Dickinson Recognized as Top Performer in Sustainable Campus Index
In addition to the Overall Top Performer category, Dickinson earned top-10 placements in campus engagement, curriculum and research.
Dickinson ranked No. 2 top overall performer
For the second consecutive year, Dickinson has been recognized as a top performer in the Sustainable Campus Index, a publication from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) that recognizes colleges and universities overall and in 17 impact areas related to academics, engagement, operations and administration. AASHE evaluates the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) performance of more than 500 institutions in 12 countries covering 47 U.S. states and Canada.
Dickinson achieved the No. 2 spot among baccalaureate institutions in the coveted Overall Top Performer category and earned top-10 placements in three additional categories: campus engagement, curriculum and research. Notably, with a perfect score of 100%, Dickinson was one of only two baccalaureate institutions among the top 10 in research—a category dominated by doctoral institutions.
“Sustainability is part of every Dickinson student’s education and college experience, and it’s embedded in courses across our liberal-arts curriculum,” said Neil Leary, director of the Center for Sustainability Education. “Our students get hands-on experience conducting research and solving sustainability problems on our campus, at the College Farm, in local communities and at our study abroad sites. Through experiences in and out of the classroom, Dickinson students build the skills they need to lead positive change in the world.”
The 2018-19 academic year saw many achievements in sustainability education and sustainable campus operations:
- The High Street Residence Hall became the only certified Platinum LEED residence hall in Pennsylvania and the sixth LEED certified building on campus.
- A 3-megawatt solar field designed and built by Tesla came online through a power purchasing agreement and will generate about 30% of electricity needs.
- Dickinson was certified as member of Bee Campus USA, began an adopt-a-bee program and is engaging in collaborative pollinator research with Penn State University, University of Minnesota and University of California-Davis.
- Dickinson received a Gold Bicycle Friendly University award from the League of American Bicyclists in recognition of achievements in promoting and enabling safe, accessible bicycling on campus.
“We are happy to recognize Dickinson for its leadership in advancing sustainability,” said AASHE’s Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “I’m grateful for the work being done by this institution to help move society toward a more equitable and sustainable future.”
Dickinson’s STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website. It highlights Dickinson’s Sustainability Dashboard, which allows users to explore metrics for greenhouse gas emissions, campus energy use, College Farm production, waste minimization, water consumption, student and employee diversity, sustainability learning outcomes, sustainability faculty development projects and more.
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Published August 26, 2019