Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain College (GMC) has been recognized as the top Baccalaureate performer by the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). GMC’s 2018 STARS score of 81.82 is the highest score any baccalaureate institution has achieved. STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, measures and encourages sustainability in higher education.
In addition to the top baccalaureate score, AASHE awarded Green Mountain College the first ever perfect score for sustainability-based curriculum, GMC also attained perfect scores in the areas of Sustainability Research and Air and Climate Operations. Green Mountain College’s full STARS report is publicly available at: https://stars.aashe.org/institutions/green-mountain-college-vt/report/2018-02-23/
“Green Mountain College is proud of this recognition. For over twenty years, Green Mountain College has consistently provided leadership in advancing sustainability. Our mission to prepare students to create a just and sustainable society informs everything we do,” said Robert Allen, Green Mountain College President. “Our general education curriculum, the “sustainable liberal arts for transformative education,” requires all undergraduate students to demonstrate a complex understanding of sustainability and their role in effecting positive change in the world.”
Recognition by AASHE follows several other recent accolades GMC has received for social, environmental and economic sustainability. In August the College ranked among the nation’s top ten “Cool Schools” by Sierra magazine, the national magazine of the Sierra Club. Also in August, GMC was recognized for the fourth year in a row as a member of the Green Honor Roll.
“This report confirms that GMC continues to serve as a model for campus sustainability while equipping the next generation of students with the skills they need to lead and succeed in a world that is being transformed by climate change and social justice,” said Green Mountain College Sustainability Director Ryan Ihrke.
With more than 800 participants in 30 countries, AASHE’s STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in five overall areas: 1) academics 2) engagement, 3) operations, 4) planning and administration, and 5) innovation and leadership.
“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Green Mountain College has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Gold Rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”
Unlike other rating or ranking systems, this program is open to all institutions of higher education, and the criteria that determine a STARS rating are transparent and accessible to anyone. Because STARS is a program based on credits earned, it allows for both internal comparisons as well as comparisons with similar institutions.
About Green Mountain College – First in Sustainability:
For more than 20 years, Green Mountain College has focused on environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Its curriculum is rated #1 in the nation, and the college has been recognized for its leadership in sustainability more than any other college in the country. Its faculty members are leaders in their fields, with proven success teaching and mentoring GMC students to take on the great challenges of these times.
Green Mountain College’s holistic, sustainability-based education, built on a core sustainability-focused liberal arts curriculum, enables students to develop the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in our rapidly changing world. The College also offers online master’s degree programs, and three-year B.S. degrees in partnership with Vermont Law School and The Killington Resort. For more information, visit www.greenmtn.edu.
About AASHE:
AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that are working to create a sustainable future. AASHE’s mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation. It provides resources, professional development and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research. For more information about AASHE, visit www.aashe.org.
For more information about the STARS program, visit stars.aashe.org.
Source:Poultney, Vermont – April 12, 2018– Green Mountain College