One way to have students involved would be to incorporate STARS into a course on campus sustainability.  An increasing number of colleges and universities are beginning to offer courses on campus sustainability. Students in these courses conduct research on and implement projects that advance sustainability on their campus. In some instances performing a campus sustainability assessment is a component of the course. A list of example courses from different institutions (including syllabi when available) is here.

I would think one way to engage local communities where the campus is located may be to work through the campuses alumni network. Alums living in the local community usually retain a high level of interest in the happenings of the campus and may be interested in helping or helping to disseminate information. At some campuses, alumni have set up sustainability funds that allow alumni to contribute to campus sustainability initiatives. Perhaps STARS could be one of those initiatives? 

Jillian,
I know you posted this discussion forum a year and a half ago, but as a student I have additional ways to involve students and the community in the STARS reporting process if you are still inquiring. I am a student at Unity College in Maine, and I am enrolled in a class dedicated solely to STARS reporting. The class, being taught by the college’s sustainability coordinator, only has three students, but that enables constant and open discussion of the data collection process and the progress of the report. We tried making our efforts as transparent as possible to the campus community by hosting a community meeting where we discussed the STARS rating system, rating vs. ranking, the various categories and credits, and the unique way we are tackling the STARS report. After we presented we invited any questions from the community members. We are finding our initial efforts to be successful as we gather data from staff and faculty who were informed about STARS and the importance of our efforts.

Best,
Tim Godaire