1. Assessment
of
Gold
and
Silver
Rated
AASHE
STARS
Institutions
Prepared
by
Cristina
Avila
June
2016
2. 2
Executive Summary
An assessment of sustainability websites was conducted of seven gold rated and five silver rated AASHE STARS institutions with a
student population between 2,000 and 5,000 students, to understand the scope of sustainability programs, events, leadership groups,
and awareness strategies in higher education. Having a better understanding of institutions similar to Willamette University’s size will
provide the Sustainability Advisory Board with more information to assist with the creation of institutional goals.
This research examined differences and consistencies between gold rated and silver rated institutions. It was observed that gold rated
institutions had their sustainability webpages align with the AASHE STARS assessment criteria: academics, engagement, operations,
planning and administration, and innovation. Gold rated institutions also posted reference materials for students, staff, and faculty,
such as recycling, composting, and energy saving tips, master plans or climate action plans; and lists of the offices, leadership groups,
and clubs that worked on campus sustainability programs. However, a social justice goal, one of Willamette’s potential institutional
goals, was lacking from a large majority of the institutions websites. Silver rated institutions lacked concrete goals and commitments
as well as Climate Action Plans and Master Plan documents. Silver rated institutions had less engagement tactics available on their
websites. Many silver and gold rated institutions have available data for students, staff, and faculty to access energy usage and waste
consumption per building throughout each campus. This data can be accessed through other websites and has potential to be used in
student projects in regards to sustainability on campus. This data can also be used to promote friendly competition between buildings
to display conservation efforts.
All gold rated institutions have signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), while most
silver rated institutions have not signed the ACUPCC. Signing the ACUPCC should be one of Willamette’s first priorities in order to
set institutional goals, which would primarily consist of reduction goals with greenhouse gases and energy, while also including a
projected deadline to reach carbon neutrality. Obtaining an AASHE STARS rating is one of Willamette’s institutional goals. A list of
recommendations is provided at the end of this document, which includes related actions that other institutions have included in their
sustainability departments that would help Willamette achieve its goals of obtaining a STARS rating.
3. 3
Table of Contents
AASHE
STARS
Score
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
4
Dickenson
College
.................................................................................................................................................................................................
5
Middlebury
College
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
6
Furman
University
................................................................................................................................................................................................
7
Macalester
College
................................................................................................................................................................................................
8
Colgate
University
...............................................................................................................................................................................................
10
Bard
College
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................
11
Colorado
College
..................................................................................................................................................................................................
12
Bucknell
University
............................................................................................................................................................................................
13
Smith
College
........................................................................................................................................................................................................
14
Vassar
College
......................................................................................................................................................................................................
15
University
of
Richmond
....................................................................................................................................................................................
16
Wellesley
College
................................................................................................................................................................................................
18
Recommendations
..............................................................................................................................................................................................
19
5. 5
Dickenson
College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
STARS
Rating
–
Gold
(74.24)
Weak
Areas
Operations:
Dining
Services
(2.47/7.0)
Strong
Areas
-‐Academics:
Research
(17.71
/
18.00)
-‐Operations:
Grounds
(3.63
/
4.00)
-‐Innovation
(4.00
/4.00)
Institutional
Sustainability
Groups
• Center
for
Sustainability
and
Education
• Presidents
Commission
on
Environmental
Sustainability
• Dickenson
College
Organic
Farms
Institutional
Commitments
and
Awards
• Carbon
Neutral
by
2020
• Signed
ACUPCC
in
2007
• Signed
the
Talloires
Declaration
in
2010
• 2016,
2015,
2014
and
2011
Princeton
Review
Green
Honor
Rolls
• "Top
20
Coolest
School"
in
the
country
for
sustainability
efforts
(2015,
2014,
2013,
2010)
• Climate
Leadership
Award
from
Second
Nature
in
2010
Campus
Engagement
Strategies
• Eco-‐Reps:
student
leaders
who
work
together
to
create
a
sustainable
campus
• Sustainability
Education
Funding:
teaching
faculty
and
staff
can
apply
for
grant
to
develop
sustainable
curriculum
• Green
Devil
Certification
Program:
self-‐assessment
tool
to
encourage
sustainable
choices
• Printing:
students
can
print
up
to
600
pages
for
free
each
semester
before
they
will
be
charged
to
print
• Idea
Fund:
student
initiated
and
run,
funds
student
social
and
environmental
projects
• Sustainability
Internships
for
Students
• Map
of
bike
ramps
on
campus
and
water
filling
stations
• Catalog
of
sustainability
courses
• Student
and
Faculty
sustainability
research
project
inventories
on
webpage
Official
Documents
1
• Annual
Sustainability
Report
• Climate
Action
Plan
(2009)
• Charting
the
Path
for
a
Sustainable
Dickinson
Summary
Report
(2010)
• Greenhouse
Gas
Emissions
Inventory
Report
(2014)
Overall
Assessment
According
to
their
website,
Dickenson
College
highly
prioritizes
sustainability
on
campus.
They
provide
many
tools
and
resources
for
their
students,
staff,
and
faculty
in
order
for
them
to
be
more
sustainable,
such
as
recycling
and
composting
guidelines,
lists
of
courses
that
include
sustainability,
having
a
residence
hall
(Treehouse)
for
students
committed
to
reducing
their
ecological
footprint.
They
also
have
an
opportunities
page
on
their
website
specifically
with
resources
for
students
to
learn
how
to
get
involved.
Their
strategic
plans
and
efforts
towards
sustainability
are
clearly
listed
on
their
webpage,
under
commitments.
1
http://www.dickinson.edu/info/20052/sustainability/2196/performance
6. Middlebury
College
Middlebury, Vermont
STARS
Rating
–
Gold
(72.61)
Weak
Areas
Operations:
Dining
Services
(1.92/7.0),
Buildings
(2.11/8.0)
Strong
Areas
-‐
Operations:
grounds
(3.50
/
4.00),
Air
and
Climate
(8.5/11)
-‐
Planning
and
Administration:
Coordination,
Planning,
and
Governance
(8.0/8.0),
Diversity
and
Affordability
(8.55/10.0)
-‐
Innovation
(4/4)
Institutional
Sustainability
Groups
• Office
of
Sustainability
Integration
• Dean
of
Environmental
Affairs
• Environmental
Council
• The
Lands
Advisory
Committee:
Students,
staff
and
faculty
making
decisions
on
important
land-‐use
decisions
• Student
Government
Association
(SGA)
Environmental
Affairs
Committee:
works
with
office
of
sustainability
to
achieve
more
environmentally
friendly
campus
• Global
Partnerships
for
Sustainability
(GPS):
study
abroad
with
sustainable
service
projects
Institutional
Commitments
and
Awards
• Carbon
Neutral
2016
(without
relying
on
offsets)
• Signed
the
American
College
&
University
Presidents’
Climate
Commitment
(ACUPCC)
in
2007
and
signed
the
Talloires
Declaration
in
1990
• Signed
the
National
Real
Food
Challenge
(RFC):
have
50%
local
food
by
2020
• Adopted
Recycled
Paper
and
Purchasing
Policy
in
2007
Campus
Engagement
Strategies
• Campus
Sustainability
Coordinators
(CSCs):
promote
sustainable
living
habits
in
the
dorms
and
on
campus
• The
Green
Revolving
Loan
Fund
• Sustainability
Campus
Tour
2
• Green
Panther
Challenge:
challenge
student
athletes
to
be
more
sustainable
(ie.
Recycle
in
locker
rooms)
• Weybridge
House:
Sustainable
Food
Studies
House
• The
Sunday
Night
Group:
focuses
on
environmental
problems
and
awareness
on
campus,
particularly
climate
activism
• The
Socially
Responsible
Investment
Club:
promotes
social
and
environmental
justice
Official
Documents
• College
Master
Plan
(2008)3
• Carbon
Neutral
Update
(2016)4
• Environmental
Council
Recommendations
for
Campus5
Overall
Assessment
Middlebury
had
the
most
sustainability
related
leadership
groups
out
of
all
gold
rated
institutions.
This
institutions
website
provides
information
on
projects
and
initiatives
that
have
already
been
completed
on
campus.
This
website
has
less
information
on
the
operations
aspect
of
the
institution
than
other
gold
rated
institutions.
2
https://myatlascms.com/map/?id=797#!ct/12065,12066,12067,12068,12069,12070
3
http://www.middlebury.edu/offices/business/facilities/pdc/masterplan/node/187371
4
http://www.middlebury.edu/media/view/262621/original/carbonneutralityupdate1008final.pdf
5
http://www.middlebury.edu/sustainability/academics-and-research/environmental-council
7. Furman
University
Greenville, South Carolina
STARS
Rating
–
Gold
(69.25)
Weak
Areas
Planning
and
Administration:
Investment
(0.00/7.00)
Strong
Areas
-‐Engagement:
Campus
engagement
(20/20)
-‐Planning
and
Administration:
Coordination,
planning
and
governance
(7.00/
8.00)
Institutional
Sustainability
Groups
• Sustainability
Planning
Council
• Environmental
Action
Group:
group
committed
to
environmental
advocacy
and
education
• Furman
in
the
Garden:
promotes
sustainable
agriculture
• Bartram
Society:
Student
led
group
in
Earth
and
Environmental
Science
department.
They
volunteer
and
attend
lectures
about
conserving
and
enjoying
natural
resources
• Furman
Farm
• Shi
Center
for
Sustainability
Institutional
Commitments
and
Awards
• Carbon
Neutral
by
2026
• Signed
ACUPCC
in
2007
• Tree
Campus
USA
school
since
2008
• Named
an
overall
Sustainability
leader
by
Princeton’s
Review
• Climate
Champion
by
Clean
Air-‐Cool
Planet
Campus
Engagement
Strategies
• Energy
Dashboard:
The
dashboard
allows
Furman
community
members
to
view
energy
use
in
real-‐time
through
an
easy-‐to-‐use
website
• Greenbelt
Community:
residence
where
students
commit
to
sustainable
lifestyle
• Students
can
rent
drying
racks
for
their
clothes
for
free
• Community
Conservation
Corps
(CCC):
provides
free
home
weatherization
to
low
income
homeowners
in
the
greater
Greenville
community
• Volunteer
at
Furman
Farms
• Recycling
guideline
posters
Official
Documents
• Master
Plan
&
Climate
Action
Plan
(2009)
-‐
Sustainable
Furman6
Overall
Assessment
Furman
describes
sustainability
on
their
website
as
more
than
a
“buzzword”,
it
is
part
of
their
identity.
Their
website
is
very
organized
and
aligned
with
STARS
and
is
also
organized
by
vision,
what
the
institution
has
done,
and
what
can
be
done
to
take
a
more
sustainable
approach
on
campus.
Furman’s
energy
dashboard
is
innovative
and
allows
students
to
become
more
engaged
and
understand
energy
use
on
campus.
If
possible,
this
would
be
a
great
tool
to
implement
at
Willamette.
6
http://www.furman.edu/sites/sustainability/documents/sustain3.pdf
8. Macalester
College
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Stars
Rating
–
Gold
(66.99)
Weak
Areas
Operations:
dining
services
(1.88/7.0)
Strong
Areas
-‐
Engagement:
Campus
engagement
(20.0/20.0)
-‐
Innovation
(4.0/4.0)
-‐
Planning
and
Administration:
Diversity
and
Affordability
(8.10/10.0),
Coordination,
Planning,
and
Governance
(7.50/8.00)
Institutional
Sustainability
Groups
• Sustainability
Office
• Sustainability
Advisory
Committee
• Zero-‐Waste
Committee
• Food
Recovery
Network
• Macalester
Urban
Land
and
Community
Health
(MULCH)
runs
on-‐campus
student
community
garden
and
chicken
coop
• Small
Project
Fund:
Up
to
$1,000
in
grants
for
projects
• MacFEAST:
primary
food
justice
and
sustainability
student
organization
Institutional
Commitments
and
Awards
• Carbon
Neutral
2025
• Zero
Waste
by
2020
• Read
Food
by
2020
• Signed
American
Campuses
Act
on
Climate
Change
(2015)
• Signed
ACUPCC
in
2007
• Signed
Talloires
Declaration
(2000)
• Exclusively
utilizes
Green
Seal
Certified
cleaning
products
• Purchases
sweatshop-‐free,
environmentally
and
socially
responsible
apparel
for
teams
Campus
Engagement
Strategies
• The
Sustainability
Office
sends
out
the
Sustainable
Scots
Newsletter
monthly
• Potential
student
projects
page7
• Print
Awareness
Project:
Free
printing,
students
use
PaperCut
Program
to
track
how
many
pages
they
print
• Sustainability
Tracking:
Live
data
available8
• Zero-‐Waste
Event
guidelines,
recycling
and
compositing
guidelines
• Recycling
bin
map
&
college
map
with
sustainability
tour9
• EcoHouse:
Student
residence
with
sustainability
theme
Official
Documents
10
• Sustainability
plan
2016
(DRAFT)
• Waste,
Energy,
and
Progress
Reports
Overall
Assessment
Macalester
displays
sustainability
as
a
main
priority
through
their
website.
They
have
many
available
PDF
guidelines
to
help
7
http://www.macalester.edu/sustainability/data-reports/studentresources/studentprojects/
8
http://www.macalester.edu/sustainability/data-reports/data/
9
http://www.macalester.edu/sustainability/MacalesterCollegeSustainabilityTour2014.pdf
10
http://www.macalester.edu/sustainability/data-‐reports/reports/
9. 9
students,
staff,
and
faculty
participate
in
more
sustainable
actions.
Their
website
is
organized
by
institutional
goals
instead
of
aligned
with
STARS
assessment.
This
organizational
layout
provides
viewers
with
a
better
understanding
of
the
actions
that
are
being
taken
to
reach
the
institutional
goals.
Macalester
also
addresses
social
justice
and
environmental
health
in
their
Sustainability
Plan.
They
have
the
strongest
campus
engagement.
10. 10
Colgate
University
Hamilton, New York
Stars
Rating
–
Gold
(65.69)
Weak
Areas
Planning
and
Administration:
Investment
(0.0/7.0)
Strong
Areas
-‐Engagement:
Campus
engagement
(17.54/20.0)
-‐Operations:
Air
and
climate
(10.29/11.0),
-‐Planning
and
Administration:
coordination,
planning,
and
governance
(8.0/8.0),
health,
wellbeing,
and
work
(6.15/7.0)
-‐Innovation
(4.0/4.0)
Institutional
Sustainability
Groups
• Sustainability
Council
• Sustainability
Fund
• Students
for
Environmental
Action
(S.E.A)
• Compost
Club
• The
Greek
Sustainability
Council
Institutional
Commitments
and
Awards
• Carbon
Neutral
by
2019
• 1,059
acres
of
forested
land
received
American
Tree
Farm
System
certification
(2014)
• Recycling
rate
has
improved
from
16%
in
2010
to
22%
in
2014
• Signed
ACUPCC
in
2009
Campus
Engagement
Strategies
• Residence
hall
monitoring,
sustainability
tracking
• Community
gardens
• Sustainable
highlights
campus
map
• Trayless
dining
in
dining
halls
• Eco-‐Reps:
responsible
for
promoting
environmentally
responsible
behaviors
to
students
• Sustainability
Updates
webpage
with
opportunities
and
events
• Green
Living
Programs:
suggestions
page
on
how
to
green
up
living
space
• Comment
box
on
webpage
for
suggestions
about
how
to
enhance
sustainability
at
Colgate
• Events
and
Competitions:
13
days
of
Green,
RecycleMania,
Campus
Conservation
Nationals
• Colgate
Sustainability
Group
on
LinkedIn
to
connect
with
alumni
• Green
Raider
Internship
Program
Official
Documents
• Carbon
Inventory
and
Projections
(2013)11
• Sustainability
and
Climate
Action
Plan
(2011)12
• Annual
Greenhouse
Gas
Emission
Inventories
(2009
–
2015)13
Overall
Assessment
Colgate’s
Sustainability
webpage
is
organized
into
categories
of
what
students,
staff
and
faculty,
and
alumni
can
do
to
help
reach
their
institutional
goals.
Their
website
is
mainly
focused
on
what
can
be
done
and
what
students
can
participate
in
on
campus.
The
Sustainability
News
section
makes
sustainability
events
visible
to
students.
However,
the
website
is
not
up
to
date.
11
http://colgate.edu/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2013-colgate-forest-
carbon-inventory-and-projections.pdf?sfvrsn=0
12
http://colgate.edu/docs/default-source/default-document-library/download-the-complete-
report.pdf?sfvrsn=0
13
http://colgate.edu/distinctly-colgate/sustainability/climate-action-planning
11. Bard
College
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York
STARS
Rating
–
Gold
(65.38)
Weak
Areas
-‐
Planning
and
Administration:
Investment
(0.0/7.0)
-‐
Operations:
Dining
Services
(1.78/7.0)
Strong
Areas
-‐
Innovation
(4.0/4.0)
-‐
Planning
and
Administration:
Coordination,
Planning,
and
Governance
(8.0/8.0)
-‐
Operations:
Air
and
climate
(10.29/11.0)
-‐
Engagement:
Campus
Engagement
(17.54/20.0)
Institutional
Sustainability
Groups
• Office
of
Sustainability
• Office
of
Civic
Engagement:
helps
individuals
find
sustainable
volunteer
opportunities
• Bard
College
Farm
• Green
Fund
Institutional
Commitments
and
Awards
• Carbon
Neutral
by
2035
• Signed
Carbon
Commitment
(ACUPCC)
in
2009
• Use
Green
Seal
Certified
Cleaning
Products
Campus
Engagement
Strategies
• Sustainable
Events
Calendar
• Compost
and
Recycle
guidelines
14
• Bard
to
Farms
Map:
directs
individuals
to
farmers
markets
within
walking
distance
• Hiking
maps
on
website
for
local
area
• Senior
sustainability
projects
listed
on
webpage
14
http://www.bard.edu/bos/recycling/
• EcoRep
Program:
students
who
promote
sustainable
practices15
• Sustainability
Literacy:
first-‐year
students
at
Citizen
Science
take
a
yearly
sustainability
literacy
assessment
• Fostering
Sustainable
Behavior
Pamphlet16
Official
Documents
• Climate
Action
Plan
(2010),
Ozone
Action
Plan,
and
Renovation
Policies17
Overall
Assessment
Bard
College’s
sustainability
webpage
is
aligned
with
the
STARS
assessment,
making
it
easy
to
find
materials.
They
have
many
campus
engagement
strategies,
however,
not
as
many
as
other
gold
rated
institutions.
Their
website
is
full
of
information
about
the
universities
actions
towards
sustainability.
A
component
that
is
missing
from
Bard’s
website
is
social
justice
and
environmental
health,
which
is
one
of
Willamette’s
institutional
goals.
They
display
facts
throughout
their
sustainability
webpages
with
statements
suggesting
that
if
they
do
not
change
their
actions,
they
will
harm
the
environment.
This
was
an
engagement
strategy
that
has
not
been
used
by
other
institutions
on
their
webpages.
15
file:///Users/cristina/Downloads/EcoRep%20Manual%202.0.pdf
16
file:///Users/cristina/Downloads/FosteringSustainableBehavior.pdf
17
http://www.bard.edu/bos/energy/
12. Colorado
College
Colorado Springs, Colorado
STARS
Rating
–
Gold
(65.36)
Weak
Areas
Planning
and
Administration:
Investment
(0.63
/
7.00)
Strong
Areas
-‐Planning
and
Administration:
Coordination,
Planning,
and
Governance
(7.50
/
8.00),
Diversity
and
Affordability
(9.05
/
10.00)
-‐Innovation
(4.00/4.00)
Institutional
Sustainability
Groups
• Office
of
Sustainability
• Sustainability
Interns
• Eco-‐RA’s
• EcoFund,
CC
Green
Fund,
• The
CC
Farm,
CC
Greenhouse,
Food
Coalition
• Student
Divestment
Committee
Institutional
Commitments
and
Awards
• Carbon
Neutral
by
2020
• Aim
to
cut
potable
water
use
in
half
by
2020,
to
25,000,000
gallons
per
year
• Signed
ACUPCC
in
2009
Campus
Engagement
Strategies
• Sustainability
course
offerings
listed
on
webpage
• Sense
of
Place:
Pamphlet
for
incoming
students
about
the
ecology
of
the
campus
as
well
where
their
energy
and
water
comes
from18
18
https://www.coloradocollege.edu/dotAsset/b6b7b7a7-13cb-4b58-b005-56978a41e9bf.pdf
• Veggie
Van:
fueled
with
reclaimed
vegetable
oil
from
dining
hall;
used
by
the
Outdoor
Recreation
Club
for
trips
and
expeditions
• Self-‐guided
sustainability
walking
tour
• Social
media
pages
for
the
Office
of
Sustainability
• All
bathrooms
have
compost
bins
• Sustainability
Across
the
Curriculum
workshop
to
help
faculty
broaden
sustainability
course
offerings
• List
local
producers
within
close
proximity
of
campus
• Webpage
with
statistics
on
energy
and
waste
consumption
Official
Documents
• Annual
State
of
Sustainability
Report
(2014)19
• Annual
Greenhouse
Gas
Inventory
20
• Colorado
College
Carbon
Neutrality
Strategies21
Overall
Assessment
Colorado
College’s
sustainability
website
is
thoroughly
organized
in
alignment
with
the
STARS
assessment.
According
to
their
webpage,
sustainability
is
prioritized,
as
they
believe
having
an
understanding
of
sustainability
will
help
individuals
become
more
engaged
in
sustainability
efforts.
Colorado
College
has
a
lower
campus
engagement
score
than
the
other
six
assessed
gold
rated
institutions.
Campus
engagement
is
an
important
aspect,
which
makes
sustainability
websites
more
useful
to
individuals.
No
Climate
Action
Plan
was
available.
19
https://www.coloradocollege.edu/dotAsset/a1631e81-9988-489e-a45d-f0ca6b4a037f.pdf
20
http://rs.acupcc.org/ghg/3700/
21
http://rs.acupcc.org/site_media/uploads/cap/1155-cap.pdf
13. Bucknell
University
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
STARS
Rating
–
Silver
(58.15)
Weak
Areas
-‐Operations:
Energy
(0.76
/10.0)
-‐Innovation:
(1.0
/
4.0)
-‐Planning
and
Administration:
Investment
(1.2/7.0)
Strong
Areas
-‐Operations:
Grounds
(3.74/4.0)
-‐Planning
and
Administration:
Diversity
&
Affordability
(8.09/10.0)
Institutional
Sustainability
Groups
• Center
for
Sustainability
and
the
Environment
• Campus
Greening
Council
• Green
Fund
• Environmental
Club
• Student
recycling
monitors
(hired
by
facilities
department)
Institutional
Commitments
and
Awards
• Carbon
Neutral
by
2030
Campus
Engagement
Strategies
• Annual
Sustainability
Symposium:
panels,
speakers,
posters
that
focus
on
sustainability
• Trayless
Tuesdays
and
Thursdays
in
dining
halls
• “Print
Wisely”
Campaign:
uses
on-‐screen
notifications
to
remind
students
how
many
copies
they
have
printed
each
semester
• Real-‐time
data
of
Bucknell's
solar
installations
for
students
to
access
• Green
Roofs:
fully
instrumented
for
data
collection,
and
became
the
topic
of
an
honors
thesis
• Green
Fund
has
webpage
of
project
outcomes
• Environmental
Residential
College
• Every
student,
regardless
of
major
is
required
to
take
an
environmental
course
Official
Documents
• Climate
Action
Plan
(2010)22
• Comprehensive
Environmental
Assessment
(2009)23
• Fertile
Ground
for
Campus
Greening
(2005)24
Overall
Assessment
Sustainability
Website
was
very
difficult
to
navigate
with
an
unclear
organization
technique.
Sustainability
is
prioritized
on
the
website
but
is
lacking
campus
engagement
tactics
that
are
seen
with
gold
rated
institutions.
Bucknell
University’s
website
focuses
on
what
they
are
currently
doing,
but
not
how
students,
staff,
and
faculty
can
get
involved
or
participate
in
sustainability
efforts.
The
Annual
Sustainability
Symposium
is
unique
to
this
institution.
Employing
students
as
recycling
monitors
is
also
unique
to
this
university.
Bucknell
University’s
website
does
not
expand
on
the
areas
it
lacks
in
its
STARS
assessment.
22
http://rs.acupcc.org/site_media/uploads/cap/608-cap.pdf
23
http://www.bucknell.edu/Documents/EnvironmentalCenter/Assessment%20Report%20final.
pdf
24
http://www.bucknell.edu/Documents/EnvironmentalCenter/GreeningReportFinal.pdf
14. Smith
College
Northampton, Massachusetts
STARS
Rating
–
Silver
(56.23)
Weak
Areas
-‐Planning
and
Administration:
Investment
(0.0/7.0)
-‐Operations:
Energy
(1.12/10.0)
Strong
Areas
-‐Planning
and
Administration:
Diversity
and
Affordability
(8.62/10.0),
Coordination,
Planning,
and
Governance
(7.33/8.0)
-‐Operations:
Grounds
(2.38/4.0)
Institutional
Sustainability
Groups
• Office
of
Campus
Sustainability
• Committee
on
Sustainability
• Center
for
the
Environment,
Ecological
Design
and
Sustainability
(CEEDS)
• Smith
College
Community
Garden
• Green
Team:
student-‐led
coalition
dedicated
to
fostering
sustainability
at
Smith
by
educating
and
supporting
the
campus
community
Institutional
Commitments
and
Awards
• Carbon
Neutrality
by
2030
• Purchasing
policy
to
buy
Energy
Star
appliances
• Bottled
Water
Policy
• Use
Green
Seal
Certified
Cleaning
Products
• All
toilet
paper
meets
EPA
Commercial/Industrial
Sanitary
Tissue
procurement
guidelines
Campus
Engagement
Strategies
• Study
Group
on
Climate
Change:
facilitate
a
campus
wide
examination
of
how
Smith
College
can
respond
to
the
challenge
of
global
climate
change
• Sustainability
News
&
calendar
of
events
• Greener
Events
guidelines,
composting
and
recycling
guidelines
• Purchasing
Office:
helps
staff
find
sustainable
office
materials
• “Useful
tips”
webpage
on
how
to
use
less
energy
and
purchase
more
sustainable
items
25
• Sustainability
tour
campus
map26
Official
Documents
• Sustainability
and
Climate
Action
Management
Plan
(2010)27
• Report
on
the
Study
Group
on
Climate
Change
Participatory
Workshop28
Overall
Assessment
Smith
College
provides
a
general
overview
of
the
steps
they
are
taking
to
become
a
more
sustainable
institution.
However,
their
information
on
what
they
are
currently
doing
is
not
very
detailed.
They
heavily
emphasize
student,
staff,
and
faculty
engagement
with
sustainability
efforts,
specifically
with
guidelines
on
how
they
can
recycle
and
compost
accurately.
25
http://www.smith.edu/green/what_tips.php
26
http://www.smith.edu/green/documents/Susttour4-5-12.pdf
27
http://www.smith.edu/green/docs/SmithCollegeSCAMP.pdf
28
http://www.smith.edu/green/documents/SGCCworkshop_finalreport.pdf
15. Vassar
College
Poughkeepsie, New York
STARS
Rating
–
Silver
(55.5)
Weak
Areas
-‐Innovation:
(0.0/4.0)
Strong
Areas
-‐Planning
and
Administration:
Diversity
and
Affordability
(9.32/10.0),
Health
Wellbeing
and
Work
(5.24/7.0)
-‐Operations:
Water
(5.0/7.0),
Purchasing
(3.99/6.0),
Grounds
(3.06
/
4.0)
Institutional
Sustainability
Groups
• Advisory
Committee
on
Recycling
and
Sustainability
(CCS)
• College
Committee
on
Sustainability
• Food
committee:
increase
the
percentage
of
locally
grown
and
produced
foods
used
in
the
dining
halls
• Sustainability
Interns
• EcoLeaders:
take
meaningful
action
in
their
residential
spaces
while
learning
valuable
change-‐making
skills
Institutional
Commitments
and
Awards
• Support
Women
and
Minority
Owned
Businesses
• Use
Green
Seal
Certified
Cleaning
Products
• Smart
product
choices
• Member
of
Tree
Campus
USA
(2014)
Campus
Engagement
Strategies
• Green
Certification
Program
for
offices
• Stop
Waste
And
Promote
Reuse:
donate
items
to
local
nonprofits
• Car
Free
Vassar:
support
carpooling29
29
https://ridematch.511nyrideshare.org/newyork/?id=2061&client=Vassar
• Zero-‐Waste
Event
Consultants
• Webpage
dedicated
to
educating
students
about
why
climate
change
is
an
important
issue
to
act
on30
• Sustainability
course
inventory
• Vassar
Experimental
Garden
interns
• Vassar
Arboretum
includes
tree
tours
and
service
projects
• All
College
Dining
Center
(ACDC)
is
a
trayless
dining
facility
• Sustainability
News
webpage
• “Useful
tips”
webpage
on
how
to
be
more
sustainable
Official
Documents
• Campus
Landscape
Master
Plan31
• Greenhouse
Gas
Reduction
Plan
32
• Sustainability
Plan
(2015)33
Overall
Assessment
Vassar
College
has
an
informative
sustainability
webpage
that
is
organized
by
how
to
become
involved,
climate
action,
and
campus
initiatives.
Although
Vassar’s
campus
engagement
STARS
score
is
low,
their
website
provides
a
variety
of
methods
to
become
involved
and
help
reduce
Vassar’s
carbon
footprint.
Vassar
is
working
towards
developing
concrete
institutional
goals,
which
is
outlined
in
their
Sustainability
Plan.
30
http://sustainability.vassar.edu/climate-action/Carbon%20Neutrality%20FAQ.html
31
http://pages.vassar.edu/cmpc/files/2011/10/MVVA-Master-Plan.pdf
32
http://sustainability.vassar.edu/docs/GHG-reduction-plan.pdf
33
http://sustainability.vassar.edu/docs/2015_Combined_summary_reports.pdf
16. University
of
Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
STARS
Rating
–
Silver
(55.46)
Weak
Areas
-‐Operations:
Dining
Services
(1.13/7.0),
Energy
(1.44/10.0),
Grounds
(1.01
/4.0)
-‐Planning
and
Administration:
Investment
(0.0/7.0)
Strong
Areas
-‐Planning
and
Administration:
Diversity
and
Affordability
(9.54/10.0),
Coordination,
Planning,
and
Governance
(7.17/8.0)
-‐Innovation
(4.0/4.0)
Institutional
Sustainability
Groups
• Office
for
Sustainability
• Sustainability
Internship
Program
• Environmental
Awareness
Group
• Sustainability
Working
Group
• GreenUR:
environmentally
focused
student
group
on
campus
• Greeks
Going
Green
• Net
Impact
• Food
Recovery
Network
• Richmond
Environmental
Law
Society
Institutional
Commitments
and
Awards
• Signed
ACUPCC
in
2007
• Carbon
Neutral
2050
• Reduce
greenhouse
gas
emissions
30%
by
2020
• Signed
Talloires
Declaration
in
2003
• Signed
the
American
Campuses
Act
on
Climate
Pledge
in
2015
Campus
Engagement
Strategies
• Available
GHG
emission
inventory
• Sustainability
news
and
media
releases
• Sustainability
book
club34
• Community
gardens
• Sustainability
advocates
and
EcoReps
for
residence
halls:
educate
their
peers
about
sustainability
issues
• Office
supply
exchange
program
• Sustainability
celebration
and
awards
dinner
• Green
Room
and
Green
Living
certifications,
Green
Office
Program
• Electronic
Recycling
Collection
Event
• Campus
Sustainability
Map
35
• Students
can
sign
pledge
to
be
more
sustainable
36
• River
City
Project:
two-‐day
workshop
which
aims
to
integrate
sustainability
across
the
curriculum
• Recycling
and
Composting
guidelines
• Sustainability
milestone
webpage
• EcoOlympics:
campus wide competition, also compete
with
other
universities
to
conserve
the
most
energy;
post
all
data
from
events
• Get
Caught
Green-‐Handed:
social
media
contest
of
students
posting
pictures
acting
sustainable
(ie.
recycling)
and
prizes
and
given
out
• Submit
sustainability
ideas
webpage
• Building
Dashboard:
provides
information
on
energy
usage 37
34
http://sustainability.richmond.edu/involved/book-club.html
35
http://sustainability.richmond.edu/operations/buildings/map.html
36
http://sustainability.richmond.edu/living/pledge/impact.html
37
http://buildingdashboard.net/richmond/#/richmond
17. 17
Official
Documents
• Climate
Action
Plan
Update
201438
• Mapping
the
University
of
Richmonds
Sustainability
Future39
• Campus
Master
Plan40
Overall
Assessment
University
of
Richmond
has
the
most
campus
engagement
strategies
out
of
the
silver
rated
institutions
that
were
assessed.
Many
of
their
programs,
such
as
Get
Caught
Green
Handed,
EcoOlympics,
and
Green
Room
and
Living
Certifications,
are
unique
incentive
programs
to
get
students,
staff,
and
faculty
involved.
University
of
Richmond’s
sustainability
website
is
clear,
concise,
and
easy
to
navigate.
The
layout
is
aligned
with
the
STARS
assessment.
The
University
of
Richmond
would
be
a
model
institution
to
use
as
an
example
of
the
outcome
Willamette
is
striving
for
in
a
sustainability
website.
38
http://sustainability.richmond.edu/common/pdf/climate-action-plan-update-2014.pdf
39
http://sustainability.richmond.edu/story/Mapping%20URs%20Sustainability%20Future%20
Final.pdf
40
https://masterplan.richmond.edu/Richmond_Master-Plan-Final.pdf
18. Wellesley
College
Wellesley, Massachusetts
STARS
Rating
–
Silver
(53.2)
Weak
Areas
-‐Operations:
Buildings
(1.05/8.0),
Dining
Services
(1.73/
8.0),
Waste
(1.59
/10.0)
-‐Innovation
(0.0/4.0)
Strong
Areas
-‐Operations:
Water
(6.0/7.0),
Grounds
(3.51/4.0)
-‐Planning
and
Administration:
Coordination,
Planning,
and
Governance
(8.00/
8.00)
Institutional
Sustainability
Groups
• Environmental
Sustainability
Advisory
Committee
• EcoReps
• Green
Revolving
Fund
• Sustainability
Interns
Institutional
Commitments
and
Awards
• Purchase
EPEAT
Gold
computers
and
monitors
• Goal:
25%
electricity
reduction
from
1999
baseline
• Goal:
50%
water
reduction
from
1999
baseline,
it
was
30%
down
in
2013
Campus
Engagement
Strategies
• Holds
the
Northeast
Campus
Sustainability
Consortium
conference
on
campus
• Sustainability
Month
during
October
• Move-‐Out
Collection
and
Move-‐In
Sale
to
limit
waste
and
promote
reuse
Official
Documents
• Sustainability
Progress
Report41
• Green
Building
Standards42
• Landscape
Master
Plan43
Overall
Assessment
Wellesley
College
did
not
have
a
user
friendly
website.
It
was
difficult
to
find
information
on
current
sustainable
efforts
on
campus.
Wellesley’s
website
is
lacking
in
campus
engagement
methods
to
get
students,
staff,
and
faculty
involved
with
sustainability
efforts.
Most
of
the
information
found
for
this
assessment
came
from
the
Sustainability
Progress
Report
instead
of
the
website.
It
is
noted
that
most
institutions
that
score
well
in
the
operations
grounds
category
have
a
landscape
master
plan.
41
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3qQ5qdnqCI8cEZCa1R2UG5PZTBzV3NnU2tKWndIcHc
xSDh3/view
42
http://www.wellesley.edu/sites/default/files/assets/building_standards_-_adopted_-_10-30-
14_2.pdf
43
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3qQ5qdnqCI8QnJJOUFwOXMxRVdoYzJQWUtHc25CR
1lXZEF3/view
19. Recommendations
• Reformat Willamette’s sustainability section of the website:
o Align information with the STARS format (academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration,
innovation) or organize by institutional goals (carbon neutrality, real food commitment, reduction of GHG)
• Add engagement components to the website
o Create a sustainability campus map or pamphlet made available at the Office of Admission and Sustainability webpage
(this map could highlight LEED certified buildings and other green energy systems on campus as well as locate, bike
racks, recycling bins, composting bins and, water bottle fill stations).
o Create guidelines and outreach materials for “Greening” the campus (ie. how to recycle and compost, how to have a
“greener” residence or office, and how to host a zero-waste event).
o Make data accessible for students to use that contains information about the energy and waste consumption of buildings
and greenhouse gas emissions on campus.
o Display social media outlets on the website (i.e. Facebook groups, twitter)
o Add list of potential sustainability projects for students and faculty to take on
o Add list of academic courses that include a sustainability module or component
o Add list of completed Green Fund projects, as well as sustainable projects or research completed by faculty and
facilities to keep students aware of sustainable initiatives taking place on campus.
• Increase number of environmental events on campus
o Work with existing environmental clubs on campus (Ecos) to coordinate environmental events such as an
EcoOlympics, RecycleMania, or Get Caught Green Handed.
• Create a Climate Action Plan and Sustainability Strategic Plan
o Create concrete goals and commitments, such as carbon neutrality, increasing the amount of local food purchased,
reduction goals (greenhouse gases, water, electricity, etc).
• Expand the Sustainability Institute
o Hire Sustainability Interns who can promote sustainability on campus from different angles, such as communications,
marketing, operations, programming, food justice, etc.
o Hire Eco-Representatives who can promote sustainable actions in residence halls by working with Community Mentors
and Campus Life.
