Green Mountain College Receives STARS Gold Rating for Sustainability Achievements
POULTNEY, Vt., Nov. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Green Mountain College has earned a STARS "gold" rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System, measures sustainability in all aspects of higher education.
AASHE gives awards in the platinum, gold, silver and bronze categories. No institution has ever been awarded the highest platinum rating. Colleges and universities report data every three years—this is the second time GMC has received a gold ranking.
With more than 650 participants on six continents, AASHE's STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information about a college or university's sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in operations, academics, engagement and planning, and administration.
"This rating shows how deep our commitment is to building a more economically, socially and environmentally viable future," said Aaron Witham, GMC's Director of Sustainability. "Many of our best ideas come from students—achievements like building a biomass plant that burns locally harvested wood chips, and divesting fossil fuel securities from our endowment. GMC students faculty, staff and trustees have shown unwavering commitment to sustainability goals."
AASHE 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.
"STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts," said AASHE Executive Director Stephanie Herrera. "Green Mountain College has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS gold rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts."
Green Mountain College has received other recent accolades for sustainability. For the fourth time in five years, GMC was ranked among the top ten "Coolest Schools" by Sierra magazine. And for the third consecutive year, GMC received a perfect green rating of "99" in the 2015 edition of The Princeton Review's The Best 379 Colleges guide.
SOURCE Green Mountain College
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