The Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). AASHE’s STARS program is the only one of its kind that involves publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in three overall areas: 1) education & research, 2) operations, and 3) planning, administration & engagement.
Santa Clara University was a Charter Participant in the first STARS program. The University earned a Silver rating in January 2011. The report was compiled by undergraduate interns in the Office of Sustainability during Fall Quarter 2010. Most data reported represents calendar year 2009 or academic year 2009-10. Innovations including the University's use of high-efficiency building paint, the Frugal innovation initiative, the Solar Decathlon houses on campus, and the Experiential Learning for Social Justice program were highlighted. Read Santa Clara University's STARS report.
SCU was one of 41 institutions to participate in the STARS pilot. The report was compiled by the sustainability coordinator and an undergraduate intern in the Office of Sustainability during the 2008-09 academic year. SCU was asked to provide feedback based on this experience, to help shape STARS 1.0 and future iterations of the program. See aggregate results of the STARS Pilot Project.
The Santa Clara University Sustainability Assessment, completed by SCU undergraduates working with the University Office of Sustainability in 2007, was designed to assemble baseline data regarding University fuel use, water consumption, waste production, and use of toxic chemicals.
The Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). AASHE’s STARS program is the only one of its kind that involves publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in three overall areas: 1) education & research, 2) operations, and 3) planning, administration & engagement.
