The university has earned a STARS Silver Rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
Elon University has again been recognized for its achievements around sustainability, with a STARS Silver Rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. This is Elon’s fourth STARS Silver Rating and demonstrates Elon’s continued commitment to sustainability.
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
- Innovation and Leadership
“The STARS Report is a comprehensive assessment of campus-wide sustainability efforts and requires data and input from many individuals across campus. I am grateful for their participation,” said Elaine Durr, director of sustainability, who compiles the report.
“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Elon has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Silver Rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”
The STARS report helps demonstrate that working toward sustainability goals is a campus-wide effort. Because each category is divided into subcategories and credits, with each credit being scored, the report is also a useful tool in identifying areas of improvement to guide future sustainability initiatives. To learn about all the programs and practices that earned Elon points, view Elon’s STARS Report.
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. Criteria for scoring the most recent report can be found in the STARS 2.1 Technical Manual.