Auburn University receives STARS Silver Rating
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On Earth Day 2022, Auburn University is celebrating the achievement of receiving a STARS Silver Rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, or AASHE.
STARS – Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System – measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. The Auburn University Office of Sustainability collaborated with the Academic Sustainability Program to conduct a comprehensive self-assessment throughout 2021 and submitted findings to STARS in February.
Along with this achievement, Auburn has been recognized in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2022 Edition, and the university is a part of the U.S. chapter of the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
“Auburn has just completed our fourth STARS assessment since 2012,” said Mike Kensler, director of the Office of Sustainability. “Each time the scoring has been tougher, yet each time Auburn’s sustainability performance rating has improved. Our latest assessment shows the most significant progress yet, leaving us a mere 0.87 point away from a STARS Gold rating.”
With more than 900 participants in 40 countries, AASHE’s STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in five overall areas: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership.
“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Auburn University has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Silver Rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”
Unlike other rating or ranking systems, this program is open to all institutions of higher education, and the criteria that determine a STARS rating are transparent and accessible to anyone. Because STARS is a program based on credits earned, it allows for both internal comparisons as well as comparisons with similar institutions.
“This achievement is a testament to Auburn’s leadership in the state of Alabama when it comes to sustainability efforts in teaching and research, outreach and engagement, university operations, and institutional planning and administration,” said Kensler. “With each assessment we discover new opportunities for progress and look forward to recording that progress in our next STARS report.”
The Auburn University STARS report is public and can be found online.
Auburn students will be celebrating our planet and promoting sustainable living at the Earth Day Extravaganza today at the Student Center Greenspace from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Media interested in this story can contact Communications Director Preston Sparks at (334) 844-9999 or preston.sparks@auburn.edu.
Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.
