A new rating system that has been in the works for a little over three years is now available for all institutions of higher education; it is called the STARS program. STARS stands for Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System and it is a “transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to gauge relative progress toward sustainability.”
The program is intended to be a more holistic approach than just individual built projects, or clusters of buildings, the point system is designed to rate the entire campus across the triple bottom line or the three Es of sustainability – economy, ecology, and equity. The point system has 71 possible points spread across 4 major categories: Education & Research, Operations, Planning Administration & Engagement, and finally 4 Innovation credits. Rating levels include Reporter, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
The program is open to any institution of higher education in the US or Canada and institutions that register prior to August 15, 2010 will be considered STARS Charter Participants.
