October 11, 2019
The University of Wisconsin-Madison recently earned a silver rating for its first broad sustainability assessment through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System. Administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, STARS reporting is a “transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.” The report, submitted in August 2019, takes into consideration a university’s academics, operations, planning and administration, as well as innovation and leadership benchmarks.
While the effort was led by Missy Nergard, the director of the Office of Sustainability and by Cathy Middlecamp, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies professor and director for education and research in the Office of Sustainability, the report was a team effort, requiring assistance from more than 150 members of the campus community. These efforts also align with the UW System’s wider sustainability initiatives. Read more.