A Comparative Tool for Evaluating Campus Sustainability

1
Sustainability Tracking, Assessment Rating
System (STARS)

• A Comparative Tool forEvaluating Campus
  Sustainability
• www.aashe.org/stars

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Goals of STARS

• Provide a guide for advancing sustainability in
  all sectors of higher education
• Enable meaningful comparisons across and within
  institutions
• Create incentives for continual improvement
• Facilitate information sharing
• Build a stronger, more diverse campus
  sustainability community

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Elements of STARS

• Checklist of indicators (similar to LEED)
• Two tiers of indicators
• Thresholds of achievement
• Guidance and resources
• Comprehensive all campus sectors
• Transparency (public reporting and access)
• Outside certification optional
• Rating good for 3 years
• Pilot phase begins in 2008 version 1.0 in 2009

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Categories of Credits

• Education Research
• Operations
• Administration Finance

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Rating v. Assessment

• Assessment
• Evaluation of many sustainability practices
• Able to compare individual metrics
• No aggregation
• Rating
• Aggregation of many sustainability indicators
• Point values assigned to allow aggregating
• Total score (single metric) determines rating

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Why Rating Not Ranking?

• A rating system
• Allows for more in depth questions
• Provides a clear standard, while ranking creates
  a moving target
• Generally more transparent
• Only gives positive recognition
• Can be self-funding
• More inclusive

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What is Sustainability?

• Many variations on a definition
• STARS uses concepts common to most
• Simultaneous consideration of environmental,
  economic, and equity issues in all decisions
• Intergenerational equity
• Common goals of healthy environments, thriving
  communities, meaningful livelihoods

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Get Involved in STARS

• Become a reviewer
• Join AASHE-Rating discussion list
• Information www.aashe.org/stars
• Project Manager Judy Walton judy_at_aashe.org