USU registers with a new sustainability rating system
Utah State University is making new strides toward sustainability on campus. On Oct. 22, the university officially joined a new sustainability rating system named STARS – Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System – which urges sustainability in all aspects of higher education.
Alexi Lamm became USU’s sustainability coordinator three weeks ago and began the application process for STARS. The program is administered through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
Lamm said the first subscription to STARS is one year.
“A year from now, we would have submitted our materials and would have gotten a reading,” Lamm said.
This report will say what can be improved and what is being done well with regards to sustainability on campus.
“It’s very tailored to the kind of areas we want to report on and the higher education system.” Lamm said.
Paul Rowland, the AASHE executive coordinator, said STARS has been successful for other universities and colleges.
“STARS provides a gap analysis for some universities so they can decide where to put their resources in the future,” Rowland said. “It provides an opportunity to see how well they are doing compared to peer universities.”
More than 230 universities and colleges are registered STARS participants, including the University of Utah, with a score of 35.74 in 2011, and Weber State University, with a score of 30.98 in 2011. Both have been STARS participants for longer than a year.
“We’ve been waiting until we had the time and resources,” Lamm said.
She said when she became the new sustainability coordinator, the time and resources became available, allowing USU to submit their application to STARS.
Lamm explained what sustainability initiatives Utah State University is taking now through aggie blue bikes and recycling.
“Aggie Blue Bikes is making biking available to the whole community,” Lamm said. “By putting people on bikes, it is making them healthier and reducing greenhouse gasses and recycling has been going on for 20 years on campus.”
She explained USU’s recycling program is impacting the community along with the university.
“Reusable goods go to the Surplus Store, which is open to the public,” she said.
USU will report in three overall areas: planning, administration and engagement and education and research and operations. The university will receive points in each area, which will be calculated into an overall point score and will determine a gold, a silver or a bronze status.
“We are really trying not to chase points,” Lamm said. “We are not shooting for certain levels yet. If our rating indicates that we have room to improve, then we will use that rating to try to get the campus to improve its sustainability.”
Lamm said she will not be disappointed if the university gets bronze simply because it’s an accomplishment for a university to go through the STARS program.
If USU gets a gold, she said they will look at areas where they did not get as high of points as they potentially could and they will work on bringing those points up.
“It’s an ongoing process,” she said. “There is always more room for improvement. Whatever score we get, we will use for a planning tool in the future.”
STARS publicly reports a comprehensive reading of a college or university’s sustainability performance. These reports are available online along with the submission date and a letter from the university president.
Lamm said while STARS will help sustainability work more effectively, it is going to show USU more than just what needs to be improved.
“It’s a good way to look at the good things that are going on,” Lamm said. “STARS is a powerful tool for us to look at what is going on on campus.”
According to official AASHE website, “AASHE is helping to create a brighter future of opportunity for all by advancing sustainability in higher education.” One of the ways they are doing this is through the STARS program.
Lamm said it is imperative for the faculty, staff and student body to work together through the sustainability process.
“I th
ink it’s very important for everyone to coordinate on this because sustainability is something that affects everyone,” Lamm said. “So by working together, we can make a bigger impact.”
– jerawood@aggiemail.usu.edu