As a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), Drake is continuing to advance sustainability as an institution and in the community. Drake is thrilled to announce and share with the community that we have earned a Bronze STARS rating demonstrating Drake’s commitment to sustainability. This is Drake’s first time participating in the STARS reporting process.

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a program of AASHE, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. STARS is a comprehensive sustainability ratings system for colleges and universities that addresses the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability. STARS was developed by the higher education community through a transparent and inclusive process. The score an institution receives is based on the percentage of applicable points earned in credits across four main categories: Academics, Engagement, Operations and Planning, and Administration. More specifically STARS is designed to:

• Provide a framework for understanding sustainability in all sectors of higher education.
• Enable meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements.
• 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.

View Drake’s public STARS report in detail and learn more about sustainability at Drake.

Through this assessment, we have been able to track Drake’s sustainability performance. This process is helping us better identify areas for improvement and connect us with resources to perform better in the future.  Some highlights include:

• Air & Climate
• Diversity & Affordability
• Academic Curriculum & Research
• Immersive Experiences
• Community Partnerships

We encourage members of the Drake community to explore and utilize the resources provided as a member of AASHE. Visit the AASHE website to take advantage of our membership resources. AASHE enables higher education institutions to meet their sustainability goals by providing specialized resources, professional development, and a network of peer support. Membership covers every individual at an institution, so the entire campus community can take advantage of member benefits, www.aashe.org.

We would like to thank all the faculty, staff, and students who helped complete this process. Creating a more sustainable campus and community requires a willingness to participate from everyone, and we are excited to see positive changes in the coming years.

Have questions or ideas? Want to get more involved with Drake’s Sustainability? Email Drake Facilities Planning & Management’s Sustainability Intern Sophia Siegel at Sophia.Siegel@drake.edu or Director of Facilities Kevin Moran at Kevin.Moran@drake.edu.

—Sophia Siegel, Sustainability Intern, Facilities Planning and Management