Indiana State University Newsroom

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has recognized Indiana State University with a STARS Silver Rating.

STARS (The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, is a new program that measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.

A leading institution in recycling for decades, Indiana State in 2007 signed on to the American College and University President's Climate Commitment, a coordinated national pledge to reduce stress to the environment and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Earlier this year, the Princeton Review included Indiana State on its list of 322 Green Colleges in the United States and Canada and the university was a finalist for the fourth annual Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards.

"We are pleased to add the STARS Silver Rating to the university's growing list of sustainability acknowledgements," said university President Dan Bradley. "Thanks to the good work of the Institute for Community Sustainability, facilities management staff, students, faculty and others we continue to make progress in this important area."

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: education and research; operations; and planning, administration and engagement.

"STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts," said Wendy Scott, AASHE's executive director. "Indiana State University has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Silver Rating and is to be congratulated for its efforts."

Unlike other rating or ranking systems, the STARS program is open to all institutions of higher education in the U.S. and Canada, and the criteria that determine a STARS Rating are transparent and accessible to anyone, Scott said. Because STARS is a program based on credits earned, it allows for both internal comparisons as well as comparisons with similar institutions, she said.

"We are very proud to have achieved a STARS Silver Rating for our sustainability accomplishments. We look forward to watching our sustainability efforts grow and improve through the STARS program," said Jim Speer, executive director of the Institute for Community Sustainability at Indiana State.

AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that are working to create a sustainable future. Its mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation. It provides resources, professional development and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research. For more information about AASHE, visit www.aashe.org

Contact: Jim Speer, executive director, Institute for Community Sustainability, Indiana State University, 812-237- or jim.speer@indstate.edu