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STARS reporting

Ontario Tech University receives STARS Gold Rating for sustainability achievements

stars gold

In 2016, Ontario Tech earned a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) Gold Rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. Continuing to push sustainability efforts forward, Ontario Tech improved its overall score and received a STARS Gold Rating in 2019. 

Ontario Tech's 2023 STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.

With more than 650 participants on six continents, AASHE’s STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance.

Tim, shannon and Melissa holding the STARS plaque

Participants report achievements in four overall areas:

  • academics
  • engagement
  • operations
  • planning and administration

“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser in 2016. “Ontario Tech has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Gold 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, 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.

Picture of Melissa and Shannon holding the Gold Stars Plaque

“We are very proud to have achieved a STARS Gold Rating," said Melissa Mirowski, Asset and Sustainability Planner, Office of Campus Infrastructure and Sustainability, Ontario Tech in 2016. "It serves to validate that Ontario Tech continues to be the innovative and future-driven institution it set out to be at its inception more than 12 years ago. We look forward to continued integration of sustainable practices in our programming and day-to-day operations.”

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 aashe.org.

For more information about the STARS program, visit stars.aashe.org.