Illinois State University has earned a STARS Silver rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.
With more than 1,200 participants in 52 countries, 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. Participants report achievements in five overall areas: 1) academics, 2) engagement, 3) operations, 4) planning and administration, and 5) innovation and leadership.
Illinois State’s STARS report was conducted by the Office of Sustainability and led by assistant director for sustainability, Christine Bruckner. The process to complete the report involved many months of working with data providers from across campus.
“While much of the data we needed was from Facilities, we also needed quite a bit of data from Planning, Research, and Policy Analysis, department chairs and school directors, and the Division of Student Affairs,” Bruckner explained. “The scope of this report was really all encompassing.”
An institution’s STARS score is based on the percentage of applicable points it earns across four main categories of credits (i.e. Academics, Engagement, Operations, and Planning and Administration). Any Innovation and Leadership credits earned are then added to the final percentage, determining the total STARS score.
Illinois State has participated in the STARS reporting process three times before: for the first time in 2012, then in 2016, and most recently in 2019 where the campus achieved a bronze rating. Shortly following the submission of the 2019 report, current director of sustainability, Elisabeth Reed, was hired to lead the Office of Sustainability. With new leadership came renewed energy toward sustainability at Illinois State, including the first ever University Sustainability Strategic Plan.
“The University released its first ever Sustainability Strategic Plan in 2022, and its implementation is passionately driven by a Presidential Sustainability Committee and led by the Office of Sustainability,” said President Aondover Tarhule. “The plan inspires and guides our entire, growing campus as we continue to build on our successes and work toward a sustainable future. Together we are making real progress toward a more sustainable campus for future generations.”
With the strategic plan as a roadmap, improvements in campus infrastructure for sustainability and the culture of sustainability on campus all improved from 2019 to the submission of the most recent STARS report in 2025.
“Over the last six years, we have made significant strides in integrating sustainability across campus,” Reed said.
An example of several improvements made over the six years is the implementation of a campus compost kiosk program, development of the campus Share Shop, updating facilities and landscape design guidelines, establishment of the Earth Day Breakfast, and the evolution of converting all Event Management, Dining, and Hospitality’s catered events to zero waste. Additionally, numerous other campus units and departments hosted and continue to host zero waste events. The campus also enhanced staff and faculty engagement in sustainability through the creation of the Green Workplace Certification program.
While there was considerable growth, the campus also maintained many successful initiatives including co-curricular sustainability activities, multiple registered student organizations, a food recovery program, active and representative institutional governance, effective coordination and planning of sustainability initiatives, a productive Office of Sustainability, waste generation and recovery, improvement in greenhouse gas emissions, responsible faculty-led sustainability related research, and ongoing community partnerships.
A benefit of the STARS report is that its self-assessment format provides campuses an opportunity to visualize areas for sustainable campus improvement.
“The process of completing the report led us to understand that there are certain areas that campus could benefit from further conversations and varying enhancements,” Bruckner said.
Within academics, these areas include expanding sustainability-related course offerings across the curriculum, integrating sustainability-related learning objectives into academic programs, and introducing sustainability-focused content within the general education curriculum.
Key areas of improvement within Facilities include supporting the transition to renewable energy, applying LEED principles in design and construction, adopting electric fleet vehicles and a charging infrastructure, developing a data collection to include procurement and sustainable building information, committing to sustainable groundskeeping practices, and increasing financial investment in sustainability to support these efforts.
“Achieving a STARS Silver rating is a proud moment, and while we have much room to grow, this accomplishment drives us forward,” Reed said. “Higher education institutions are uniquely positioned to lead on the urgent challenges of climate change, and now, more than ever, it’s crucial that we strengthen our commitment to sustainability and advance these initiatives at ISU.”
STARS ratings are valid for three years, at which time institutions can update their report and submit for another rating.
All of Illinois State’s STARS reports are publicly available on the STARS website.
