SOU maintains “Gold” in prestigious sustainability rating
(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University’s rating for campus-wide sustainability achievements remains at the “Gold” level and is the highest of five participating colleges and universities in Oregon, as measured by an evaluation system developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
SOU improved its score from three years ago in the AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) that is used to grade colleges and universities worldwide. The system grades participating institutions in 45 subcategories, and SOU scored particularly well for its sustainability-based course offerings, graduate programs, outreach and communication efforts, student success, civic engagement, and institutional climate and governance.
“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Southern Oregon University has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Gold Rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”
SOU first achieved the system’s silver level in 2017, and that rating was reaffirmed in 2019, before the university reached AASHE’s Gold level in 2022. The latest Gold rating will be in effect for three years.
Participants in AASHE’s can be recognized simply for reporting their sustainability achievements, or for rating at the organization’s bronze, silver, gold and platinum levels. STARS is used by more than 1,200 participating institutions in 52 countries, rating their sustainability efforts in five categories: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership.
“SOU’s Gold STARS rating is a powerful testament to the leadership, dedication, and innovation demonstrated across our entire campus community,” said Becs Walker, SOU’s Director of Sustainability. “It’s exciting to see us not only maintain this high standard but also make meaningful improvements in key areas.
“Sustainability is deeply woven into both our daily operations and long-term strategic vision. We’re proud to continue challenging ourselves to find better, smarter and more impactful ways of doing things at SOU.”
SOU’s latest Gold rating takes into account the university’s ongoing efforts to achieve a variety of sustainability goals. STARS assesses environmental factors, along with social and economic considerations. SOU has demonstrated progress in many areas related to sustainability in achieving the gold rating, including governance of sustainability, health and wellbeing, protecting the environment, equity, social justice and community engagement.
The new STARS rating from AASHE is the latest of many sustainability efforts by the university in recent years. SOU was the nation’s first certified Bee Campus USA and has maintained that certification, has been named a Tree Campus USA for eight consecutive years.
The university has been awarded $5.8 million in state and federal funding over the past three years to support energy generation and resilience, including six new rooftop solar arrays, one parking lot canopy array and two battery storage systems. SOU currently has solar arrays on nine Ashland rooftops and one on its Medford campus, for total generating capacity of 842kW – 11.6% of the electricity it uses.
SOU purchases the rest of its electricity through the city of Ashland – a mix that includes as much as 77% renewable energy.
The university has also launched its Institute for Applied Sustainability since the 2022 AASHE rating. The institute – part of an historic philanthropic gift from Lithia Motors and its GreenCars division – identifies and implements initiatives that move the university toward sustainability, collaborating with Lithia to develop projects and programs such as a national sustainability conference and an academic credential in corporate sustainability.
AASHE is a nonprofit organization that helps colleges and universities work together to create and lead the way to a sustainable future. Its 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.
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