University awarded STARS Silver rating from AASHE

Cleveland 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 & Rating System, measures sustainable performance in academics, engagement, operations, administration, and leadership.

¡°CSU is committed to pursuing sustainable goals in all areas of the University and we are proud to have received a Silver rating. It¡¯s one more way to show the  progress we have made in making our campus and community a better place to live and work,¡± says Jennifer McMillin, Director of Sustainability at CSU.

Some highlights of CSU¡¯s achievements from the STARS submission include:

• CSU has recorded a 35.5 percent reduction in GHG emissions and a 25 percent reduction in potable water use, per weighted campus user, since 2005.
• 99.65 percent of construction and demolition materials from the construction of CSU¡¯s CIMP building were diverted from landfills through recycling, reuse and other forms of recovery.
• Nearly 86 percent of CSU¡¯s electronic product purchases are EPEAT Gold registered.

CSU¡¯s STARS report is publicly available at https://stars.aashe.org/institutions/cleveland-state-university-oh/report/2017-06-15/.

More than 400 institutions have earned a STARS rating, making AASHE¡¯s STARS program the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university¡¯s 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. ¡°CSU 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.

¡°Participating in the STARS program has allowed us to thoroughly and accurately benchmark our performance across a wide range of areas,¡± adds McMillin. ¡°This will allow us to set ambitious goals for the future and ensure that we can measure our progress and share our successes with our community.¡±

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