	Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
	Serving the Campus Sustainability Community

Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS)

STARS is a voluntary, self-reporting framework for gauging relative progress toward sustainability for colleges and universities. The development of STARS is guided by a Steering Committee, Strategic Advisory Committee, and Technical Advisory Committee.

STARS is designed to:

Provide a guide for advancing sustainability in all sectors of higher education.
Enable meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions by establishing a common standard of measurement for sustainability in higher education.
Create incentives for continual improvement toward sustainability.
Facilitate information sharing about higher education sustainability practices and performance.
Build a stronger, more diverse campus sustainability community.

Current Version

STARS 0.5 (pdf) was released on April 10, 2008.

AASHE is seeking feedback on this document from all campus sustainability stakeholders. Instructions for reviewers are included at the beginning of the document. In response to early feedback, we have extended the comment period to last until Friday, May 30. Please send comments and questions to stars@aashe.org.

Get Involved

STARS is a highly collaborative project. Volunteer representatives from colleges and universities, higher education associations, related nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government agencies are helping shape STARS. Participation from all stakeholders is welcome. Learn more about how to get involved.

Pilot Project

More than 90 colleges and universities are testing STARS during the pilot period. Over the course of 2008 they will provide feedback to AASHE and will help inform future versions of STARS. Learn more about the pilot project.

Media Coverage

National, regional, local, and campus newspapers and blogs have covered STARS. View a list of STARS media coverage.

Learn More

STARS Timeline
Frequently Asked Questions about STARS
Listen to the STARS podcast (18 min)
Key Documents
Sample PowerPoint Presentation (ppt) and Associated Notes (doc)

Member Spotlight

Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, PA) is our current spotlight campus! Swarthmore's campus is a nationally-designated arboretum featuring a LEED Certified Science Center, 5,000 sq. feet of green roof, and two recently-constructed environmentally friendly dormitories. 40% of the College's energy supply is provided by wind power. Learn more

Spotlight your campus