A sustainability report recently ranked many of OU’s sustainability efforts as average.
Ohio University received a “silver” rating on its first Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) report, putting it at about the average for higher education in country.
The report, released by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, measured the extent to which academics, operations, administration and planning at OU prioritized sustainability.
OU excelled in categories such as innovative programs and low impact dining, yet scored lower in areas such as water use and greenhouse gas emissions. Some of OU’s other scores were low due to unavailable data.
The report is a tool that can potentially help the university re-evaluate sustainability priorities and analyze whether efforts need to be amended, according to a university news release.
“Through this report, we were pleased to discover that Ohio University has strong sustainability-related degree programs, we excel at co- and extracurricular campus engagement programs and our departmental coordination and collaboration is outstanding,” Tess Phinney, reporting graduate assistant in the Office of Sustainability, said in the press release.
Phinney will conduct an audit of the university’s sustainability profile, and a team within the office will create consulting documents for OU offices and departments to show how improvements can be made.
The data in the report is derived from self-reported numbers from several OU offices and departments.
“It is the philosophy of Ohio University that developing, fostering and practicing sustainable behaviors is the responsibility of every member of our campus community,” President Roderick McDavis said in a letter attached to the report.
Most other universities in Ohio, such as Miami University and the University of Cincinnati, also received silver rankings. Of all institutions participating in STAR, 29 percent received gold ratings and 46 percent received silver rankings, according to data from the organization’s website.
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