Eric Dodge, Environmental Stewardship Committee chair | Hanover College
Eric Dodge, Environmental Stewardship Committee chair | Hanover College
Hanover receives STARS rating for sustainability achievements
Hanover College has earned a STARS rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) in recognition of its sustainability achievements.
AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that works to create a sustainable future. STARS, the sustainability tracking, assessment & rating system, measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. With more than 900 participants in 40 countries, AASHE’s STARS program is the world’s most widely recognized framework for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to sustainability performance.
“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Hanover has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS bronze rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”
“This is the first time that Hanover College has attempted STARS,” noted Eric Dodge, professor and Michael B. and Judy Zeddies Chair in Economics and chair of the College’s Environmental Stewardship Committee. “This project took more than a year and could not have been completed without the help of every corner of our campus.”
STARS not only assesses environmental factors but also social and economic factors. Participants self-report achievements in five areas, including: planning and administration, innovation and leadership, academics, engagement and operations. Each institution’s STARS score is based on the percentage of applicable points in these areas and innovation credits earned are added to the final percentage to determine the total score.
Unlike other rating 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.
“This was a very thorough self-assessment of all aspects of our campus,” added Dodge. “We plan to use the results to target aspects of our College that can be made more sustainable.”
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
Original source can be found here.
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