International recognition for UOIT’s sustainability achievements

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s (UOIT) leadership in environmental sustainability, conservation and green community-building recently earned the university a Gold Rating from the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) program. STARS is a transparent, self-reporting global framework universities and colleges use to measure their sustainability performance.

“We are very proud to have achieved a STARS Gold Rating," said Melissa Mirowski, Asset and Sustainability Planner, Office of Campus Infrastructure and Sustainability, UOIT. "It serves to validate that the University of Ontario Institute of Technology continues to be the innovative and future-driven institution it set out to be at its inception more than 13 years ago. We look forward to continued integration of sustainable practices in our programming and day-to-day operations.”

“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said Meghan Fay Zahniser, Executive Director, AASHE. “The University of Ontario Institute of Technology has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Gold Rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”

UOIT’s STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.

About STARS

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 related to a university’s or college’s sustainability performance.

Participants report achievements in four overall areas:

• academics
• engagement
• operations
• planning and administration

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. Gold and Platinum ratings must be verified by AASHE.