Penn State Behrend has earned a bronze rating from STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System. The rating, which is valid for three years, is the result of a comprehensive, yearlong assessment of the college’s sustainability efforts.
Behrend is the first Penn State commonwealth campus to earn a STARS rating, which is issued by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
The rating provides a baseline assessment of the college’s work toward environmental, social and economic sustainability. Data is bundled in five primary categories – academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership – that reflect a coordinated, college-wide approach to sustainability. The full report is available at the STARS website.
“This tells us where we are, in terms of sustainability, and what steps we need to take next,” said Sherri “Sam” Mason, Penn State Behrend’s sustainability coordinator. “It will help us prioritize the work ahead – identifying both the low-hanging fruit and the more ambitious, and more challenging, efforts to be undertaken.”
In the initial report, the college earned high marks for the percentage of faculty and staff who are engaged in sustainability-related research, including studies of the biodiversity on and near the Behrend campus. That includes Wintergreen Gorge, which is home to three endangered plant species.