About AASHE | Membership | Programs & Projects | Staff | Governance

About AASHE

AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that are working to create a sustainable future. Our mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation. We do this by providing resources, professional development, and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research.

AASHE defines sustainability in an inclusive way, encompassing human and ecological health, social justice, secure livelihoods, and a better world for all generations.

AASHE is a member-driven, independent 501(c)(3). Membership in AASHE covers every individual at an institution.

What We Do

AASHE works with all sectors of campus, including faculty, staff, administrators, and students. We also provide a professional home for sustainability staff in higher education.  Our services include:

Our activities are designed to:

  • Make sustainable practices mainstream within higher education
  • Facilitate member efforts to integrate sustainability into teaching, research, operations, and public engagement
  • Disseminate knowledge and best practices and promote resource sharing.
  • Support all sectors of campus in shaping sustainability initiatives.
  • Increase collaboration among individuals, institutions, and external partners to speed the adoption of sustainability practices.
  • Influence local, state, and national education policy so that sustainability is a focus.

We strive to model sustainable practices in our own operations and activities.

History

AASHE's roots go back to the Education for Sustainability Western Network (EFS West), established in 2001 with funding from the Compton Foundation and support from Second Nature.  EFS West served college campuses in the western US and Canada, providing resources and support for their sustainability efforts.  Founding member Judy Walton became EFS West's first Executive Director in 2003.

In 2004, EFS West held the first North American Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education, in Portland, Oregon.  The success of this conference and increasing demand for EFS West's resources led it to transition from a regional organization to a North American higher education association - the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. AASHE was officially launched in January 2006, serving as the first professional higher education association for the campus sustainability community.

In 2006, AASHE held its first conference in Tempe, AZ, with over 650 attendees.  By its next conference, in Raleigh, NC in 2008, attendance had tripled to over 1,700 participants.  Today AASHE continues to work to advance sustainability in all sectors of higher education and support campuses in meeting their sustainability goals.