Dickinson attained the No. 1 spot in this year’s Sustainable Campus Index among baccalaureate institutions in the coveted Overall Top Performer category and earned the No. 2 place in the air & climate category with a perfect score of 100%. This marks the fifth consecutive year that 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 distinguishes colleges and universities and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.
AASHE evaluates the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) performance of more than 900 institutions in 40 countries. “STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” says AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Dickinson has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Gold Rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”
“Dickinson is committed to working toward a world that is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable,” says Neil Leary, director of the college’s Center for Sustainability Education. “The enthusiasm of our students, faculty and staff helps us achieve critical goals, like becoming one of the first carbon-neutral colleges in the nation. We are honored to receive recognition once again from AASHE for our community’s dedication to sustainability.”
Dickinson’s top spot among baccalaureate institutions on the Sustainable Campus Index comes in another year of accolades for the college’s sustainability efforts. The Princeton Review ranked the college second in the nation on its list of “Top 50 Green Colleges” and named it to its annual “Green Honor Roll,” and Sierra magazine again named the college one of its “Cool Schools” for environmental sustainability.
In keeping with its leadership position on sustainability, Dickinson will host “Science-Based Choices for Climate Action: Insights from the IPCC 6th Assessment Report” from Oct. 24-26. The livestreamed and in-person symposium will feature internationally known scientists and authors of the newest reports of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). More information, including the schedule and speakers, is available at the symposium website.
Published September 8, 2022