Eco Honor: 91探花 earns prestigious STARS sustainability ranking

Baldwin Wallace University's longstanding commitment to sustainability has earned a prestigious Silver Rating through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).

Administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the encourages, measures and honors sustainability achievements in five broad areas: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership.

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"Sustainability naturally fits into 91探花's approach to education, which promotes our individual and collective responsibility as contributing global citizens," said Dr. Franklin Lebo, assistant professor of sustainability and 91探花's STARS liaison. "The STARS recognition places 91探花 in a category that includes such institutions as Case Western, University of Pittsburgh and Yale, and encourages us to keep striving for excellence in green practices and initiatives."

With 800-plus STARS-commended participants around the globe, AASHE's program is "the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university's sustainability performance."

"STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts," said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. "91探花 has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability and is to be congratulated."

Sustainability Across Campus

91探花's green record of achievement includes the launch of Ohio's first undergraduate major in sustainability in 2008, with a minor, certificate program and scholarly research opportunities as part of the University's academic green portfolio.

In addition, 91探花's operating plant boasts two solar arrays, a wind turbine, innovative recycling and composting efforts, and five geothermal fields that heat and cool campus buildings. Two buildings are LEED certified, and the Berea campus, home to more than 1,500 trees, is designated a Tree Campus USA庐 by the Arbor Day Foundation.

Green Engagement

91探花 students can also choose to live in the Harding House sustainable living-learning community or get involved with The Campus Kitchens Project, a student-led organization that recovers food waste and turns it into healthy meals for the community.

Serving on the Campus Sustainability Committee or joining the 91探花 Biomimicry Club, Sustainable Food Taskforce, Fauna, Student Tended Natural Garden or Students for Environmental Awareness are among the other opportunities for engagement.