FROM STAFF REPORTS

The University of Montevallo has earned a STARS Bronze rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.

Montevallo’s STARS report is publicly available at Reports.aashe.org/institutions/university-of-montevallo-al/report/2019-07-24/.

The Bronze rating was the result of months of data collection and reporting on the UM campus, and serves to solidify Montevallo’s status as a leader in campus sustainability.

UM houses the first and only environmental studies major in public higher education in Alabama.

“This honor represents a major collaborative effort all across campus. I am so grateful to all of the faculty, staff and students who have supported this pursuit,” said Dr. Susan Caplow, assistant professor of environmental studies and coordinator of campus sustainability. “We are so glad to be recognized for our sustainability efforts, and we look forward to continuing to reduce our collective ecological footprint while improving our AASHE STARS score.”

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, and innovation and leadership.

“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Montevallo has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Bronze 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.