Indiana State University Newsroom

Indiana State University has earned 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 and Rating System, measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. It is based on many factors including environmental protection, to campus and community engagement, to planning and administration. The rating is an all-encompassing report on the sustainability of the university.

"The Office of Sustainability would like to thank everyone who helped compile the data needed to complete the STARS report. Graduate Assistant Garrett Hurley has been working on this report for the better part of this academic year, and we are very excited to be receiving a silver rating," said Nick McCreary, sustainability coordinator at Indiana State. "We submit the STARS report every three years, and we are aiming for gold in 2022!"

Indiana State's STARS report is available on the STARS website:
https://reports.aashe.org/institutions/indiana-state-university-in/report/2019-02-26/

With more than 800 participants in 30 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 Meghan Fay Zahniser, executive director of AASHE. "Indiana State 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.

"We are very proud to have achieved a STARS rating for our sustainability accomplishments. We look forward to watching our sustainability efforts grow and improve through the STARS program," said Nancy Rogers, vice president for university engagement at Indiana State.

AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that are working to create a sustainable future. AASHE's 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.

For more information about the STARS program, go to stars.aashe.org.

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Media contact: Libby Roerig, University Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3790 or libby.roerig@indstate.edu or Meghan Fay Zahniser, executive director, AASHE, meghan@aashe.org or 888-347-9997.