VCU Earns STARS Gold Recognition for Sustainability Leadership

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has once again achieved a coveted STARS Gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). This milestone underscores VCU’s unwavering commitment to integrating sustainability into its academics, operations, and community engagement efforts.

What is STARS?

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is an internationally recognized framework for measuring the sustainability performance of higher education institutions.

With participation from over 1,200 colleges and universities across 52 countries, STARS sets the benchmark for sustainable practices in education. It evaluates academics, operations, community engagement, planning, and innovation initiatives.

Meredith Weiss, Ph.D., senior vice president for finance and administration at VCU, emphasized the collaborative nature of this accomplishment:

“Achieving STARS Gold is a reflection of the university’s commitment to sustainability. We are grateful for the exceptional work of faculty, staff, and students across the institution that has led to this result.”

ONE VCU Sustainability Plan: Transforming Vision into Action

The ONE VCU Sustainability Plan is central to VCU’s sustainability achievements. Introduced recently, this comprehensive strategy seeks to embed sustainability into the university’s culture and operations through actionable goals.

The plan is built around three overarching pillars:

1. Ourselves: Promoting a sustainability-driven campus culture.
2. Our Community: Enhancing the health and well-being of the broader community while reducing environmental impacts.
3. Our World: Driving innovative research and education to address global environmental challenges.

Developed over two years, the plan incorporated feedback from more than 2,200 survey respondents and public consultations, reflecting the voices of university stakeholders and the Richmond community.

Achievements in Sustainability

VCU’s STARS Gold rating highlights several impactful initiatives, including:

• Sustainable Infrastructure: The university boasts 23 LEED-certified buildings, including the newly constructed STEM Building, which achieved LEED Gold certification.
• Energy and Resource Efficiency: Initiatives include reducing energy consumption, composting food waste, and reprocessing medical devices.
• Green Spaces: Projects such as urban meadows reduce stormwater runoff and enhance campus biodiversity.
• Waste Reduction: The VCU Free Store promotes reuse, reducing waste sent to landfills.
• Innovative Research and Education: The Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment leads projects addressing climate change and prepares future leaders to meet these challenges.

Dr. Fotis Sotiropoulos, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, shared his enthusiasm for these efforts:

"At VCU, we brought together the combined knowledge and expertise of our community to devise a meaningful plan with actionable steps that not only can make an immediate difference but also position VCU as a global leader."

AASHE and the Role of Higher Education in Sustainability

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) supports institutions like VCU in advancing sustainability. Through programs like STARS, AASHE fosters collaboration, innovation, and accountability in higher education. The organization also facilitates knowledge-sharing, enabling universities to lead sustainability initiatives worldwide.

As VCU continues to implement the ONE VCU Sustainability Plan, it reaffirms its role as a leader in sustainability. President Michael Rao, Ph.D., emphasized this commitment:

"As a top-ranked national public research university and health system, we have the ability and responsibility to lead the way in facing these challenges at the local and global level. We are role models for our communities and must model the best of sustainability."