails and calls. This was going to happen. We were definitely overworked our sophomore semester as we worked to make this project happen. Both of us were taking an above average load of classes, compost not included.

We had meetings and emails going without pause to our sustainability director, dining services, facilities manager, groundskeeper, Environmental Health and Safety Department, Earth and Environmental Science Department, and our advisor Dork Sahagian. We had to show that we were prepared and had planned out the following:

• what to put the compost in
• how, when and who would pick it up
• where it would go
• how we would turn it
• what probes we planned on using and why
• how we would protect ourselves
• how we would ensure reliability from one another

Once we determined the back third of the university’s community garden as the location for the pilot, we discussed:

• road access
• how we would mitigate odor and pests
• how to communicate with the gardeners
• how to clean out the buckets

In addition, throughout this semester, we applied for half a dozen large grants. We wrote essays and made a specific budget for all that we would need for a successful pilot. We received two grants: the College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Grant and the Green Fund. Our university’s support was not only in words, but in financial backing. Rachel and I also presented at the College of Arts and Sciences’ research symposium as well as the Earth and Environmental Science symposium.

After another month of fine-tuning the seemingly thousands of issues with our project, we left abroad for a break. I went to India and Rachel went to Iceland. Out of the country, we were still sending a few emails about composting. When we returned, we got back to work. The school year approached very quickly. We were collecting waste the second day of school. Here is how it works:

We pick up waste twice a week from one of our two main dining halls, Psi Upsilon, a fraternity, and Kappa Alpha Theta, our sorority. We pick up about 150 gallons of waste a week. This is about one-fifth of dining service’s compostable waste. A friend, Dan Coviello, lets us use his truck to pick up the waste. We drive about five minutes up the hill that Lehigh is on to Goodman Campus. We then dump the waste into our windrow and out bins (we have one continuous windrow and two bins). We then use probing material to continuously monitor the windrow and bin temperature and moisture every 10 minutes. We measure pH four times a week.

This might seem like it’s not too intense. It isn’t when everything goes our way. But the norm is that something unpredicted needs our attention. When we end up running a Windows software on a virtual machine on my Mac, our job becomes fixing a computer problem. When facilities built us a road and we did not realize we were responsible for a gate, our job is to figure out how to get a gate. When my professor requests that we give a presentation, or when Green Action asks if we can give a tour, our job becomes teaching. We are constantly learning as we go in order to make our pilot work. We have been very grateful to Jon Witt, a chemical engineer sophomore, for his eagerness to help us whenever we have an issue. We have also been trying to document and take as many pictures and notes as possible. As mentioned at the start of this entry, our ultimate goal is to convince and show Lehigh University that composting on-site makes sense on both financial and environmental levels. Any feedback is welcome!

Please visit our Garbage to Gold Facebook page to stay updated on our project!

Camille
Csd214@lehigh.edu
Rachel
rrh313@lehigh.edu

Nurit Katz, UCLA's first Chief Sustainability Officer, sat down recently with Judy Walton, AASHE's chief publications officer, to discuss Nurit's work on campus and involvement in the AASHE 2012 conference. Nurit also serves on AASHE's STARS Steering Committee and is an instructor for UCLA Extension's Global Sustainability Certificate Program. While a graduate student, Nurit founded the UCLA Sustainable Resource Center, served as president of the Graduate Students Association, and assisted in developing an interdisciplinary graduate certificate program, Leaders in Sustainability. She holds an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, a Masters in Public Policy from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, and a BA in Environmental Education from Humboldt State University. Nurit was recently honored as one of 100 Inspirational Alumni for the 75th Anniversary of UCLA Anderson. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Luskin Center for Innovation and on the Board of Opportunity Green.

If you are interested in participating in the AASHE Interview Series, email Niles Barnes at niles@aashe.org.

JW: I hear your UCLA Extension class, “Principles of Sustainability I,” was recently cited as one of the “10 Best Classes in L.A.” by L.A. Weekly magazine. Congratulations! Can you tell us a bit about the class?
NK: “Principles of Sustainability I” is the first core course in Extension's Global Sustainability Certificate Program (which is also offered online through a partnership with Empowered). The Principles course is an introduction to the broad field of sustainability – from sustainable agriculture to corporate responsibility, design, and everything in between. It gives students the analytical frameworks and tools to help them tackle the global social and environmental challenges we face. As a survey course, it also helps students choose what they want to focus on in the field and exposes them to different topics and career options.

The students who take this course are incredibly diverse in occupation and level of experience. We've had architects, teachers, accountants, lawyers, aerospace engineers, even a script writer and a stuntwoman. We also have many international students – from Brazil, Taiwan, Japan, Germany, Belgium and all over the world. It’s an amazing opportunity to engage in a rich dialogue on critical topics. Students who have graduated from the program have gone on to positions as diverse as their backgrounds, from environmental policy analyst for a local city councilman, to solar project management, to starting companies like a sustainable food truck business.

JW: You once said your passion lies in transforming UCLA into a “living, learning lab.” Can you describe what this means to you, and how it frames your daily work?
NK: At UCLA and throughout the UC system, we’re working on integrating research, education, and operations, using the physical campus as a live, learning laboratory. One great example of this is our Action Research Team program. Coordinated by the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, this innovative program is part of a set of student-led undergraduate courses called the Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP). In the ESLP Action Research Team course, students in research teams work with faculty and staff stakeholders to tackle campus sustainability issues such as energy efficiency, transportation, waste stream management, sustainable food practices, and curriculum development.

Another great project that illustrates the learning lab concept is a recent pilot of a smart water filtration system to filter blowdown water from our cogeneration plant. The project enabled Professor Yoram Cohen and his grad students to test a new technology while demonstrating a way to save thousands of gallons of water per day. That project was presented at the AASHE conference in L.A. last week, and we’re currently seeking funding for a permanent installation. Over in our engineering buildings, Professor Rajit Gadh and his lab are doing exciting work with smart grid technology and EV charging stations, using campus buildings as experimental test sites. These types of projects are great examples of the potential of the physical campus and operations to be a learning laboratory for sustainability.

JW: What advice do you have for others hoping to develop successful sustainability programs?
NK: It might sound trite, but I believe successful sustainability programs are all about teamwork. We have a strong group of staff, students, and faculty working together through committees and taskforces. Sustainability is inherently multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral. It crosses every department of the university. Getting the right people at the table together and building those connections is half the battle. Although it tickled me when I learned that UCLA has a Committee on Committees, and I sometimes use that as an example of our enormous bureaucracy, committees are an effective and important tool for campus sustainability. For example, our Water Taskforce, which is working on drafting a Water Action Plan to help us achieve our goals for reducing potable water use, has representation from our Plumbing department, Capital Programs, Landscaping, EH&S and Energy Services (our cogeneration plant uses 20% of our overall water consumption), as well as faculty and student members. Having that broad expertise and decision-making authority at the table will enable us to take a truly “system approach” to campus water management. Building bridges across organizational silos and creating integrated decision-making is key to institutionalizing sustainability.

JW: It was great seeing you last week at the AASHE 2012 conference in L.A. Can you tell us a bit about UCLA's involvement in the event?
NK: Yes, we were a host institution and master sponsor of the conference, and we played an active role in it, including sponsoring the Continuing Education Units. We were also pleased to host a tour of UCLA (glad you could join us on the tour, by the way!) which highlighted several ways we’re making UCLA a more sustainable urban campus and demonstrating how sustainability can be put into practice. It included lunch at one of our exposition-style dining halls, which use herbs grown on campus and locally sourced and organic produce. We also visited several LEED certified buildings and our 44 MW, natural gas cogeneration plant, which generates 90% of the energy on campus and uses gas from a local landfill.

JW: How is UCLA tracking its progress toward sustainability?
NK: We use a number of different metrics. Our UC Sustainable Practices Policy has concrete targets, such as by 2020 reaching 1990-level greenhouse gas emissions, 20% sustainable food purchases, 20% reduction in potable water use per capita from baseline, and zero waste. We were also a charter participant in AASHE’s STARS program, which covers all aspects of campus sustainability from education and research to operations, investment and diversity. This year I’ve been serving on the STARS Steering Committee and helping to develop STARS version 2.0, which is now open for public comment.

JW: What campus sustainability successes are you most proud of?
NK: Probably our progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Our policy target is 1990 levels by 2020 and our ACUPCC goal is climate neutrality by 2050. Since 1990 we have grown more than 40% as a campus – adding more than 8 million square feet – yet we have been able to keep our emissions almost level. This has meant a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per square foot of almost 27%. We still have a long way to go towards climate neutrality, but I believe our progress so far sets an important example. And we’ve been able to achieve these reductions through direct measures – such as energy efficiency and efficient on-site power production.

While lighting and HVAC retrofits, occupancy sensors, and other efficiency and conservation projects might not be as sexy as renewable energy projects, they can have a significant impact. And even more importantly, they show that it’s possible to address climate change and sustainability in a way that‘s financially feasible and responsible, even in the toughest budget climate.

On the mobile emissions side, as you know, LA has a reputation as the land of the automobile and sprawl: the average drive alone rate for the area is more than 70%. But through our award-winning Transportation program’s comprehensive suite of initiatives – transit subsidies, carpool matching, vanpool, car sharing, cycling programs, etc. – we’ve been able to get to where almost half our staff and three quarters of our students commute by sustainable means and don’t drive alone to campus. If we can make that happen in Los Angeles, it can be done anywhere! We are also partnering with other universities, businesses and government through Clean Tech Los Angeles to grow sustainable business and clean technology throughout the region.

JW: What’s your greatest challenge?
NK: Hmmm…getting enough sleep? Ha. Though finding a sustainable work pace can be tough, my greatest challenge at UCLA is probably communication. With a population of 70,000, many of whom turn over each year, education and outreach is a constant challenge. Surveys we’ve done, and feedback I get from students, staff, and faculty at UCLA show that most of our community cares about social and environmental issues, but many don’t know how they can get involved, or what the university is doing in sustainability. We have the usual channels of communication, such as newsletters, the website, and social media, and articles in our student and staff newspapers, but in a media saturated world it is hard to break through. We’re trying to get more creative in our approach. One great project - a collaboration between UCLA Communications, Athletics, and a student group called the Film Production Society - was the creation of a public service announcement (PSA) starring the UCLA Basketball Team, which we play in the basketball pavilion before all of the games.

JW: How are you addressing the social dimension of sustainability?
NK: Addressing the social equity piece of the sustainability puzzle can be more complex than the environmental piece – harder to measure and quantify. We do have many programs that address the social dimension - from community partnerships to diversity programs – and one area we’re trying to tackle more as a system this year is socially responsible investing. Some programs, such as a student initiative called Project Greenlight, address the social and environmental dimensions. That program provides education and information about energy efficiency and cost savings to low income neighborhoods. Another example is the UCLA Labor Occupational Safety & Health (LOSH) Program’s Green Jobs program. This grant-funded education and placement program for unemployed local community members covers a breadth of environmental and sustainability topics, including LEED standards, construction safety, green chemistry, and environmental justice. Participants also get other job and life skills training, such as construction math, resume preparation, and interview skills.

JW: I understand you completed a full Ironman distance triathlon in 2010. Impressive! Is that how you spend your free time?
NK: I did Ironman with Team in Training, a program of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, in honor of my mom who is a Lymphoma survivor. The training took a lot of time and dedication that year, and I am not training for anything currently, though I do love to go cycling and swimming when I can. Training for the full distance is a serious time commitment, but Team in Training also has shorter distances available. I highly recommend the program for anyone considering trying a long distance run or triathlon. I wasn’t an athlete growing up – I was a marching band nerd – but they have amazing coaches who can work with any beginner and help you go the distance. My teammates were amazing, everyone was so supportive and collaborative, and so dedicated to the cause. It was truly a life changing experience.

How will you make a difference? Go to this website to pledge for a clean energy future!!

Hunter with fans from Aquinas College.

“Welcome to AASHE rising!” said Hunter Lovins, tipping her hat to a packed house during her opening keynote for AASHE 2012. The Natural Capitalism Solutions president and founder made the business case for sustainability in higher education, urging audience members to start thinking of sustainability as an investment. Why? Here are a few takeaway quotes:

The Human Impact

“Okay I’m scared,” said Lovins of recent climate change projections. “The extreme weather that we’re seeing lately? This is the fingerprint of global warming and of course there is real human impact…hundreds of thousands of people across Africa are at risk of starvation because of climate change. “

“Sustainability isn't about saving polar bears, it's about jobs; it isn't about environmentalists telling you how to live your life, it's about increasing the quality of life in our community; it's about American entrepreneurialism. It's how to enhance our national security and unleash the greatest prosperity this country has every known.”

“We need to reinvent curriculum in every academic institution and teach students what it means to do business honorably in this time in history in which all living systems are at risk.”

To Influence Policy

“You’re gonna pay less more if you have good policy.” Lovins gave the example of Germany, which thanks to solid policies supporting renewable energy produces 28 more times more solar power than California (which enjoys 70 percent more sun).

“Don’t ever think that you have no power…every day every one of us votes with our hours. When all is said and done, our time is all we have. So: organize.”

"Goddamn go vote."

To Remain Relevant

• 68% of college applicants say that a school’s commitment to sustainability is part of their decision making process
• 96% of young workers want to work for a green company

“Remember, there’s a business case here,” said Lovins. “Everything you do to meet the STARS score card is driving your competiveness as an institution because you can now say to applicants: we are walking the talk.”

“With tuition increasing at 2x rate of inflation, higher education [as we know it] may be about to become extinct. Universities are at some risk of becoming irrelevant.”

"You gotta watch this video."

“Is TED the new Harvard?” Lovins asked the audience as she encouraged that higher education embrace technology like mobile learning as companies like TED-Ed are doing.

On this note, Lovins ended her keynote address with a world premiere of her new mobile learning venture, "Tell It Ed: Where the TV documentary meets the lecture." (Look for more information on the Natural Capitalism Solutions website in the coming days.) A partnership between Sustainable Business Consulting, In the Telling, Pearson, BGI and Natural Capitalism Solutions, the online open classroom will offer video narratives with transcripts, web resources, slides, digital documents and animations.

AASHE wants to know: Do you agree with applying the business case to sustainability in higher education? Tell us your perspective in the comments section.

It was a packed house for Billy Parish as the 500+ students at AASHE 2012 piled into Petree Hall to hear the Solar Mosaic co-founder give his Student Summit keynote address.

"Who's ready to do some work together?" he opened. "This hour isn’t about me, it’s about you. I invite you to ask some tough questions of yourself to help you achieve your purpose."

On his way to becoming a Rolling Stone magazine "Climate Hero" and one of Utne Reader's “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World,” Parish faced some tough questions of his own. After visiting a glacier in the Himalayas as a college sophomore that scientists predicted to be gone by 2030 because of global warming, "my head was spinning with the reality of a climate crisis that was happening much faster that I thought it was," said Parish. Asking himself What is my purpose? What do I want to get done while I'm here on the planet? led Parish to drop out of of Yale to tackle the climate crisis outside of the classroom. Parish soon founded the Energy Action Coalition and grew it into one of the largest youth advocacy organizations in the world.

Follow Your Purpose.
Parish kicked off the interactive keynote by asking the audience: "What is your purpose? Get it down to one sentence." After writing it down on paper, attendees stood to announce their purpose in one cacophonous roar. Rebecca Wood, an environmental studies and economics double major at the University of California, Santa Cruz volunteered her purpose: "I’m here to inspire people to think more cautiously about water and help people get access to it."

Build With the Best.
Using his own example of partnering with Van Jones and Joel Rogers to move forward green jobs legislation, Parish asked attendees to build a list of five people who could best help them achieve their purpose. "We never do anything by ourselves, we always do things together," said Parish. "If you want to get anything done, the people you work with matters a great deal." Next to these names, Parish had attendees write a concrete action like writing a letter that would deepen or spark a relationship with these people.

Go to the Root.
When his first daughter was born, Parish said that looking at the math on climate change and not knowing how it would turn out sent him to a dark place. The U.S was nowhere near passing federal climate legislation and the Climate Change Treaty failed at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen.
Why didn’t we pass federal climate legislation?
We didn’t have enough power to pass legislation.
Why not?
Because fossil fiels control our political process and renewable energy is still in its infancy.

Coming to this conclusion, Parish set out to try and change this by getting millions of people to invest in clean energy and bring in a major source of capital for the industry. The result is Solar Mosaic, an upcoming online platform where people can invest in solar projects and earn return on these projects.

With this example, Parish asked the audience: "Where is the root of the problem that you’re working on? How are you going to find it?"

Getting to the Root with UC Berkeley
Here is a look at the keynote exercises through the lens of Katherine Walsh, coordinator of the Green Initiative Fund at the University of California, Berkeley:

Her purpose: Getting the campus to zero waste.
Her partners: Students, faculty, administrators.

Why isn't the university on the right trajectory to this goal?
The root:

• Staffing/budget cuts that hurt the Facilities team:
  A November 6 vote on Prop 30 will determine if the California is going to decide to invest in public education or not. "You can’t keep asking students to pay more," said Walsh. "And what are they paying for? A great education to a point. If there are not enough teachers or good facilities to deliver that education, then what are they paying for?"
• Inadequate recycling bin infrastructure:
  "Educating the campus community about reducing, reusing and composting is what we do best, but it only goes so far if we don't have bins or standard signage."

Asked whether he had any action items that students could bring to their campuses for furthering sustainability, Parish said: "Well, let me ask you: Who’s ready to follow your purpose? Who has some new ideas for who to work with to achieve your dream? Who’s ready to go to the root and began to scale solutions?

I’m inspired by you. I’m ready to work with you. Let’s change the world."

This week, AASHE is proud to release its third STARS Quarterly Review (SQR): The Role of Institutional Diversity. The fall 2012 SQR explores how the diversity of STARS institutions has changed over time and how participation in STARS according to institution type compares to U.S. demographics. Findings in this review suggest that the institutional characteristics that make higher education institutions distinct also play a role in how campuses are advancing sustainability.

Particularly compelling is how NCAA conference rivalry is furthering sustainability on campuses through healthy competition that involves a diverse population of students. Sports rivalries can motivate institutions to ramp up efforts in campus sustainability, with a potential to increase sustainability awareness and improve campus operations. For example, an AASHE case study highlighted in the fall SQR demonstrates how an intense rivalry between two institutions: the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, can be used to raise awareness on human-powered energy generation. In another SQR highlight, Middlebury College’s green athletics program demonstrates how athletes can serve as sustainability role models and encourage others to adopt sustainable lifestyles.

The October STARS blog expands on the fall SQR’s NCAA conference rivalry story, highlighting additional success stories on advancing sustainability through athletics.

NCAA division athletics is not the only area where fitness-related sustainability advancements have been identified within AASHE resources. Over the last year, the AASHE bulletin has highlighted numerous stories dealing with co-curricular athletics and student fitness centers. Stories like the one below highlight the breadth of impact that sustainable athletics programs can have at an institution.

While factors such as size, type, and country of origin may play a role in sustainability performance overall, across-the-board comparisons are not always the most effective means for measuring improvement. An institutions’ sustainability performance over time can be a more valuable method for encouraging improvement. As such, the greatest competitor for any institution should be itself. By submitting a STARS report on a regular basis, colleges and universities can identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to make improvement a reality.

We hope that readers will share ideas on topics of interest to help shape future SQR editions and other AASHE publications. Please send your ideas to stars@aashe.org or provide your comments below.

Richard Miller, the University of Connecticut’s first environmental and sustainability officer, spoke with Judy Walton at AASHE recently about his work and experiences. Rich serves on the Steering Committee of the Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium and the Executive Committee of the Campus Consortium for Environmental Excellence. Prior to joining UConn in 2002, Rich had worked as a practicing environmental and land use attorney, an environmental and energy lobbyist for a statewide association, an adjunct professor of environmental law, and a corporate environmental manager at a
Fortune 500 energy company. He received his B.A. from Penn State University and J.D. from Stetson University College of Law.

If you are interested in participating in the AASHE Interview Series, email Niles Barnes at niles@aashe.org.

JW: You recently visited Freiburg, Germany to study their sustainability efforts at both campus and community levels. What were your key takeaways for higher education institutions in North America?
RM: My first takeaway is that I’m very fortunate to work at a University that understands the importance of globalization and helps fund this kind of international travel and information exchange for professional staff. As for Freiburg, one can’t help but marvel at the mass transit system and how travel by trains, buses, and even bicycles is so inter-connected and convenient. I’m an avid cyclist and really enjoyed biking in and around Freiburg (see UConn - Freiburg Sustainability Exchange, Part 2). Since I returned home, I’ve already met with local officials about how we can collaborate in planning for a better network of bike trails to destinations off-campus. Ecotourism is a big business in Freiburg – you can hike in the Black Forest, ski in the nearby mountains, swim at one of the city’s lakes, and bike to any of those places. The city does an excellent job of promoting its natural assets and drawing residents into its parks and outdoor areas by creating interesting things to do and see. I’m going to focus more of my efforts on trying to do similar things at UConn.

Another takeaway from my visit is Freiburg’s remarkable commitment to renewable energy, especially solar power, and the way Freiburg University (Albert Ludwig University at Freiburg) has developed strong academic programs that train future leaders in order to build on this economic strength (see
UConn - Freiburg Sustainability Exchange, Parts 3 & 4). There is still a window of opportunity for businesses and universities in other nations to become preeminent in clean energy technologies. Germany, the city of Freiburg and Freiburg University have not missed this opportunity by engaging
in ideological debates – they’ve forged ahead to become global leaders. Since returning from my visit, I’ve put even more attention and a greater sense of urgency into working with UConn’s own sustainable energy leaders, like Provost Mun Choi and faculty associated with our Center for Clean Energy Engineering. The ultimate goals are to develop more on-campus green energy demonstration projects and establish a stronger leadership role for the University.

JW: What led to the addition of a “climate adaptation” section in U Conn’s climate action plan, and can you briefly describe that section?
RM: Shortly after our CAP was approved by our then-president in 2010, a faculty member who interviewed me for his research on climate adaptation brought the lack of an adaptation section to my attention. Of course, adaptation was not in the ACUPCC “template” for CAPs, and, like other
universities, the focus of our plan was on carbon mitigation goals and strategies. When Susan Herbst became our new president in 2011, several of us at UConn began “coffee klatch” conversations about ensuring that climate change remained at the top of her agenda for the university. We came up with
the idea for a week-long series of speakers and events that occurred in late-March of this year, called Climate Impact Mitigation and Adaptation (CIMA). We met with the president and her staff, and agreed that she would kick off CIMA week by reaffirming UConn’s commitment to the CAP and putting her own fingerprints on the plan by adding a Climate Adaptation Section. Once that was decided, we had about four or five months to deliver, so immediately went to work convening an inter-disciplinary task force to gather information, brainstorm ideas and create this new section.

This is important to UConn because we’re a land and sea grant, public research university in a state facing significant property, infrastructure, environmental and health threats from the effects of climate change, including sea level rise and more frequent and severe storms. Consistent with our mission, we have a duty to share our expertise and help the communities in our state better prepare for these impacts. Our new adaptation section catalogs some of our existing programs in this area and focuses on how UConn can be an even better resource for projecting climate change impacts and guiding the development of state and local strategies for managing a wide range of associated risks.

JW: What campus sustainability success(es) are you most proud of?
RM: I would say it’s the overall success of building, essentially from scratch, a strong and effective environmental and sustainability office that has been an influential catalyst and leader for many positive changes at UConn, both operational and academic. When I was hired as UConn’s first environmental
officer in 2002, there were plenty of challenges to be sure, but also things happening to improve our environmental performance. However, responsibility for these activities was very dispersed across the University, with no guiding environmental policy in place and no department or person charged
with oversight or coordination. We developed an environmental policy and created an organizational framework that enabled us to focus strategically on these issues, and engage and build consensus among students, faculty, staff and key stakeholders. Today, UConn has not only earned public trust
and confidence in our environmental performance but also is consistently ranked among campus sustainability leaders nationally and globally. That’s a source of pride and continued motivation for me.

JW: What advice do you have for others trying to build successful, institution-wide programs?
RM: Learn all you can about your institutional strengths, as well as challenges and gaps, in order to identify opportunities to make a difference. Study successful programs and initiatives at other colleges and universities but don’t just copy them. Tailor programs to fit the unique culture and character of your campus.

Get to know the “champions and change agents” who can help you accomplish mutual sustainability objectives. In order to be most effective, sustainability professionals in higher ed must continually bridge the gap between the operational and academic sides of the university. And, in this respect, one
advantage that I’ve had over most of my AASHE-member peers is that I also oversee our environmental compliance office. It’s an additional management responsibility and demands a lot of my time but our compliance office provides an important service to operational units, like our utilities and
construction management staff - in turn, this strengthens working relationships that facilitate our ability to “operationalize” certain sustainability initiatives. For others who don’t have this dual responsibility, it becomes even more critical to your effectiveness that you continually communicate with staff and managers who work in all facets of the university.

JW: What strategies do you/your office recommend to engage students, faculty, staff, and administrators in sustainability initiatives?
RM: At UConn, our sustainability office is usually simultaneously working on multiple initiatives, each of which targets a slightly different group. For example, we’re getting ready for our annual inter-dorm energy and water conservation competition, which we call EcoMadness. That event has proven to be
a good way to reach mostly first and second-year students who live in the dorms. On the other hand, a lot of our Climate Action Plan strategies involve energy efficiency activities that are staff-driven, like building retro-commissioning and lighting retrofits. We’re also working with faculty to install more
demonstration projects on-campus that advance their research and create “living laboratories” to raise environmental awareness and reduce our ecological footprint. Our role might be helping them with funding, siting or outreach. At the same time, we work with Athletics on football and basketball “Green
GameDays,” where EcoHusky student volunteers help fans recycle in the tailgate areas and inside the stadium or arena. Of necessity, our workload reflects the wide range of activities and diversity of interests at a major university.

JW: How is U Conn tracking progress toward sustainability?
RM: We’ve used various surveys to measure our progress and find out where we stand compared to our peers. This past year, for the first time, we used the AASHE STARS format in order to participate in the Sierra Club’s Cool Schools survey. We also network and share information with colleagues at AASHE
conferences and programs, as well as at Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium events.

JW: What are your biggest challenges?
RM: Trying to grow the sustainability office and create more full-time staff positions in the face of the recession and tight budgets. Sustainability offices in higher ed tend to function in both academic and operational realms but we’re not considered a primary function of either realm. It’s tough to compete
for limited resources against much larger departments or core functions, like public safety or IT on the operational side or faculty hires on the academic side. And to some extent, we’re the victims of our own success. We’ve done pretty well with a lean organization and our success has become an argument
against the need for more full-time staff.

JW: What would you like to accomplish next at U Conn?
RM: In addition to the goals I’ve set based on my Freiburg visit (see above), our intern staff will review progress with action items described in our Climate Action Plan (CAP). Certain initiatives, like retro-commissioning of dozens of the university’s more energy-intensive buildings, are ongoing. We’ll determine whether UConn is ready to move ahead with any additional carbon mitigation
or environmental literacy strategies listed in our CAP. I’ve also been working to develop campus sustainability strategies with Dr. Gene Likens, a distinguished visiting faculty member, who was recently appointed by our president as her environmental advisor. Dr. Likens and I have been meeting with
select faculty, staff and students and will prepare our recommendations for President Herbst later this year. Never a dull moment!

JW: How are you addressing the social justice aspect of sustainability in your work?
RM: At UConn, I’m a member of the President's Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility. We analyze and promote fair labor practices and standards, especially as they apply to the University’s purchasing and vendor/contractor selection process. Some of our campus sustainability initiatives, while focused on environmental objectives, also meet the triple bottom line of sustainability, including both
economic benefit and social responsibility. For example, our move out program, which we call “Give-and-Go,” collects clothing, furniture, appliances and non-perishable food items from students when they check out of their campus housing at the end of the academic year. We divert these items from the
waste stream by donating them to local charities for their use or reuse.

JW: Where do you see the biggest room for growth and impact in the higher education sustainability field?
RM: Without a doubt, we can make the biggest difference through action to address climate change, whether it’s assessing and projecting its impact, driving carbon reduction through clean energy research and demonstration projects, or helping state and local governments adapt to and manage its effects.
There is a leadership void on climate action, particularly at the federal level, and higher education is well-poised to fill it. We have the brainpower and expertise to solve problems that will ultimately require the development of advanced, innovative technologies. We also have the opportunity to
educate and inspire future leaders, so that they can get past the ideological and political differences that have distracted us for so many years, and work together on science-based solutions that are economically and environmentally sound.

JW: How do you spend your free time?
RM: I really enjoy road biking. During my sustainability exchange visit to Freiburg, I took a few long rides on the scenic trails in that part of Germany. Now I’m inspired to plan some multiple-day bike trips next summer. I also like hiking, tennis, gardening, cross-country skiing, walking my dog… really almost
anything outdoors. I also like to be involved in my community. I chair a land use board in my hometown and get to influence things like open space conservation, wild and scenic river designation and use of low impact design in local development projects.

AASHE is excited to announce that a draft of STARS 2.0 has been finalized through collaboration with the STARS Steering Committee and Technical Advisors. This will be the first major update of STARS since the release of the original STARS 1.0 in 2010. On October 8, 2012, AASHE will begin seeking feedback on proposed changes through a six-week public comment period.

Here is a sneak peek at some of the changes being proposed in STARS 2.0 for which we hope to gather feedback:

• In STARS 2.0, former Tier Two (T2) credits have been consolidated into new credits and into existing credits as optional reporting fields. The STARS 2.0 draft currently includes a single tier of 70 credits, reduced from 139 Tier 1 and Tier 2 credits.
• New credits have been added, including credits covering student-run co-curricular programs, air pollutant emissions, land use, biodiversity, wastewater treatment, workplace health and safety, and community stakeholder engagement.
• The use of baselines in STARS has been changed significantly to give institutions greater flexibility in setting baselines for GHG emissions, energy consumption, waste generation and water use.
• New fields have been added to each subcategory and to the Innovation credits to allow institutions to upload images associated with STARS subcategories.

The STARS 2.0 public comment period will be open to anyone interested in providing feedback on the next major version of STARS. To participate, individuals can access the STARS website to review the STARS 2.0 Technical Manual and a summary of changes on the STARS website, and to participate in a survey of big-picture questions related to STARS. Comments will be submitted electronically on the STARS website.

Please spread the word to colleagues across your campus or organization, and visit http://stars.aashe.org/ on October 8 to begin providing feedback!