Wake Forest receives STARS Gold rating for sustainability achievements

Wake Forest University 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 & Rating System measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.

The Wake Forest University 2018 STARS report is publicly available here on the STARS website.

The Office of Sustainability, established at Wake Forest in July of 2009, facilitated the first STARS assessment for the campus in 2011. The resulting Silver rating served as a baseline for the first campus-wide strategic plan for sustainability. The recent Gold rating reflects the achievements and strategic efforts of stakeholders across the university to incorporate sustainability into academics and research, engagement opportunities, operations, and planning & administration.

“The STARS Gold rating is a marvelous achievement and honor for Wake Forest,” said Wake Forest University President Dr. Nathan Hatch. “I congratulate all here on campus who have made it possible.”

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.

“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Wake Forest University 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.

“Wake Forest’s dual commitments to the engaged liberal arts and service for the betterment of humanity are reflected in this Gold rating,” said Dedee DeLongpre Johnston, Chief Sustainability Officer at Wake Forest. “Following this assessment, we are poised to expand our educational offerings for sustainability and elevate our climate action planning. A new strategic plan for sustainability is on the horizon and the boldness of our goals will reflect the immediacy of the world’s need for our graduates’ leadership.”