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Sustainability: STARS

This guide will help you locate sustainability resources such as websites, articles and books.

Quote

“Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world.  In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.”

- Margaret Mead

Introduction to STARS

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS®) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to gauge relative progress toward sustainability. STARS was developed by AASHE with broad participation from the higher education community.

STARS is designed to:

  • Provide a framework for understanding sustainability in all sectors of higher education.
  • Enable meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
  • Create incentives for continual improvement toward sustainability.
  • Facilitate information sharing about higher education sustainability practices and performance.
  • Build a stronger, more diverse campus sustainability community.

The STARS framework is intended to engage and recognize the full spectrum of colleges and universities in the United States and Canada – from community colleges to research universities, and from institutions just starting their sustainability programs to long-time campus sustainability leaders. STARS encompasses long-term sustainability goals for already high-achieving institutions as well as entry points of recognition for institutions that are taking first steps toward sustainability.

STARS 1.0, which launched on January 19, 2010, after a three-year development process, is the first version of STARS in which participants can earn a Rating.

The pdf file below will give you a high level overview of the STARS rating system.  If you would like the file in PowerPoint format, please contact Stefanie Smith at ssmith2@starkstate.edu.

STARS Credit Count

Stark State College's initial projected credit count indicates that a BRONZE level could be reached.  Please see the full count below.  Note that this is only a projection!