For media inquiries, contact:

Paul Rowland, Executive Director
AASHE
paul.rowland@aashe.org
303.605.3534

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New STARS Quarterly Review Reveals Ground-Breaking Campus Sustainability Innovations

DENVER, Colo. (July 10, 2012) – The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has released the summer 2012 issue of the STARS Quarterly Review (SQR), which focuses entirely on the Innovation (IN) category of AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). Entries within the IN section include new and ground-breaking practices in higher education sustainability.

Capturing the insights and knowledge gained by the 185 institutions that have earned a STARS rating through June 1, 2012, Innovations in Campus Sustainability explores critical linkages between education, innovation and sustainability. With 11 institutions highlighted in this issue, readers will learn about:

• Interactive, web-based energy management systems
• Community gardens with a global reach
• Positive impacts of campus innovations, including cost and resource savings
• Large-scale community revitalization efforts
• Unique approaches to sustainable housing construction

Launched by AASHE in early 2010, STARS is the only system of its kind that involves public reporting of comprehensive information related to a college’s or university’s sustainability performance. STARS provides institutions with a standardized assessment tool to measure their sustainability performance. The system includes 139 environmental, economic, and social indicators, which are divided into four categories related to campus activities: Education & Research, Operations, Planning, Administration & Engagement, and Innovation. All of the requirements for evaluating and scoring an institution are transparent and made publicly available.

About STARS
STARS is a self-reporting system, which is open to all institutions of higher education. Participants collect data that fulfill the criteria for STARS credits and submit their data through an online Reporting Tool. Once the institution’s report is submitted, it receives a Reporter, Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum Rating and the STARS Report becomes publicly available for viewing on the STARS website. Prior to becoming public, the STARS Report requires sign off by the institution’s highest ranking executive.

The STARS Program provides ongoing opportunities for institutions to participate. Registration information and additional details on the program are available on the STARS website, stars.aashe.org.

About AASHE
AASHE is helping to create a brighter future of opportunity for all by advancing sustainability in higher education. By creating a diverse community engaged in sharing ideas and promising practices, AASHE provides administrators, faculty, staff and students, as well as the business that serve them, with: thought leadership and essential knowledge resources; outstanding opportunities for professional development; and a unique framework for demonstrating the value and competitive edge created by sustainability initiatives. For more information about AASHE, visit www.aashe.org.