For the first time, Georgia Southern has earned a STARS rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.  

Sustainability Programs at Georgia Southern University, known as Sustain Southern, spearheaded the initiative to report accomplishments for the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement showcasing the many initiatives for students to get involved in sustainability on campus. 

“Sustain Southern has many goals such as increasing the awareness of sustainability issues and providing incentives for faculty, staff and students to incorporate sustainability in research, teaching and service,” said Jodi Kennedy, director, Office of Leadership and Community Engagement. “The STARS rating confirms our best practices in sustainability.”

With more than 900 participants in 40 countries, AASHE’s STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in five overall areas: 1) academics 2) engagement, 3) operations 4) planning and administration and 5) innovation and leadership. 

“The full vision of Sustain Southern could not be realized without collaborations across campuses, new sustainability academic programs and our community partnerships providing opportunities for our students to get involved first hand,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Shay Little, Ph.D.

Unlike other rating or ranking systems, this program is open to all institutions of higher education, and the criteria that determine a STARS rating are transparent and accessible to anyone.

“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Georgia Southern has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”

Georgia Southern’s STARS rating report is publicly available on the STARS website.