Fleming achieves STARS Bronze Rating in sustainability
Fleming College has received a STARS Bronze Rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
STARS – the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System – is a new program that measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.
Fleming’s attainment of the Bronze STARS rating achieves an important part of the college’s 2010-2015 strategic plan to, “move from commitment to results in ecological, economic and social sustainability through our programs and practices.”
Today, sustainability is becoming a fully integrated aspect of the Fleming experience. The concept is embedded in the college’s mission statement, values, and as one of Fleming’s six strategic priorities. This follows the college’s commitment as a signatory to the Association of Canadian Community Colleges’ Pan-Canadian Protocol on Sustainability, http://www.accc.ca/xp/index.php/en/members/sustainability, which recognizes the critical role played by higher education institutions.
Fleming College has historically shown leadership in sustainability with a variety of activities including a ban on bottled water, the applied research of the Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment, the Frost Sustainable Campus Initiative, and EDGE (Environment Diversity Globalization Experience), a sustainability initiative integrated into the curricula of the college’s business programs. The STARS rating system will help the college benchmark its actions and measure progress as Fleming finalizes and implements its five-year Sustainability Plan.
“The audit of our current practices forms the basis for the rating and will now serve as the baseline for the development of institutional improvement and advancement goals and strategies to be set out in our corporate sustainability plan,” said Blane Harvey, Vice President Academic of Fleming College.
AASHE’s STARS program is the only one of its kind that involves publicly reporting detailed information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in three overall areas: education and research; operations; and planning, administration and engagement.
“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Paul Rowland. “Fleming College has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Bronze Rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”
Unlike other rating or ranking systems, this program is open to all institutions of higher education in the U.S. and Canada, and the criteria that determine a STARS Rating are transparent and accessible to anyone. Because STARS is a program based on credits earned, it allows for both internal comparisons as well as comparisons with similar institutions.
“We are very proud to have achieved a STARS Rating for our sustainability accomplishments. We look forward to watching our sustainability efforts grow and improve through the STARS program,” said Trish O’Connor, Special Projects Leader, Fleming College.
About AASHE
AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that are working to create a sustainable future. AASHE’s mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation. It provides resources, professional development and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research. For more information about AASHE, visit www.aashe.org. For more information about the STARS program, visit stars.aashe.org.
About Fleming College
Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Community Development and Health, Continuing Education, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Justice and Business, Skilled Trades and Technology, General Arts and Science, and Visual Arts. Fleming College has more than 5,900 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and more than 63,000 alumni.
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For more information:
Laura Copeland, Communications Officer,705-749-5530 x 1370 or copeland@flemingc.on.ca