The 91探花 has earned a Gold rating from the 鈥嬧�婼ustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, or STARS.

The STARS ratings, administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, are good for three years and are based on self-reported assessments. The 91探花has held a Gold rating from STARS since first participating in 2012.

鈥淭he STARS Gold rating is recognition of all the hard work being done across our campus by staff, students and faculty for sustainability,鈥� 91探花Sustainability director Lisa Dulude said. 鈥淎s we celebrate Earth Day in April, this achievement is a reminder of the UW鈥檚 commitment to embed sustainability in everything we do, and the benefits of this work for our environment and our community.鈥�

The STARS report covers the 91探花in Seattle and includes questions on sustainability performance in academics, planning and administration, engagement and operations. About 380 schools worldwide have active STARS ratings. Gold is the second-highest tier. There are 17 schools that have achieved the highest Platinum rating. 91探花Bothell also holds a STARS Gold rating.

All STARS reports are public, and the .

STARS is the most wide-reaching sustainability report, and the information collected gives the 91探花a comprehensive view of its sustainability performance and allows for comparison to peer universities. It can also provide insight on areas where additional efforts might be needed.

The information is used to inform the UW鈥檚 Sustainability Action Plan, which sets out the University鈥檚 sustainability goals. The first Sustainability Action Plan was adopted in 2020, and the 91探花is currently in the process of creating an updated Plan, which will be finalized by summer 2026.

鈥淭he 91探花has long been a sustainability leader in higher education, as evidenced by our long track record of STARS Gold ratings,鈥� Dulude said. 鈥淲ith the Sustainability Action Plan update, working groups have identified several areas to set measurable targets, which ensure we will continue that leadership.鈥�

The UW鈥檚 sustainability efforts are also on show in recognition of Earth Day on April 22. Events organized by a variety of groups across the 91探花happen throughout the month, including volunteer opportunities, workshops and more. You can see the on the 91探花Sustainability site.

The 91探花 once again has been recognized as a sustainability leader by the 鈥嬧�婼ustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).

The 91探花recently received a Gold rating with a score of 70.78%. The 91探花has held a Gold rating from STARS since first participating in 2012.

The STARS ratings, administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, are good for three years and are based on self-reported assessments. The UW鈥檚 submission included information on sustainability efforts and performance in 72 different credit areas.

鈥淭his Gold rating is a testament to the positive contributions being made campuswide by dedicated staff, faculty and students on a wide variety of sustainability efforts,鈥� said Lou Cariello, vice president of 91探花Facilities. 鈥淭hrough the Sustainability Action Plan, we will continue to advance this important work.鈥�

The report covers the UW鈥檚 Seattle campus, and includes questions on sustainability performance in academics, planning and administration, engagement and operations. Gold is the second-highest tier in the STARS ratings. Ten schools have achieved the highest Platinum rating.

The information collected for the STARS report will also help inform the UW鈥檚 actions under the . The 91探花Sustainability Action Plan, adopted in 2020, set 10 measurable targets to be achieved by 2025, including areas relating to energy, transportation, food, waste, academic research, purchasing and more.

鈥淓arning another STARS Gold rating shows that the 91探花continues to value and work toward sustainability,鈥� said 91探花Sustainability interim director Marilyn Ostergren. 鈥淲e also know there is much more to do. We continue to work with staff, students and faculty across the 91探花on reaching the Sustainability Action Plan targets as well as identifying other opportunities to ensure a more sustainable and equitable future.鈥�

The 91探花鈥檚 STARS report can be .

The Sustainability Action Plan was adopted on July 1, 2020, and set out 10 measurable targets to be achieved over a five-year span. The 91探花annually evaluates progress toward these targets and determines the actions required over the upcoming year to respond to tri-campus needs.

This spring marked the first time the 91探花initiated the process of updating the annual actions. Faculty, students and staff from all three campuses joined employees working on the actions to determine the proper efforts for the upcoming year.

鈥淥ne of the guiding principles of the Sustainability Action Plan is to center equity and inclusion in our work,鈥� said 91探花Sustainability Director Claudia Frere-Anderson. 鈥淲e strived to connect with a broad range of communities and stakeholders across our campuses while providing meaningful ways for everyone on campus to engage.鈥�

The targets under the Sustainability Action Plan include areas relating to energy, transportation, food, waste, academic research, purchasing and more. For each of the 10 targets, teams identified several actions for this year. A survey, open to all members of the 91探花community, was completed in winter quarter and informed the decision-making process.

Actions include efforts to compile catalogs of course offerings and research projects related to sustainability, working toward creating a student sustainability resource center, exploring offsets for professional travel, electrifying the campus fleet, reducing single-use items and others.

鈥淲e are excited to launch a new action this year for reducing waste on our campus to reduce single-use disposable items. The new action was identified as a key waste prevention goal from the Sustainability Action Plan survey. Campus community feedback was a key motivator for adding this target, which furthers our work to avoid landfill waste and reduce carbon emissions,鈥� said Liz Gignilliat, manager of 91探花Recycling.

Many of the teams working on the Plan actions this past year had to adjust due to the unexpected impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sustainability Action Plan and actions for the first year were largely drafted before the pandemic response. The shift to primarily virtual instruction and work at the 91探花also made it difficult to measure progress in areas where the reduced population on campus affected data, such as reduced energy use and travel.

鈥淚 am proud of how our teams working on sustainability efforts responded and adapted to the challenges of this past year,鈥� 91探花Facilities Vice President Lou Cariello said. 鈥淲e have continued our progress, and our teams have been finding innovative ways to ensure we build on what we have learned over this year to further advance sustainability.鈥�

One target impacted by the pandemic was the goal to reduce professional air travel. This past year, such travel was down more than 60% due to restrictions. This upcoming year, the 91探花will build on the lessons learned from the past year, making information about professional travel more accessible to departments, developing suggested policies for encouraging videoconferencing and creating offset programs.

“Professional air travel is a key sustainability issue in an academic context because it touches so many different individuals in quite varied ways. It is deeply intertwined with core academic values and behaviors, including collegiality, communication and consensus-building,” said Gary Handwerk, director of the 91探花Program on the Environment and professor in the Department of English. “Failing to address its impact, moreover, could easily undo much of the progress we are making in other areas. We can’t afford to leave it off to the side.”

The full Sustainability Action Plan document is available on the plan website . Data and metrics on the UW鈥檚 sustainability efforts and status updates are posted to the on the 91探花Sustainability site.

Students, faculty and staff interested in learning more about the Plan and how they can be a part of next year鈥檚 planning process can email sustainabilityplan@uw.edu.

The 91探花 has finalized its new Sustainability Action Plan,聽which will guide the聽university鈥檚聽efforts聽during聽the next five聽years.

罢丑别听聽includes five guiding principles and 10 measurable targets along with annual actions to reach those targets. Each year,鈥痶he 91探花will evaluate鈥痶he immediate actions needed over the next fiscal year鈥痶o respond鈥痶o鈥痗hanging realities and needs across our campuses.

The Sustainability Action Plan represents the work of a cross-university planning team, with 91探花Facilities Vice President Lou Cariello as the plan鈥檚 executive sponsor.

鈥淭his Sustainability Action Plan establishes a framework to align the many sustainability actions of our staff, faculty and students,鈥� Cariello said. 鈥淭he targeted actions,聽along with measurable targets,聽provide a means for us to track our progress and ensure we are aligning the many ongoing stewardship actions to support the health of our planet, for the quality of our lives and for future generations.鈥�

The Sustainability聽Action Plan聽spans all three 91探花campuses. The targets go beyond campus operations to include student experience, academic research and equity聽to address聽the many aspects of sustainability. The planning team considered聽equity and financial feasibility when drafting the targets and actions. Input from across the 91探花community was gathered through online surveys, direct outreach and events聽throughout聽the year.

An initial draft of the聽five-year聽Sustainability Strategy and proposed actions聽for the upcoming fiscal year聽was released on the 50th聽anniversary聽of Earth Day, April 22. This final聽Sustainability Action Plan聽reflects updates based on community input and revisions by the planning team.

The plan鈥檚 guiding principles聽are:聽ensure students achieve sustainability literacy; choose our research conscientiously; keep equity and inclusion at the center; use resources responsibly; and decarbonize.

罢丑别听plan鈥檚聽10 measurable targets all work toward these principles, with actions to take toward those targets聽reviewed聽annually.聽Responsible parties across the 91探花will provide the聽Plan鈥檚 Executive Committee聽补苍诲听the聽Environmental Stewardship Committee聽with updates on the status of the actions.

鈥淔ocusing on equity and inclusion is the central theme for implementing the Sustainability Action Plan this first year,鈥� 91探花Sustainability Director Claudia Frere-Anderson said.聽鈥淪tudent voices聽补苍诲听diverse viewpoints聽from our campuses are paramount to advancing the University鈥檚 sustainability goals in an equitable manner. We are excited to continue collaborations with many 91探花groups who are聽leading the work on environmental and social justice.鈥�

The full聽Sustainability Action Plan聽document聽is available聽on聽the plan website . Data and metrics on the UW’s sustainability efforts and status updates will be聽publicly available through聽a聽new聽聽on聽the 91探花Sustainability site.

Starting autumn quarter,聽 91探花Sustainability聽will begin聽outreach聽to the campus community聽to聽increase Plan awareness聽补苍诲听engagement.聽Increasing participation with the plan聽will聽help shape the next set of annual actions. Details will be posted on the 补苍诲听.

The 91探花 today released the draft of a new that will guide university actions across a broad spectrum of sustainability policy for the next five years.

The strategy, which builds upon the , includes five guiding principles and 10 measurable targets, along with annual actions to reach those targets. The draft was published on April 22, the 50^th anniversary of the first Earth Day, to support the UW’s existing sustainability work while setting goals for specific future efforts. The Sustainability Strategy represents the work of a cross-university planning team. 91探花Facilities Vice President Lou Cariello is the plan’s executive sponsor.

“We know that many 91探花staff, faculty and students are engaged in activities every day to advance sustainability initiatives across all of our campuses,” Cariello said. “This plan continues that work and sets goals and specific, targeted actions to ensure we align our collective efforts to optimize our impact for a bright future.”

The Sustainability Strategy spans all three 91探花campuses. The targets go beyond campus operations to include student experience, academic research and equity in recognition of the many aspects of sustainability. The planning team worked to consider equity and financial feasibility when drafting the targets and actions. Input from across the 91探花community was gathered throughout the fall and winter quarters through online surveys, direct outreach and events.

The plan’s guiding principles are: Ensure students achieve sustainability literacy; choose our research conscientiously; keep equity and inclusion at the center; use resources responsibly; and decarbonize. The 10 measurable targets all work toward at least one of these principles.

This plan is intended to be responsive to evolving campus needs. Every year under this Sustainability Strategy,聽the 91探花will evaluate聽the immediate actions needed over the next fiscal year聽in order to respond聽to聽changing realities and needs at our campuses.

“Sustainability is a shared value across the 91探花, and this plan will allow all our campuses to better coordinate our actions to reach these targets,” said Claudia Frere-Anderson, director of 91探花Sustainability. “The Sustainability Strategy continues the progress from our Climate Action Plan with a broad approach to include multiple aspects of campus operations, student learning and experiences, academic research, financial feasibility and inclusion in the planning process each year.鈥�

Over the next few months, the actions for the upcoming fiscal year will be finalized. All students, faculty and staff across the 91探花 are invited to provide their input on the best ways to reach the plan’s targets, as well as what might be missing from this Sustainability Strategy. The plan website at has an open survey to provide feedback, or you can email sustainabilityplan@uw.edu. Other opportunities to engage with the plan will be posted on the website as well.

The 91探花 has been recognized as one of the most sustainable higher education institutions in North America, according to the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS).

The 91探花received a gold rating, with a score of 77.18 percent. This is the third time the 91探花has received a gold rating, and the first time covered all three 91探花campuses.

The STARS ratings, administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, are good for three years and are based on self-reported assessments. The UW鈥檚 submission included information on sustainability efforts and performance in 93 different credit areas.

鈥淭his gold rating recognizes the hard work, resourcefulness and creativity of our staff, faculty and students across the university in pursuit of impactful sustainability initiatives,鈥� said聽Lou聽Cariello, vice president of 91探花Facilities. 鈥淲e remain grateful for and passionate about the opportunity we have to continue leading in this area and influencing the initiative of others to further accelerate sustainability improvements.鈥�

coordinated the extensive reporting effort, which involved leaders from more than 30 departments across all three 91探花campuses in Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma.

鈥淲hat is clear from UW鈥檚 gold STARS ranking by AASHE is that the sustainability community values the things at the core of 91探花Tacoma鈥檚 urban-serving mission, like a commitment to equity and justice and the role that a culture of sustainability can play in the lives of our students and their families,” 91探花Tacoma Chancellor Mark A. Pagano said. “We are very proud that what we do every day contributes to UW鈥檚 position as a leader in sustainability.鈥�

The report covers the variety of sustainability efforts at the different locations, including Seattle’s traditional campus environment, Tacoma’s urban-serving campus and Bothell’s mix of built and natural environments, such as its 58-acre wetland. Information about the UW鈥檚 sustainability performance in academics, operations, engagement and planning and administration were part of the report.

鈥淲e are proud to showcase our sustainability efforts, our spectacular campus and be a part of this tri-campus success,鈥� said Alexa Russo, 91探花Bothell sustainability coordinator. 鈥淲e enjoy working with our students, faculty and staff to improve our practices and work to further advance sustainability in the coming years.鈥�

The 91探花scored highest in the areas of transportation, purchasing, coordination and planning, diversity and affordability, and campus engagement. Credit also was given for several innovative practices, including the campus Salmon Safe certification, Athletics Sustainability, the Green Laboratory program, and Mailing Services鈥� Electric Assist Bike Mail Delivery fleet.

91探花 students have been working with city of Auburn staff and community members throughout the past year on a wide range of projects tackling challenges around livability and sustainability in the city.

These projects were part of the , which connects one Washington community with UW聽faculty each year. The faculty incorporate projects identified by that community into their classes, giving their students opportunities to tackle real-world challenges, produce deliverables to a city client and communicate their findings. The partnership with Auburn during the 2016-2017 school year was the program’s first, with more than 160 students working on throughout the year.

“This was a tremendous opportunity for our students to partner with residents in Auburn and to put what they鈥檙e learning in the classroom to the test out in the world,” 91探花President Ana Mari Cauce said. “That sort of experiential learning is central to the Husky student experience, and it鈥檚 a key part of the UW鈥檚 public mission. We greatly appreciate the partnership with the city of Auburn and the entire community, and look forward to seeing the fruits of that partnership continue to blossom.”

Research and work on the projects wrapped up in spring quarter, and the final reports for all of the year’s projects have been delivered to Auburn and are now available online.

“I am inspired by UW鈥檚 first Livable City Year with Auburn,” said Jennifer Otten, Livable City Year co-director and assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences. 鈥淭his partnership allowed us to demonstrate the UW鈥檚 deep commitment to service and the public good and to engage in ways that meet the real needs of the community. At the same time, our students benefited tremendously through experiential learning.”

The Livable City Year program coordinates student teams from a variety of disciplines who work on projects and programs identified by the community partner. Faculty who led projects for this inaugural year include LCY co-directors Otten and Branden Born of urban design and planning, along with Kyle Crowder, sociology; John Scott Meschke, Amy Hagopian and India Ornelas, public health; Ashley Blazina and Sara Brostrom, environmental studies; Kim Perdue, Foster School of Business; and Richard Conlin, urban design and planning.

The latest batch of projects included a study on preventing food waste in Auburn schools; landscape design of an alleyway into a vibrant public space; a study of Auburn residents’ preparedness for emergencies and disasters, including proposals for improvement; and strategies to establish more healthy food alternatives across Auburn.

This initial year was a success thanks to the collaboration, guidance and feedback of Auburn city staff and decision-makers who helped shape the learning experience for 91探花undergraduate and graduate students. The partnership provided Auburn with research, analysis and recommendations, the result of more than 19,000 hours of student work. The relationship will continue as 91探花and Auburn assess the program’s lasting impact and benefits to the community.

“The dedication that 91探花students put toward the partnership with Auburn is beyond compare,” Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus said. “Each project they took on addressed a unique facet of Auburn, and gave us both results and starting points to address needs and improvements in our community. The partnership through the LCY program is one that has built a bridge between Auburn and the 91探花 which will continue long beyond this single year.”

The first year of the Livable City Year program received foundational support from聽the聽, the聽UW鈥檚聽聽补苍诲听 and collaboration with聽聽补苍诲听.

Livable City Year is in partnership with the city of Tacoma. This upcoming partnership will allow the 91探花to build on Tacoma’s existing relationships and connections with 91探花Tacoma, expanding those links and identifying new opportunities across all 91探花campuses and disciplines.

For more information on all of the completed Livable City Year projects with the city of Auburn聽visit the .

The 91探花’s Livable City Year (LCY) program has selected the City of Tacoma as the program’s community partner for the 2017-2018 academic year. This partnership establishes a yearlong relationship connecting students and faculty with city staff working on projects that advance goals outlined in its and strategic visioning framework.

鈥淎s聽Tacoma continues to evolve and attract more residents,聽we want to ensure that聽this growth is sustainable and our entire community benefits,鈥� said Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland. 鈥淲e聽are pleased to be聽selected as a聽91探花 Livable City Year partner聽补苍诲听we聽look forward to a partnership that will聽achieve聽realistic, specific and measurable goals to address education, employment, equity and accountability.聽We are particularly excited about the opportunity to strengthen our ties聽with UW’s Tacoma campus.鈥�

The program will connect 91探花courses with projects identified by Tacoma related to the city鈥檚 livability and sustainability needs. The program works with faculty across all 91探花schools, colleges and campuses to match the projects to courses and students who can best address the real-world problems, while providing city staff with the resources of 91探花student and faculty research and project work.

鈥淭he 91探花 is incredibly proud to honor our public promise through partnerships like this one, which creates so many opportunities for our students, faculty and staff to work with the Tacoma community toward a tangible, positive impact,”聽said 91探花President Ana Mari Cauce.聽“We鈥檙e especially pleased to be doing Livable City Year in the home of our 91探花Tacoma campus, and can鈥檛 wait to see how these interdisciplinary and hands-on learning projects extend and build on the thriving partnership we鈥檝e had with Tacoma for more than two decades.鈥�

鈥淚n the upcoming year, city staff will work with the 91探花鈥檚 Livable City Year program to identify projects and programs that would benefit from 91探花 student and faculty assistance,鈥� said Tacoma2025 Program Manager Tanisha Jumper. 鈥淚t is an exciting partnership.鈥�

The 91探花鈥檚 Livable City Year program is led by faculty directors with the Department of Urban Design and Planning, and with the School of Public Health, in collaboration with 聽补苍诲听, and with foundational support from聽the , the聽91探花鈥檚 and .

The UW鈥檚 Livable City Year program launched in the 2016-2017 academic year, with the City of Auburn serving as its inaugural partner. 91探花students and faculty worked with the City of Auburn on 18 projects during the initial Livable City Year partnership.

“We are excited to partner with Tacoma and build on the success of our inaugural Livable City Year,” Otten said. “Students and faculty have done very exciting work on livability projects in Auburn this year, and working with Tacoma will provide new opportunities for students to work on projects which will benefit residents in Tacoma and our region.”

Anne Taufen Wessells, a professor with 91探花Tacoma Urban Studies, will serve as faculty co-director and the primary 91探花Tacoma contact throughout the Livable City Year partnership with the City of Tacoma, helping identify opportunities for 91探花Tacoma students to connect with Livable City Year projects.

鈥淚t鈥檚 terrific that we have the opportunity in Tacoma to leverage our university-wide resources and relationships to forge this unique partnership in the South Sound,鈥� said Wessells.聽 鈥� 91探花Tacoma’s academic programs, including urban studies, have long defined themselves by their commitment to local communities, and we are thrilled to have the yearlong added support and investment of the Livable City Year program to target and amplify the work of the entire campus as an urban-serving institution.鈥�

One of several across the country based on the University of Oregon’s Sustainable City Year Program, the UW鈥檚 Livable City Year program is part of the Educational Partners for Innovation in Communities Network, which provides resources and connections for schools with similar programs. The 91探花and Western Washington University are the only two schools in Washington state currently offering a program under this model.

鈥淐ities are a great laboratory for today鈥檚 students and tomorrow鈥檚 leaders to put their ideas and training into action,鈥� said the聽Association of Washington Cities CEO Peter B. King. 鈥淭he unique projects and creative solutions that emerge from partnerships like this strengthen our cities and towns.鈥�

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For more information, contact Born at聽bborn@uw.edu听辞谤听206-543-4975; Otten at jotten@uw.edu; and Maria Lee, communications specialist with the City of Tacoma at maria.lee@cityoftacoma.org or (253) 591-2054.

The Livable City Year program will hold a celebration event marking the successful completion of the initial partnership with the City of Auburn at 4 p.m. May 24 at the Auburn Community & Event Center, 910 Ninth St SE, Auburn.

In this inaugural year, 91探花faculty will lead classes to work on 15 to 20 projects identified by the City of Auburn. Students will provide tens of thousands of hours of study and production toward specific projects identified by Auburn, while benefiting from the opportunity to apply classroom lessons to real-world problems.

鈥淭his partnership represents the very best kind of 91探花student experience by creating opportunities for community engagement, practical problem-solving and interdisciplinary study,鈥� said 91探花 President Ana Mari Cauce. 鈥淭he 91探花could not be prouder to partner with the City of Auburn through the Livable City Year program to combine education with making positive change in a Washington community.鈥�

The Auburn City Council voted unanimously Aug. 29 to enter into an agreement with the 91探花for the program.

The UW’s Livable City Year program is a cross-university collaboration led by faculty directors Branden Born, an associate professor in the , and Jennifer Otten, an assistant professor in the , in collaboration with and with foundational support from , the and , as well as from the聽non-profit organization聽, which works with cities and their partners around the state. The program connects local governments with 91探花classes to address community-identified areas of need. The coordinated, cross-discipline approach provides the local partners with a new option to enhance sustainability and livability elements within existing and future projects and programs.

鈥淚 think the most powerful thing about Livable City Year is that it allows 91探花to connect with communities throughout the state using this field-tested and mutually beneficial model,鈥� said program manager Jennifer Davison, who also manages Urban@UW. 鈥淭his partnership with Auburn will be fully supported every step of the way by the program, from project identification and connection with faculty and courses, to student experience and final delivery of meaningful work to the city. It鈥檚 really exciting to see it coming together.”

Auburn’s government and administration were early champions of the program, and the city’s willingness and preparedness to take on this opportunity helped move the program forward from an idea to a reality.

鈥淲e are incredibly honored and excited to be partnering with the 91探花 on these projects and to be part of this ground breaking year for the program,” Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus said.

鈥淭his program is an incredible example of what higher education can do for our community,” said Auburn Deputy Mayor Largo Wales. “Not only does this give students a unique hands-on learning opportunity, it provides the city with the opportunity to complete valuable projects that we would not have been able to otherwise.鈥�

Livable City Year is based on the University of Oregon鈥檚 and is a member of the .

鈥淏y聽connecting many courses over one academic year to projects that address the partner聽city鈥檚 specific goals, Livable City Year can have broad impacts that are difficult for faculty to聽achieve on their own,鈥� Born said.聽鈥淟ivable City Year gives faculty across many disciplines a chance to work together in a fully collaborative 91探花effort.”

As part of the Livable City Year process, Auburn directors and staff identified almost 50 different possible projects for consideration. 91探花faculty will select 15 to 20 of these projects as subjects for classes in a variety of disciplines. Students will work on the projects in conjunction with Auburn staff for a meaningful end result. Projects were identified over a wide range of topics, such as public works, innovation and technology, urban planning and more.

鈥淭his program provides students with an opportunity to tackle meaningful and challenging real-world problems,鈥� Otten said. “Projects addressed in these 91探花class and city collaborations directly affect the health and well-being of the city鈥檚 population. Students will gain an introduction to the civic process and get an opportunity to become better engaged with local communities.鈥�

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For more information, contact Born at聽bborn@uw.edu听辞谤听206-543-4975; Davison at聽jnfrdvsn@uw.edu听辞谤听206-240-6903; and Jenna Leonard, Auburn’s climate and sustainability practice leader, at聽jleonard@auburnwa.gov听辞谤听253-804-5092.

Marc Schlossberg, co-director of the University of Oregon’s Sustainable Cities Initiative, is available to talk about this similar program:聽schlossb@uoregon.edu听辞谤听541-346-2046.

The Livable City Year program will hold a kickoff event highlighting the projects 91探花students will be working on during the fall quarter on Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. in the聽w菨色菨b蕯altx史 鈥� Intellectual House at the 91探花.

The 91探花submitted its this fall and received a gold rating, with a score of 77.47 percent. The UW’s score is the best among Pac-12 universities which have submitted a STARS report, and the third-highest of the 252 currently rated schools.

The , administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, are good for three years. The UW聽renewed its gold rating with the most recent submission, increasing its score from the previous 70.23 the university聽received in 2012.

“Our STARS gold rating is testimony of the commitment and dedication of UW鈥檚 students, faculty and staff. 91探花continues to lead other higher education institutions with sustainability leadership, and we strive to continue on this tradition through support and encouragement of collaborations taking place across our campus with leading edge discovery, operations and teaching,” said Ruth Johnston, associate vice president of .

Gold is the second-highest possible rating in STARS. Colorado State University is the only institution to reach a platinum rating, which it did earlier this year.

The 91探花submitted documentation to answer questions for 74 separate credits as part of the review. 91探花Sustainability coordinated the reporting effort, which started in late 2014 for the fall 2015 submission and involved sustainability leaders from more than 30 departments across campus. Information about the UW’s performance in areas including academics, operations, engagement, and planning and administration were included in the report.

The 91探花also received credit for several innovative practices, including the Green Laboratory Certification program, the 91探花Tower Data Center Energy Reduction Initiative, 91探花Transportation Services initiatives to reduce commuter emissions and the on-campus composting program.

All STARS reports are publicly available. The 91探花’s report聽can be viewed .