The Ohio State University has earned a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) Gold rating. With more than 900 participants across 40 countries, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) STARS program publicly reports comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance.
“I feel excited and inspired to have received this rating,” said Gregory Maginn, sustainability analyst for Facilities Operations and Development (FOD). “It’s a testament to the dedication and hard work of folks across the entire university as we continue to support Ohio State’s sustainability goals.”
Participants in the STARS program report achievements in five overall areas including academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration and innovation and leadership. While the sustainability team gathers and reports on information, the rating reflects the fantastic work being done across the university’s Columbus campus, including the Wexner Medical Center.
This is the second time the Columbus campus has received the Gold rating. Maginn says the way the rating system is structured means continuous improvement is required during each reporting period.
“This certification is representative of the last three years of sustainability programming and data, so in terms of data validation and retrieval, it’s a huge lift,” said Maginn. “There are 110 total categories within a STARS report and often times each category has more than ten questions required for completion. It’s a monumental task.”
Learn more about the STARS program and read Ohio State’s submission online.