STARS Silver Rating for Sustainability
January 10, 2012 by Michael D Harris
UNCG has received a STARS Silver Rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, is a new program that measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.
Trey McDonald, UNCG's sustainability coordinator says, "Knowing that a comprehensive, quantifiable baseline of its sustainability efforts was necessary, UNCG signed on as a Charter Participant of STARS in 2010. STARS provides a common template that helps us track our progress and compare efforts with other schools. The last comprehensive assessment of sustainability at UNCG was conducted in 2002, and a great deal has happened in the interim."
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.
McDonald says he is proud of UNCG's progress, "Achieving a STARS Silver Rating is an exciting result for UNCG. I was particularly pleased with the very strong result we got in the Planning, Administration and Engagement section – of the 143 schools that have completed assessments, UNCG is ranked 10th in this section."