St. Edward’s University has enrolled in a new program to encourage sustainability on campus. The Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) program is administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
This assessing and tracking program will enable the university to make meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus. Participants report achievements in three overall areas: 1) education & research, 2) operations, and 3) planning, administration & engagement.
As part of our university’s sustainability goals established by the 2011 Campus Master Plan, this program will help us incorporate sustainable design thinking on campus. Areas related to energy, water, transportation, materials and waste and the natural environment are components of the 2011 Campus Master Plan.
With the help of faculty, students and staff we hope to build a stronger, more diverse campus sustainability community and promote a comprehensive understanding of sustainability that includes social, economic and environmental dimensions.
About AASHE:
AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that are working to create a sustainable future. AASHE’s mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation. It provides resources, professional development and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research. For more information about AASHE, visit www.aashe.org.
For more information about the STARS program, visit www.aashe.org/stars.