This award honors higher education institutions for the successful implementation of projects that advance sustainability. We encourage submissions that address multiple components of sustainability and include the contributions of diverse stakeholders. One award will be given in each of these categories:
- Best Case Study from an Associate’s College (i.e., a majority of the institution’s degrees are at the associate level)
- Best Case Study from a Four-Year or Graduate Institution with 10,000 or Fewer Full-Time Students
- Best Case Study from a Four-Year or Graduate Institution with More Than 10,000 Full-Time Students
Application Process
Institutions or businesses partnering with institutions can apply for a Campus Sustainability Achievement Award by submitting a case study to AASHE’s Campus Sustainability Hub. You will need to login to the Hub with an AASHE Account in order to submit.
Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis and are due on the last Friday in May. Your application will be considered in the 2023 award season if you submit it by the deadline. Submissions received after the last Friday in May will be considered for the next award season. If you have any questions, please email awards@aashe.org.
Timeline
| Submission/Nomination Deadline | Last Friday in May |
| Judging Underway | May – July |
| Submitters/Nominators Notified. Finalists Announced. | Mid-August |
| Winners Notified and Announced | Mid-September |
Prizes
Award winners receive:
- Recognition via a live virtual awards ceremony
- One complimentary pass to AASHE’s annual conference
- One plaque provided by Rivanna Natural Designs
- Recognition in Sustainability and Climate Change
Criteria
Applications will be evaluated by a panel of judges on the following criteria:
- Overall impact – How much of an impact did the project make?
- Innovation – To what extent is the project innovative?
- Replicability – To what extent is the project a model for others?
- Breadth of impact – Did the project advance sustainability in many dimensions or only one?
- Stakeholder Involvement – Did the project engage multiple campus stakeholders (students, faculty, staff, community members, etc)?
- Racial equity and social justice – To what extent does the research reflect racial equity and social justice, and how significant is its potential contribution to racial equity and social justice?
- Clarity and coherence – How easy is it to follow the case study?
Eligibility
To be considered for a Campus Sustainability Achievement Award, the first author of any case study must be affiliated with an AASHE member college or university. In addition, case studies that appear designed primarily to sell a particular product or service will not be considered.