As we go into the last few days before the official Rio+20 conference, I think it is important to reflect on not only what is happening there but how it intersects with the dreams and hopes of the whole world. Today (Friday June 15) the Rio+20 website changed its header. Yesterday the header read, “6 days to the The Future We Want.” (The Future We Want is the title being used for the outcomes document of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development.) Today the header reads, “258 Voluntary Commitments. Commit now for The Future We Want.” I see a couple of messages in this.

First, it is a bold move to claim that a UN document will lay out the future that we want and likely a bit of hyperbole but it does a great job of helping the world understand sustainable development and why it matters – it truly is all about the future we want! Second, the shift from a countdown to counting the commitments is partly PR but it also recognizes that Rio+20 is not just about an outcomes document that is used (or not) to guide national policies but that getting the future we want requires commitments by many non-governmental groups and individuals. The list of commitments makes for an inspiring read – it includes a wide range of organizations as well as many higher education institutions. AASHE has endorsed both the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative and the People’s Sustainability Treaty on Higher Education. Regardless of what happens in the outcomes document and who agrees to sign it or not, it is clear that many organizations are committed to keep the spirit of Agenda 21 and the energy in the past few months alive after all the delegates go home. THAT IS VERY

IMPORTANT!
The activities in Rio are beginning to build as a predicted 55,000 people converge on Rio so here are some resources to keep up with what is happening:
ACTIVITIES: There are so many activities it is hard to keep track of them but the UN is trying. First are the UN approved (inside) Side Events – of particular interest is Aiming Higher: unlocking higher education’s potential for SD that AASHE with more than a dozen international partners put together to ensure that higher education would be recognized as an important contributor to sustainable development. That event will occur on Tuesday, 18 June at 7:30 pm (5:30 EDT) and AASHE will be represented by Kim Smith, Sociology professor from Portland Community College. In addition, there are Sustainable Development Learning Events; Partnerships Forum; SD Dialogue Days; and a variety of other events on and off site.

On the official front, the final Preparatory Committee meeting wraps up today so the markup that will go to the delegates will be finalized some time today. So far there has been very little agreement among the diplomats so it remains to be seen what will be provided to the delegates but I would expect to hear the term “bracketed language,” which refers to phrases around which there is not agreement, used to describe much of the document.
If you are a news junkie the news and media section of the UNCSD website includes both official and unofficial links to stories of what is happening. There are also numerous webcasts coming out of the meetings constantly. Keeping up with all the agreement, documents, proposals, news, and claims is a bit overwhelming – as it should be when the world is having a summit about sustainability.

Note: The US State Department has announced that the US delegation will be headed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson serving as alternate head of the delegation. Todd Stern, Special Envoy for Climate Change, will serve as chief negotiator. I have been unable to confirm who will be leading or joining the Canadian delegation. Please add that information if you have it confirmed.

Today more than ever, summer is a season of intense transition and opportunity at colleges and universities – an ideal time for advancing campus sustainability. While a new cohort of graduates prepare for what lies ahead, other students are gearing up for internships, immersive experiences, and other enrichment activities. Reduced occupancy and usage at some institutions often result in condensed work schedules and adjusted energy management strategies. At other institutions, occupancy and usage remain high as facilities are converted for hosting summer camps and service groups. Regardless of the institution type, it is important to evaluate sustainability during such periods of transition. June’s STARS blog focuses on credits within STARS that are especially relevant at this point in the academic year.

PAE Tier Two Credit 10: Graduation Pledge
Graduates from higher education are increasingly pledging to consider social and environmental responsibility in future decisions. For PAE Tier Two Credit 10: Graduation Pledge, institutions earn .25 points for administering a graduation pledge that encourages students to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions. 21% of STARS-Rated institutions have administered a graduation pledge.

ER 12: Sustainability Immersive Experience
Summer is an ideal time for institutions to offer sustainability immersive experience programs. Such programs give students the opportunity to witness and learn in-depth about sustainability challenges and solutions, while providing a memorable way for students to deepen and expand their knowledge. For ER 12: Sustainability Immersive Experience, institutions earn two points for offering a sustainability immersive experience. Through summer 2012, 87% of STARS-Rated institutions offered at least one such program.

OP Tier Two Credit 30: Condensed Work Week
Among STARS-Rated institutions, condensed work week schedules are most common during the summer months. For OP Tier Two Credit 30: Condensed Work Week, institutions earn .25 points for offering a condensed work week option for employees. Working four 10-hour days is the most common condensed work week option among STARS-Rated Institutions. 68% of STARS-Rated institutions offer a condensed work week option for employees.

OP Tier Two Credit 43: Move-out Waste Reduction
Institutions typically experience an influx of waste at the end of the academic year as a result of student move-out. For OP Tier Two Credit 43: Move-out Waste Reduction, institutions earn .25 points for having programs to reduce residence hall move-out waste. Through summer 2012, 73% of STARS-Rated institutions have implemented such programs. Institutions have cited the following initiatives for reducing waste during move-out:
- Donation drives for gently-used items
- Swap programs and sales
- Targeted recycling campaigns
- Increased communication of re-use and recycling options

The STARS team would love to hear readers’ feedback on advancing sustainability during the summer months (or any other season!) Please send your ideas to stars@aashe.org.

Last week, I participated on AASHE’s behalf in the 3rd annual Gyeonggi Green Campus Global Forum, held at Kangnam University in the Gyeonngi province of South Korea. The theme of the international Forum, organized by the Association for the Geyonggi-do Green Campus, was “students are the center of the green campus,” similar to that of AASHE’s upcoming 2012 Student Summit (“engaging the future”).

Given this theme, the Forum predominantly consisted of students from various countries describing their efforts at building a green campus and curriculum. Julian Keniry, Senior Director at the National Wildlife Foundation (NWF) gave a compelling keynote speech titled “Ecologically Literate Students Leading the 21st Century.” She provided an overview of the importance of students in higher education sustainability, and identified four key priorities for leaders in this movement: 1) decarbonizes campuses 2) protect ecosystem services 3) educate for sustainability and 4) promote outdoor time. I later presented on the role of students in higher education, drawing upon case studies such as New York University’s student-initiated Bike Share program, Appalachian State University students’ participation in the Solar Decathalon, and student activism and advocacy at Powershift conferences.

From the Philippines to Gabon, to Indonesia, to Germany, the international group of students discussed their accomplishments in making their campus more environmentally sound. For instance, Reyett Puanan, a student of Miriam College in the Philippines, discussed the college’s environmental education workbooks created in partnership with the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines and other agencies, and green building efforts centered on construction that has minimal environmental impact and protects the biodiversity of surrounding areas. (The image below is at the outdoor expo, of students from University of Seoul with vegetables from their campus farm.)

High-ranking city and university officials, including Kangnam University’s president, attended the forum. They gave brief celebratory speeches in the introductory session, followed by a short ceremony in which the torch was passed to the representative of the university that has been selected to host the 2013 green campus forum. The speeches from each of the ministers were interesting as they helped to bring to light the key words and concepts used to explain the importance of greening in South Korea (e.g., low carbon, sea level rise, global warming, jobs, coastal degradation). Their speeches demonstrated to me that although the word “green” is being used, it seems to carry a meaning similar to “sustainability,” which is now used more prominently than “green” in North America. For instance, Mun-su Kim, the Governor of Gyeonggi Province, explained that greening today means “looking back on our lives…; [it] should be a cultural activity.” Jae-an Huh, Chairman of Geyonggi-do Council, commented that it is crucial that we “create a new paradigm where nature and humans can live in harmony.” Overall, their speeches signified that climate change is seen as a real challenge to socio-ecological well-being, and that there are significant opportunities associated with greening.

Similar to city-wide initiatives in the States to engage universities and colleges to reduce their carbon footprint (i.e., participants of the Mayoral Challenge in NYC pledge to reduce their GHG emissions by 30% by 2017), in 2009, 10 universities were selected by the Korean Ministry of Environment and Korea Environment Corporation to become low-carbon green campuses. This came with funding of 1.2 million won for three years. Kangnam University, our host, was among the first to implement the project, and is understood as being an eco-pioneer of Korean universities.

According to Professor Shu-hu Ju at Kangnam University, some of the key reasons for Kangnam trying to become a green campus included national policy initiatives (e.g., GHG & Energy Target Management System; carbon tax); increasing energy costs; the desire to keep tuition fees low; and the increasing operational expenses).

Reducing emissions and cutting total energy consumption is the first priority and central impetus for the greening initiatives. That said, the green campus project is not exclusively focused on energy use or GHG emission reductions. The project is divided into three parts: green management (climate change and energy resources); green human resources development (curriculum development); and leading green lives (community participation).

On the second day, we were given a tour of the green campus, with highlights including the occupancy sensors; geothermal air conditioning and heating system (pictured above); the energy control center; and the recycled water treatment system. The occupancy sensors in the instructional rooms for the thermostat adjust within seconds depending on whether there are people in the room or not, shutting off completely when the room is empty. In the bathrooms, the sensors are movement-based and take about 10 minutes to turn on and off.

The energy control center, designed and run by Honeywell, is the nucleus of energy-related operations on campus. All buildings are monitored and controlled from this center which has staff 24 hours a day. The control center staff is equipped with digital tablets which have the energy dashboard displayed; from the tablet, staff can monitor energy use and CO2 emissions across campus, as well as view and resolve complaints that students report through an online system.

The last part of the tour was the building in which Kangnam’s school for disabled youth is located. The building’s hallways were deliberately built to be wide, with ramps on each end, so as to accommodate anyone using a wheelchair. Further, the students of the school maintain a campus garden of yellow soybean and other plants, pictured here.

It’s always refreshing to remind ourselves that what we’re working on within our country, city, or campus is far from limited in scope. We have potential partners and collaborators all around the world that are driven by the same core purpose: to build an ecologically and socially prosperous world, one campus (and community) at a time.

A few weeks ago, AASHE Executive Director Paul Rowland and I were in the nation’s capital for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Symposium: Science, Innovation, and Partnerships for Sustainability Solutions, held in a glass-enclosed room of the Pew Convention Center.

The NSF is a renowned federal agency that funds research advancing scientific knowledge across the spectrum. NSF’s Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (SEES) program was established to specifically address issues of sustainability while encouraging interdisciplinary research and collaboration.

“Sustainability issues remain at the forefront and will into the foreseeable future; the solutions have to be based in basic scientific understanding,” remarked Tim Killeen, Assistant Director for Geosciences at NSF. Sound science is the nucleus, the common ground among all of the disciplines of sustainability. Whether we think of sustainability as three legs of a stool or four interconnected circles, whether we are researching sea level rises or population dynamics, science is the indispensable core.

But what about the anthropologists, historians, shortly put, social scientists? According to Killeen, “science is in all of those” disciplines too. It comes down to getting data that is usable and easily understood. There are “enormous challenges with mining the data, weaving it together while granting the public access to data.”

This theme of data collection, as well as the integrity of interdisciplinary research resonated throughout the day. Holm Tiessen, Director of the Inter-American Institute commented that interdisciplinarity is about “teaching scientists how to ask the right questions to fellow scientists.”
Chad Gaffield, President of Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) offered a model for us to consider in relation to interdisciplinarity. His T-shaped model on an individual level aims to describe how interdisciplinarity should be approached: we should have depth as well as breadth. The issue with this approach, as other panelists pointed out, is that when it comes to constructing interdisciplinary sustainability curriculum we consistently run up against the question of what should be in the “vertical” and what can be dispersed into the “horizontal.”

I found it interesting the different prefixes of “-disciplinary” that were used, most significantly, “inter,” “cross,” and “trans.” The last one struck me the most because it is commonly used today in relation to transnationalism, the concept used to explain the exchange and flow of physical, human, and intellectual capital across geographical boundaries. And if we think about the global nature of interdisciplinary partnerships (i.e., Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability), “trans” seems to make even more sense as a way to describe sustainability curriculum development; it’s no longer just about crossing geographical boundaries, but national boundaries. Students and researchers of varying nationalities are partnering on research that is endemic to their country or world. What that means to sustainability, and specifically higher education sustainability, is that crossing disciplines is far from divorced from crossing cultures. So, thinking about ways in which we can marry those concepts when it comes to teaching and practicing sustainability on our campuses is important.

Perhaps as sustainability professionals we should be looking more closely at how we personally define interdisciplinary, and how it’s defined by the immediate and extensive communities in which we’re implicated. This would give us a better idea of what questions need to be asked among a given, self-proclaimed interdisciplinary group in order to not just create a conversation amongst individuals from varying disciplines but create a permeable boundary – one that allows a constant and consistent exchange of information and knowledge.

Paul presented on the second day about the role of higher education in sustainability, alongside representatives from other non-profit as well as for-profit organizations. A theme that emerged was a (near) consensus that sustainability is necessary, but the mechanisms desired and required to achieve it are still not fully understood. Bill Clark, Professor of International Science, Public Policy and Human Development at Harvard University expounded on his research regarding barriers to establishing sustainability as a field: mutual incomprehension between and among scientists, policymakers, and the general public (avoided by trust-building); fragmentation of knowledge (avoided by strategic integration, supply-chain thinking, and project management); and inflexibility (avoided by shifting from knowledge systems to learning systems, and creating safe spaces for experimentation and failure). The last barrier especially brings to the forefront the importance of the university in this process.

In conferences or symposiums such as this one in which there is a great deal of information packaged into a short time frame, participants sometimes leave with a sense of overwhelm. However, in this case, the collective sense of optimism around cross-discipline and –sector collaboration resonated above all. The combination of meta discussions around sustainability with concrete examples of current (NSF-funded) research, as well as generative discussions around the real challenges different stakeholders are facing in this movement afforded an energetic dynamic.

Be sure to check the NSF website for archives of the plenary speeches, Powerpoint presentations, and more information.

Drum roll please…the new and improved AASHE brand is here!

If you read Paul Rowland’s latest AASHE blog post you are aware that AASHE has developed a simple, easy-to-understand brand strategy built on who we are, what we do, and how we do it. Along with that, we’ve debuted a new visual identity that better reflects AASHE’s holistic definition of and commitment to sustainability. The implementation of our new visual identity also illustrates a stronger connection between AASHE and our STARS program.

As an acknowledged thought leader, we want to step up and show through our rebranding that AASHE is focused on a broad view of sustainability. One of the important characteristics of the new AASHE logo is the choice of colors. By transitioning away from the leaf and the color green as the main focus, we are showing our commitment to represent sustainability in a holistic way.

The blue symbolizes sky and water; purple evokes the inspiration and imagination needed to lead the sustainability transformation; and the green is a nod to our past and all that we have learned from it. The AASHE logo image represents a bridge or path to the advancement of sustainability in higher education.

The new STARS logo is a direct tie-in to the new AASHE logo. The logo itself is built from the front section of the AASHE logo to further reinforce that STARS is a program of AASHE. Making the STARS and AASHE connection even stronger, “a program of aashe” appears as part of the STARS logo.

As you click through our website, resources, STARS program website and newsletters, you will see the new and improved look including a new color palette that ties in with the new visuals.

Along with our new AASHE and STARS logos, be sure to check out our new STARS seals for STARS Participants.

To make a smooth transition to the new member logo, as well as explain a little more about the new AASHE logo, we have created a quick and easy document for members. Please read through this AASHE brand one-pager for the basics on the new AASHE logo and how to access the new member logo.

All AASHE members are encouraged to replace the old AASHE member logo with the new AASHE member logo, available on the AASHE website. Also, STARS Participants will receive a special edition of the STARS Update about the new STARS logo and seals. Please see the STARS one-pager for information on how to access the new STARS seals.

AASHE is very excited to take this important and necessary next step forward. This work would not have been possible without the staff and board that were involved in the process of developing the new visual identity. We also want to acknowledge TippingGardner (TG), who we hired as our branding company. We appreciate their collaborative approach throughout the process.

We look forward to working with our members and other colleagues through this exciting improvement!

Seann Sweeney, on behalf of the AASHE staff

P.S. If you didn’t read it yet, see Paul Rowland’s recent blog post for more on the background and the process AASHE went through during this re-branding.

I see you work for AASHE; what’s that? For the past few years, I have been asked this question by a wide variety of people. Although I’ve got my own "elevator speech" for an answer, I’ve often wondered if that speech represented a shared understanding of AASHE’s identity. The importance of the question became clear to me when at an AASHE Board of Directors retreat we began discussing the need for AASHE to develop a marketing plan to reach our next thousand member institutions. As we began talking about a marketing plan it became clear that we needed to be consistent about what AASHE is, what it does, and why it does it. Although this may sound very business-speak it is equally mission-speak – that is, understanding your identity is critical to fulfilling your mission.

As we explored the question of our identity, we realized that among the board, the staff, and the membership there were many different ways we were answering the identity questions. Our elevator speeches often required really tall skyscrapers with really slow elevators. It became clear that before we could develop a marketing plan that would bring more institutions into the campus sustainability fold, we would need to clarify our identity and role. As a result of discussions at the 2010 Board of Directors retreat, we began making plans for initiating a branding process in 2011.

In early 2011 a group of AASHE staff led by Seann Sweeney (currently Membership & Marketing Director) began the process of vetting various branding companies to find one that could best meet the needs of AASHE. After a thorough review, we selected Tipping Gardner (TG) as our branding company based on their impressive work with both non-profits (including Rainforest Alliance and Amnesty International) and for profit companies (such as GORE-TEX, Pfizer, and Avaya). In the early phases of the process, TG conducted thorough research on AASHE, how it represented itself, how it communicated, how the staff and board understood AASHE, and how we were externally perceived. According to Martyn Tipping, President of Tipping Gardner, “When we began working with AASHE we found an organization that was unclear about how to represent itself. We've worked closely with the AASHE team over the past year to create greater clarity and build a more assertive, forward looking brand that's consistent with AASHE's role as a leader in advancing higher education sustainability.”

At the 2011 Board of Directors retreat, Martyn presented the board with a review of the process and a draft of identity phrases. After dialogue with the board, TG created a Brand Playbook that captured phases that AASHE could use in elevator speeches that would reflect a common understanding of AASHE.

We tested these identity phrases with the membership in our member survey last summer and received very positive responses. You have likely seen some of these phrases at the AASHE 2011 conference, on our website, and in media releases and newsletters. AASHE now talks clearly (and I hope boldly) about its role in “advancing sustainability” by serving as an “acknowledged thought leader” that provides “invaluable resources” to an “engaged, diverse community.”

In many ways these phrases are both affirming and challenging. They affirm our role in advancing sustainability but also challenge us to serve as a thought leader and to make sure that our resources are indeed “invaluable.” The last phrase challenges us to make sure that we are providing opportunities that promote community engagement. These phrases speak to an AASHE that leads while it serves it members and that ensures value in the resources and professional development that it provides and supports. In fact, these phrases became valuable as the Board of Directors shaped the Goals for 2015.

After reviewing how the new brand messaging would help us clarify our identity, we then began discussions about our visual identity. Two repeated concerns about AASHE’s visual identity were that it looked like it was an environmental organization (the green leaf associated with the letters in the logo) and the mismatch between the visual identity for AASHE and the visual identity of STARS. The board directed the staff to move forward with an exploration of a change in visual identity and we returned to TG to assist us in this process. In the very near future you will see how that process played out with new logos for both AASHE and STARS. Meanwhile, think about how those phrases above might help you explain AASHE to others on your campus (or on other campuses) who may not yet be engaged in sustainability efforts – and how AASHE can help them.

Gearing up for the launch of STARS 2.0 in 2013, the STARS team is developing and refining ideas for STARS that will raise the bar for advancing sustainability in higher education. Developing an understanding of how institutional demographics such as size and type affect sustainability performance is an important step in this process. One valuable resource at our disposal that was not available while STARS was being developed is the data being submitted by participating institutions. May’s STARS blog focuses on strengths and challenges for two-year institutions participating in STARS.

Average Scores per Institution Type

Note: Differences were found to be statistically significant based on a .05 critical value.

In terms of overall and category-level scores, 4-year institutions score higher than 2-year institutions, overall and in each STARS category. Despite the overall disparities, there are certain STARS credits where two-year institutions earn higher points in comparison to 4-year institutions.

Credits of Strength for Two-Year Institutions
ER 13: Sustainability Literacy Assessment
This credit recognizes institutions that assess the sustainability literacy of students. Institutions earn 1 point for conducting a sustainability assessment and may earn an additional point for conducting a follow-up assessment.

OP 3: Indoor Air Quality
This credit recognizes institutions that are working to protect the human health of building occupants by monitoring and protecting indoor air quality. Institutions earn the full 2 points if all buildings are covered by an indoor air quality management plan.

PAE 12: Employee Satisfaction Evaluation
This credit recognizes institutions that take an active interest in the satisfaction of their employees. Institutions earn 2 points for conducting an evaluation that allows for anonymous feedback at least once every five years to measure employee satisfaction.

PAE 18: Positive Sustainability Investments
This credit recognizes institutions that seek positive investments that promote sustainability. Institutions earn the maximum of 9 points available for this credit by investing 30 percent or more of their investment pool in sustainable industries and businesses, sustainability investment funds, community development financial institutions, or socially responsible mutual funds.

Credits of Challenge for Two-Year Institutions
The credits identified below showed significant score disparities between 2-year and 4-year institutions. The 2-year institutional highlights at the end of this section demonstrate best practices within two of these areas.

ER 12: Sustainability Immersive Experience
Institutions earn two points for offering at least one immersive, sustainability-focused educational study program. Partial points are not awarded for this credit. 57% of 2-year institutions received full points while 99% of 4-year institutions received full points. The duration of academic programs may limit opportunities for participation in immersive programs, which may explain the disparity among groups for this credit.

Best Practice among 2-year Institutions – Eastern Iowa Community College District (STARS Silver, June 2011)
Eastern Iowa Community College District has partnered with two institutions in Denmark – EUC-Syd and Dalum Agricultural College on a project which allows 5 faculty members and 10 students to spend a month in Denmark studying agriculture-based renewable energy.

OP 15: Student Commute Modal Split
This credit recognizes institutions where students use preferable modes of transportation to travel to and from the institution. Institutions earn the maximum 4 points for this credit by having all students use alternative modes of transportation for getting to and from campus. On average, 2-year institutions earned .4 points out of 4, while 4-year institutions earned 2.3 points out of 4. This disparity may be explained by the fact that two-year institutions often have more commuting students in relation to residential students, which are more likely to use alternative modes of transportation.

PAE 9: Support Programs for Future Faculty
This credit recognizes institutions that are taking steps to build a more diverse faculty by supporting future faculty members from underrepresented groups. Institutions earn 4 points by administering or participating in a program that helps build a diverse faculty throughout higher education. 44% of 2-year institutions received full points while 76% of 4-year institutions received full points. Students are more likely to pursue faculty career ambitions later in their academic careers, such as during graduate school. For this reason, two-year institutions may not have a significant demand for these types of support programs.

Best Practice among 2-year Institutions – Delta College (STARS Silver, January 2011)
The President’s Scholar Program at Delta College in Michigan provides support and assistance to under-represented individuals interested in pursuing further education and careers as faculty members. Aimed at increasing the diversity of full-time faculty, the program identifies promising individuals and provides mentoring and assistance in securing further education.

For the development of STARS 2.0, the staff is considering ways to enhance the applicability of STARS among an increasingly diverse array of institutions. We look forward to sharing proposed changes in a public comment period later this year. In the meantime, please send your ideas to stars@aashe.org.

Gearing up for the launch of STARS 2.0 in 2013, the STARS team is developing and refining ideas for STARS that will raise the bar for advancing sustainability in higher education. Developing an understanding of how institutional demographics such as size and type affect sustainability performance is an important step in this process. One valuable resource at our disposal that was not available while STARS was being developed is the data being submitted by participating institutions. May’s STARS blog focuses on strengths and challenges for two-year institutions participating in STARS.

Average Scores per Institution Type

Note: Differences were found to be statistically significant based on a .05 critical value.

In terms of overall and category-level scores, 4-year institutions score higher than 2-year institutions, overall and in each STARS category. Despite the overall disparities, there are certain STARS credits where two-year institutions earn higher points in comparison to 4-year institutions.

Credits of Strength for Two-Year Institutions
ER 13: Sustainability Literacy Assessment
This credit recognizes institutions that assess the sustainability literacy of students. Institutions earn 1 point for conducting a sustainability assessment and may earn an additional point for conducting a follow-up assessment.

OP 3: Indoor Air Quality
This credit recognizes institutions that are working to protect the human health of building occupants by monitoring and protecting indoor air quality. Institutions earn the full 2 points if all buildings are covered by an indoor air quality management plan.

PAE 12: Employee Satisfaction Evaluation
This credit recognizes institutions that take an active interest in the satisfaction of their employees. Institutions earn 2 points for conducting an evaluation that allows for anonymous feedback at least once every five years to measure employee satisfaction.

PAE 18: Positive Sustainability Investments
This credit recognizes institutions that seek positive investments that promote sustainability. Institutions earn the maximum of 9 points available for this credit by investing 30 percent or more of their investment pool in sustainable industries and businesses, sustainability investment funds, community development financial institutions, or socially responsible mutual funds.

Credits of Challenge for Two-Year Institutions
The credits identified below showed significant score disparities between 2-year and 4-year institutions. The 2-year institutional highlights at the end of this section demonstrate best practices within two of these areas.

ER 12: Sustainability Immersive Experience
Institutions earn two points for offering at least one immersive, sustainability-focused educational study program. Partial points are not awarded for this credit. 57% of 2-year institutions received full points while 99% of 4-year institutions received full points. The duration of academic programs may limit opportunities for participation in immersive programs, which may explain the disparity among groups for this credit.

Best Practice among 2-year Institutions – Eastern Iowa Community College District (STARS Silver, June 2011)
Eastern Iowa Community College District has partnered with two institutions in Denmark – EUC-Syd and Dalum Agricultural College on a project which allows 5 faculty members and 10 students to spend a month in Denmark studying agriculture-based renewable energy.

OP 15: Student Commute Modal Split
This credit recognizes institutions where students use preferable modes of transportation to travel to and from the institution. Institutions earn the maximum 4 points for this credit by having all students use alternative modes of transportation for getting to and from campus. On average, 2-year institutions earned .4 points out of 4, while 4-year institutions earned 2.3 points out of 4. This disparity may be explained by the fact that two-year institutions often have more commuting students in relation to residential students, which are more likely to use alternative modes of transportation.

PAE 9: Support Programs for Future Faculty
This credit recognizes institutions that are taking steps to build a more diverse faculty by supporting future faculty members from underrepresented groups. Institutions earn 4 points by administering or participating in a program that helps build a diverse faculty throughout higher education. 44% of 2-year institutions received full points while 76% of 4-year institutions received full points. Students are more likely to pursue faculty career ambitions later in their academic careers, such as during graduate school. For this reason, two-year institutions may not have a significant demand for these types of support programs.

Best Practice among 2-year Institutions – Delta College (STARS Silver, January 2011)
The President’s Scholar Program at Delta College in Michigan provides support and assistance to under-represented individuals interested in pursuing further education and careers as faculty members. Aimed at increasing the diversity of full-time faculty, the program identifies promising individuals and provides mentoring and assistance in securing further education.

For the development of STARS 2.0, the staff is considering ways to enhance the applicability of STARS among an increasingly diverse array of institutions. We look forward to sharing proposed changes in a public comment period later this year. In the meantime, please send your ideas to stars@aashe.org.

 The Sustainability Intern program works within the UMBC Student Government Association (SGA) to facilitate action and awareness regarding sustainability at UMBC. Collaborating with students, faculty, facilities management and others the interns help to streamline the campuses sustainability efforts.  Together, 4 students focus on projects that help to reduce waste, increase energy efficiency, limit CO2 emissions, educate students, and facilitate positive environmental change on campus.

Although work hours are flexible and self-organized, students in this position are expected to put in approximately 10 hours of work a week. It is important that intern applicants have good time management skills and can work well independently in order to devote time and effort to this position that is required. For their work, interns are compensated $750 dollars per semester.

Interns will be working starting this fall (August) and continuing on until May of 2013. If you are unable to commit for a year, please explain why within your comments section of the application. 

AASHE's 1,132 members and 286 STARS Institutions are at the forefront of education, operations, planning and engagement initiatives toward a more sustainable campus, community and world. In observance of Earth Week, AASHE is celebrating these achievements by asking our members and STARS Institutions to share the top three sustainability achievements they are most proud of.

Here is what they said...

Delta College

Stormwater Interpretive Signage

Credit: Aaron Cianek.

The walls of our academic core extend to embrace the exploration of campus ecosystems. Interpretive signage and an outdoor classroom provide an educational component to our stormwater process. They create a living, learning laboratory for the campus and community by promoting conservation, land stewardship, and responsible measures for rainwater runoff.

Green Commencement

Green graduate at Delta College. Credit: Andrea Techlin.

Delta’s commencement comes in all shades of green! Gowns use 100 percent recycled content yarn. Diplomas, produced by a carbon-neutral FSC-COC manufacturer, contain 30 percent post-consumer content. Commemorative pins are awarded to grads who pledge to "…use my knowledge of sustainability to enhance the communities in which I live, learn, and work."

Green Printing Services

FSC printing at Delta College. Credit: Andrea Techlin

Printing Services earned FSC-COC, making Delta, to date, the only college-owned and operated FSC Michigan printer. An internal assessment was conducted to develop a Documented Control System detailing purchasing, production, product handling, record-keeping, and training. Certification allows the Printing Department to use the FSC logo on its printed products, furthering sustainable awareness.

Drew University

Climate Action Plan

Drew University Campus. Credit: Lynne DeLade

The Drew University Sustainability Committee, made up of students, faculty and staff representatives from all three schools, wrote the Climate Action Plan with the goal of climate neutrality by 2035. The University’s Board of Trustees and President approved the Climate Action Plan in 2010.

Forest Restoration

Students planting native ferns.

Efforts are underway to restore the forest ecosystem at Drew. Native trees and shrubs were planted in the Forest Reserve on campus. Each year at Fern Fest, volunteers replace a section of lawn and plant native ferns and wildflowers to improve the understory of the campus.

Real Food Commitment

Students for Sustainable Food. Credit: Bill Cardoni

In November 2011, Drew University became the second university in the nation to sign the Real Food Commitment, pledging to put 20 percent of our food budget towards local, ecologically-sound, fair trade or humane food by 2020. This effort complements our new student garden and annual Fair Fest.

Harvard University

Goal to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 30%

Harvard President Faust with Harvard REP students handing out CFLs to their peers. Credit: Office for Sustainability.

In response to this goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2016 from a 2006 baseline, the entire community has acted to reduce energy and curb emissions through a combination of extensive energy audits, energy conservation measures, efficiency improvements to our energy supply, comprehensive green building standards, and behavioral change campaigns.

Green Office Program

Harvard's LASPAU Green Team with their re-usable mugs, implemented as part of the Green Office Program.

This program gives employees and green teams the tools and resources to reduce energy and conserve resources in their workplace, and has resulted in over 145 Green Offices and over 2,600 employees engaged in green campaigns. The four Leaf levels recognize and reward progress as offices implement more extensive sustainability actions.

75 LEED Certifications

Harvard’s Larsen Hall First Floor classroom was the first LEED-CI Platinum certified classroom in the world. Credit: Brooks Canaday.

In 2011, Harvard became the first higher education institution in the world to achieve 50 LEED certifications. In April 2012, we reached the exciting milestone of 75 LEED-certified projects including the reconstruction of Harvard’s greenest LEED Platinum certified laboratory building.

Haywood Community College

Electric Vehicle Charging Station

As a result of the installation, the only publicly available electric vehicle charging station in Southwest North Carolina, a faculty member converted his vehicle to electric to utilize the station between work and home.

Student Sustainability Projects

Students have implemented various projects around campus including an 8-kilowatt solar array; and the reforestation of an old drive with pocket wetlands and elm trees This provides our students with hands-on experience, as well as a way to engage them with sustainable practices and technologies.

LEED Platinum Building

Creative Arts Building; LEED Platinum

The 36,000-square-foot building that houses the Professional Craft Program is the only LEED Platinum building in Haywood County.

Jefferson Community and Technical College

Tree Planting

Jefferson held a tree planting at our Shelby campus to enhance the campus’s green landscape, celebrating Sustainability and Earth week by bringing together students, faculty and staff outside of the regular classroom or workplace setting. This event was used to announce our plan to restore 30+ acres to a natural habitat.

Composting

Jefferson held a composting display at our Technical campus during Earth Week allowing students, faculty and staff to see firsthand how simple composting is with ideas and tips to try at home. This event was used to announce what the college is doing with its first-ever composter.

Sustainable Transportation Outreach

Jefferson Community and Technical College – Southwest Campus

Jefferson’s Southwest campus Earth Week event focused on the importance of car maintenance and why it’s necessary for the environment and public health. A representative from the Louisville Air Pollution Control District offered tips for vehicle upkeep, anti-idling information, and provided tire gauges for everyone.

Lahore University of Management Sciences

'Always Green' Initiative

Academic Block at LUMS, a campus that recently launched the SarSubz LUMS Initiative.

From its inception a quarter century ago, LUMS has actively worked to be "green." The SarSubz LUMS Initiative ("SarSubz" is Urdu for "Always Green") is a formalization of this commitment to environmental consciousness and sustainable development.

Bicycle Sharing

Coinciding with Earth Day, LUMS announced the revival of its campus bicycle sharing program, which will allow anyone in the LUMS community to borrow a bicycle for use on campus or for nearby trips.

Planting Indigenous Trees

Dr. Adil Najam, LUMS Vice Chancellor, planting a Neem tree on campus at start of LUMS Tree Plantation Programme

Neem trees have recently been planted on campus. Neem trees were selected because Neem is an indigenous tree of this region. In light of Dengue concerns, their use as a mosquito repellant was also considered.

Southern Oregon University

LEED Platinum Building

56-kilowatt solar PV system atop the LEED Platinum Higher Education Center.

Southern Oregon University paired with Rogue Community College to build our Higher Education Center in 2008, the first building in the Oregon University System to receive LEED Platinum certification. There are many sustainable design features including a solar array, CO2 sensors, heat wheels, occupancy sensors and much more.

Green Renovations

Southern Oregon University's Churchill Building, constructed in 1926

The current renovation of Southern Oregon University’s administrative building will result in significant energy savings. The renovation includes replacing inefficient windows, increasing insulation in the walls and ceilings, and upgrading to more efficient lighting and HVAC systems. Though not seeking certification, the project is slated to meet LEED standards.

Student-Led Recycling Program

SOU/RCC's LEED Platinum Higher Education Building in Medford, OR

Southern Oregon University now has an operational recycling program where none existed before. The creation of the program was entirely executed by students who gained funding through grants and student fees to place recycling stations throughout campus; construct SOU’s recycling center; and hire a full-time sustainability and recycling coordinator.

Trinity University

For the first time, Trinity University celebrated Earth Day with an entire week of activities to highlight the university’s commitment to sustainability and green practices. Highlights were:

Yoga and Other Earth Week Awareness Activities

Yoga in the garden, along with the outdoor viewing of environmental film "Green Fire"; festival showcasing student group and campus department green initiatives; art exhibit featuring recycled refuse; zero waste baseball game; and "Trash Hill," a collection of one day’s worth of trash to raise awareness that drew media attention from six TV stations, a radio station and a newspaper outlet.

LEED Gold Certification

News from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) that one of our student dorms, Calvert Residence Hall, received LEED Gold certification. This is the second residence hall at Trinity to receive LEED Gold.

Environmental Leader Lecture

A visit from Furman University President Emeritus David Shi, an educational environmental leader who met with environmental studies classes and other student groups to discuss sustainability issues, and delivered a lecture about adapting to a sustainable future.

Unity College

TerraHaus

Unity's newest student housing is the nation's first campus residence built to the strict Passive House energy standard. Students were closely involved in the design phase while those in the Passive House course used building energy performance concepts to connect area residents with home weatherization incentives from the State.

Pastured Poultry Collaboration

Unity College's FFA club has joined forces with the local high school FFA chapter to raise pastured poultry. The students involved monitor, feed, water, and clean up after the chickens. The construction of chicken tractors also taught students important skills for raising poultry sustainably.

Food Bank Farming

Unity College hosts the hunger relief agriculture project Veggies for All, which annually grows about 13,000 pounds of produce for the local food pantry on and near Unity’s campus. Food is stored in the student-built root cellar for distribution throughout the long Maine winter.

University at Albany

Mock Electricity Bill Program

Implementation of fake electric bill program for on campus apartment residents. We have a complex on campus that houses 300 apartments that are metered individually. We issue mock electric bills to the residents twice a semester. These bills help them compare their apartment use to the highest, lowest and average use in the complex. The bills also come with conservation tips on the back. In the spring, we co-sponsor a contest where the apartment with the lowest electricity use and the biggest decline in electricity use are awarded prizes.

Carbon Footprint Reduction
Reduction of carbon footprint by 14 percent in the last four years. This has mainly been achieved through energy conservation measures. We were recognized for these efforts in 2011 with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Environmental Excellence Award.

Clothing Exchange and Wellness Fair
A university-wide clothing exchange and wellness fair to celebrate Earth Day. The Office of Environmental Sustainability works with our Employee Assistance Program, student groups and academic apartments to put on a full day of events. The day begins with a wellness fair where health screenings like blood pressure checks, glucose screenings, spinal adjustments and pulmonary checks are done for free or low cost. The afternoon features exhibits around a main theme (this year was food and nutrition) along with small demonstrations on the topics.

In addition, the campus comes together to donate their gently used and unwanted clothes and exchanges them for some "new to you" clothes in a campus-wide clothing swap. Leftover clothes are donated to the City Mission. At night the student groups provide an array of educational speakers on sustainability topics and good some music to enjoy each others company while we celebrate the earth.

University of Alberta

Sustainability Awareness Week

Each year, the University of Alberta hosts Sustainability Awareness Week in partnership with more than 30 on- and off-campus organizations. This past year, the week featured 54 unique sustainability-related events that engaged and educated a total of 8,045 members of the campus community and general public in environmental, social and economic sustainability-related issues.

One Simple Act on Campus

University of Alberta students making commitments towards the One Simple Act on Campus program.

In 2011-2012, the University of Alberta rolled out the One Simple Act on Campus project. The program invites the campus community to make a commitment to implement a simple action into their daily lives relating to waste reduction, energy efficiency, sustainability or water conservation. So far, over 400 students, staff and faculty have made personal commitments.

Earth Hour

A student pledging to power down for the hour for Earth Hour 2012, as part of the One Hour, No Power: Campus Challenge.

For Earth Hour 2012, the University of Alberta teamed up with nine other post-secondary institutions from across Alberta to raise awareness for the need to take action against climate change by hosting the One Hour, No Power Campus Challenge. In total 2,317 students, faculty and staff participated, pledging to power down during Earth Hour.

University of British Columbia

Centre for Interactive Research and Sustainability

UBC’s Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) is a global leader in utilizing physical space as a living laboratory. CIRS research focuses on sustainable building design and operations, policy analysis and strategy, and tools for modeling and visualizing sustainable communities. CIRS seeks solutions to the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges.

Energy Competitions

A "Do It in the Dark" organizer shows off the competition bulletin board and calendar

From November 7-25 2011, students living at UBC’s Totem Park and Place Vanier Residences competed in “Do It in the Dark.” This province-wide energy conservation competition challenged students to reduce energy consumption by taking action in their own residences. Students competed for online prizes, energy savings and bragging rights.

AMS Sustainability Fund

GeoGarden outside of UBC's Geography Students' Association

Inspiring students to promote sustainability, the AMS Sustainability Fund provided $46,554 in financial support this past year for student-led projects. Funds have been used to establish bikeshare programs, GeoGardens (community food garden for geography students), and biodiesel production from cooking oil waste. The program increases student engagement and resource conservation via peer-to-peer sustainability programs.

University of Calgary

Schulich Axiom Solar Car

Team members in front of the Axiom solar car

The University of Calgary’s Schulich Axiom solar car was the top Canadian team in the 2011 Veolia World Solar Challenge, placing 19th out of 37 teams. The 3000-kilometer race, finishing in Adelaide, Australia, took participants through some of the most remote and barren regions on the continent.

Cogeneration Plant
The University of Calgary’s cogeneration plant, opened in 2011, supplies 99.9 percent of the Main Campus’ energy needs with cleaner power than that available from the grid. The plant cuts the university’s CO2 emissions by 25 percent and saves $3.5 million in energy costs annually.

Enbridge Centre for Corporate Sustainability
The University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business has partnered with Enbridge to create a best-in-class corporate sustainability centre. The Enbridge Centre for Corporate Sustainability (ECCS) will collaborate with academics, institutions and private sector organizations to provide a neutral ground for impactful and relevant research and education.

University of Denver

Our Students

Photo taken by Michael Johnson, University of Denver

Many of the successes we’ve achieved with sustainability at the University of Denver were originally researched and suggested by students: becoming an ACUPCC signatory, bringing composting to campus dining, hosting conferences, installing water bottle filling stations throughout campus, participating in Denver B-Cycle, expanding campus recycling, and many more!

Energy Reserve Fund
Our Energy Reserve Fund allows for savings generated by efficiency upgrades to create a source of capital for future efficiency projects. We’ve invested $1.5 million in efficiency projects like lighting and mechanical upgrades; we’ve reduced electrical consumption by over 4 million kWh/yr, (a carbon offset of more than 4000 MeTCO2/year).

Full-Time Sustainability Coordinator Position
We are thrilled to have a full-time sustainability coordinator starting soon. As we look forward to that and as we reflect on our history, we are proud of the many things we have accomplished over the years with an ALL-VOLUNTEER force of sustainability activists amongst our students, faculty, and staff.

University of Illinois at Chicago

Outreach and Education Events

April Muller, winner of the undergraduate sustainability research award for work on "From Circle Campus to Cycle Campus"

Last summer we held the first annual Summer Institute for Sustainability, an intense interdisciplinary program for graduate and senior-level undergraduate students. For a week in August, participants from diverse academic backgrounds were immersed in a broad spectrum of sustainability and energy related topics: policy, economics, health, science, engineering, environment, urban planning, business and entrepreneurship. In the fall, we held our annual Sustainability Week with an event each day promoting recycling, reuse, conserving energy, walk/pedal/ride, and eating local.

Throughout the year, we hosted a monthly Sustainability Lunch Series. In January, we held a 4-year anniversary celebration for the Office of Sustainability, which was well-attended by many campus and external community partners and included a formal presentation of the 2011 Illinois Governor's Sustainability Award to the Chancellor. In April 2012, we promoted and hosted over 30 Earth Month events including the University of Commonsense panel on the future of nuclear energy, several water-related seminars, a sustainability award as part of the annual Student Research Forum, an Arbor Day celebration, Ecojamapalooza earth day celebration with the Giving Tree Band and Schwintonation, Earth Day Tree Planting with Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams in memory of Wangari Maathai at the Jane Addams Hull House Museum on campus, and concluding with a three-mile Fun Run.

Tree Planting Program

Students plant tree during Arbor Day celebration

This year the Office of Sustainability and Facilities Management oversaw the inventory of over 5000 trees, including over 100 species, the development of an urban forestry care plan, an educational program, tree planting, and formation of a campus tree care committee. For this effort we were awarded Tree Campus USA recognition. We also applied for and received a tree planting program from the Arbor Day Foundation, allowing us to host a tree planting event with nearly 100 volunteers and 40 trees.

Green Fee
After several years of hard work, UIC Students from the Undergraduate Student Government and green student groups got a green fee approved by the Board of Trustees this spring. The fee will provide nearly $200,000 annually to support campus sustainability projects including the purchase of clean energy through renewable energy credits or alternate means.

University of Iowa

Recycling and Composting Programs

The recycling and composting effort at the 2011 UI Convocation and President's block party kept 90 percent of the waste generated at the events from going to the landfill. Volunteers educated 4,500 incoming students about recycling and collected compostable food materials, plastics, cardboard and redeemable beverage containers.

Energy Control Center

The University of Iowa Energy Control Center houses one of the most advanced and extensive energy management tools available in a campus environment. Building Energy Dashboards provide real-time and historical displays of energy consumption (steam, electric, chilled water) in all UI buildings connected to the campus utilities system.

Biomass Energy Program

Oakdale Renewable Energy Plant uses woods chips

Since 2003, oat hulls have served as the cornerstone of the UI biomass energy program. This spring 2012, biomass (wood chips) use on campus expanded to the UI Oakdale Renewable Energy Plant, earning it the National Recognition Award for engineering excellence from the American Council of Engineering Companies.

University of New Hampshire

UNH Sustainability Book

Cover image courtesy of artist Dennis Balogh and the UNH Foundation, Inc.

UNH's sustainability leadership was chronicled in a book written by over 60 faculty, staff, and community members in 2009.

EcoLine

Credit: UNH Photographic Services.

In 2009, UNH began using processed landfill gas from the EcoLine project, a landfill gas-to-energy project that uses methane gas from a nearby landfill as the primary fuel for the COGEN plant. UNH will sell the renewable energy certificates (REC's) associated with ECOLine's electricity generation to help finance the capital costs of the project and to invest in additional energy efficiency projects on campus. When combined with the COGEN plant, ECOLine will stabilize energy costs, provide energy security, and demonstrate environmental responsibility.

ECOLine and selling RECs are part of UNH’s aggressive climate action plan called “WildCAP,” which will outline how the university will lower its emissions to basically zero and secure its leadership position in climate protection as part of its broader sustainability commitment. Under WildCAP, UNH will cut its greenhouse gas emissions: 50 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050 on the road to carbon neutrality by 2100.

Food System Work

Credit: UNH Photographic Services.

From the first organic dairy research farm at a land grant university to the innovative dual major in EcoGastronomy, UNH is advancing sustainable food from farm to fork to health and nutrition outcomes. The image is of an EcoGastronomy class with instructor Dan Winans from the UNH Whittemore School of Business & Economics.

University of Virginia

Local Food Commitment

Students sample local food at a Local Food Fair in Fall 2011. Photo by Dan Addison

The University of Virginia has established partnerships with the Local Food Hub and Blue Ridge Produce, two local entities that aggregate food items from small family farmers and make them available to institutional buyers like us. Thanks to those partnerships, we have purchased local apples, squash, potatoes, asparagus, berries, tomatoes, kale, lettuce, and more over the past two years. We are exposing UVa's student body to an array of healthy and sustainable - and just as importantly, delicious - food offerings and hope that they embrace a commitment to local purchasing in the years to come.

Reusable To-Go Container Program

Celebrating Earth Day with a photo booth and food in a reusable container

This year alone, 180 new students have signed up to use reusable containers and have diverted a number of disposable clamshells from the landfill. Dining has expanded the program this year to include its food trucks, a new residential dining location, and to include a drop-site for dirty containers at a popular library cafe.

Fair Trade App
Dining audited its Fair Trade offerings this year during Fair Trade Month (October) and added the results to the crowd-sourced Fair Trade App. Now people can easily log onto the Fair Trade USA Facebook page or download the app and quickly learn where to find Fair Trade Certified items on UVa Grounds!

Vancouver Community College

Bottled Water Ban

Tony Tang, Darell Mussatto, Charmaine Waters, Greg Moore and Kathy Kinloch

Vancouver Community College President Kathy Kinloch made history on Thursday, March 22 as she and Students’ Union of VCC Chairperson Charmaine Waters signed a pledge to make the VCC the first post-secondary institution in Metro Vancouver to eliminate sales of bottled water by spring 2013. Tony Tang, Vancouver city councillor, congratulated the college and SUVCC on this new sustainability initiative and presented a proclamation from the City of Vancouver; March 22, 2012 is officially Vancouver Community College Bottled Water Free Day. The initiative has received support from Dogwood Initiative, Wilderness Committee, David Suzuki Foundation, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, BC Health Communities and Back the Tap Coalition.

Environmental Sustainability Plan
The fourth initiative in VCC's 2011-2014 strategic plan is to build and implement a college-wide Environmental Sustainability Plan. Within this initiative, VCC will bring sustainability principles into the thinking, actions, culture and everyday operations of VCC, demonstrate our respect for the envronment as we educate students, staff and faculty about environmental stewardship and seek innovations and improved practices that reduce our carbon footprint.

AASHE Membership
In celebration of Earth Day, Vancouver Community College (VCC) is proud to announce it has joined the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education to further efforts toward building a healthy and just world. Through membership in AASHE, VCC will receive support in advancing its sustainability initiatives on campus and in the community. "I am pleased to announce VCC's membership in AASHE," said Kathy Kinloch, VCC president. "This collaboration will further strengthen the commitment to the environment that resonates so clearly within VCC's 2011-2014 Strategic Plan and will position our students, staff, faculty and administrators as leaders in the post-secondary move towards greater environmental sustainability."