ISU Celebrates Bronze Rating for Sustainability Achievements

The association’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.  

Idaho State University’s STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.  

The development of this report was a collaborative effort led by the Sustainability Office in the Environmental Health, Safety and Sustainability (EHSS) Department with input from numerous departments, students, faculty and staff. The inaugural submission of this report reflects ISU’s collective progress and commitment to creating a more sustainable future. Completing this report helped inform the University’s first Sustainability Action Plan which provides the framework for impactful sustainability initiatives into the future.  

“This is an exciting milestone in our journey towards being a more sustainable campus,” said Brian Sagendorf, vice president for operations. Our initial institutional STARS report and Sustainability Action Plan sets the stage for tracking continual progress and will focus our efforts toward a sustainable future for each of our campus locations.” 

With more than 1,200 participants in 52 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. 

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

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. Because STARS is a program based on credits earned, it allows for both internal comparisons as well as comparisons with similar institutions. 

“We are very proud to have achieved a STARS rating for our sustainability accomplishments in our first ever reporting year. We look forward to watching our sustainability efforts grow and improve through our ongoing participation in the STARS program,” said Jennifer Parrott, executive director, EHSS. 

For more information on ongoing sustainability initiatives, please visit isu.edu/sustainability or follow @idahostatesustainability on Instagram.