Cal State Fullerton has committed to operating as a sustainable campus in operations, outlook and curriculum and recently was named a STARS Silver Institution based on its reported accomplishments.
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. It was developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) with participation from the higher education community.
The university completed its first survey in 2012. This is the third time that the campus has completed the report.
Highlights from the 2018 report include:
- 3 MW of solar photovoltaic panels were added to the roofs of two parking structures
- Seven new undergraduate or graduate sustainability courses were created
- CSUF hosted the California Higher Education Sustainability (CHESC) conference in 2016
- Student and employee orientations now include sustainability
- 22 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, from the 1990 baseline
- 23 percent reduction in potable water use, from the 2012 baseline
- 40 percent reduction in total waste generated, from the 2014 baseline
“We are very proud to have gained silver STARS status for our sustainability efforts,” said Danny Kim, vice president for administration and finance, “and we look forward to building upon our achievements.”
The university’s report is available online. For details on Cal State Fullerton’s sustainability efforts, visit fullerton.edu/sustainability.