Goucher College has earned a silver rating from the Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) developed the program as a transparent way to gauge college and universities’ progress toward being more environmentally friendly.
STARS reports comprehensive information related to college or universities’ sustainability performance, including environmental factors, as well as social and economic considerations.
At Goucher, environmental sustainability has long been a critical component of campus operations, academics, volunteer opportunities, events programming, and shared community principles. The college has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by 2020; and there are a number of other new and ongoing environmental initiatives, including a Master of Arts in Environmental Studies Program that began this year to complement Goucher’s environmental studies undergraduate degree; study abroad experiences in Ecuador, Italy, and the Galapagos Islands; and a Summer Science Research Program that supports student research.
AASHE recognized how these kinds of programs and initiatives reflect the important ways in which Goucher’s administration, students, faculty, and staff have helped to make environmental sustainability a priority on campus.