Posted 9:53 a.m. Thursday, July 3, 2014
UW-L has begun a year-long self-assessment to see how the university measures up on all things sustainable.
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Kelly Nowicki[/caption]
UW-L has begun a self-assessment to see how the university measures up on all things sustainable.
The university recently signed up to participate in Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS), a four-prong approach for colleges and universities to measure sustainability from an economic, social and environmental perspective. More than 300 institutions throughout the world have received STARS ratings.
Kelly Nowicki[/caption]
UW-L has begun a self-assessment to see how the university measures up on all things sustainable.
The university recently signed up to participate in Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS), a four-prong approach for colleges and universities to measure sustainability from an economic, social and environmental perspective. More than 300 institutions throughout the world have received STARS ratings.
"This thorough process not only allows us to see where we are at in regard to our overall sustainability, but also where there is room for improvement," says Kelly Nowicki, a UW-L associate lecturer in management and STARS coordinator. "It can act as a benchmark with other institutions who have gone through or are going through the process. I think this process can be an investment in our future."
The process will involve collecting data university wide from the type of cleaning supplies used in custodial services to the number of classes with sustainable dimensions, says Nowicki.
Nowicki says she’ll soon be contacting departments and offices for information, which she’ll track in four primary categories: academics, engagement, operations, and planning and administration.
She hopes to wrap up the project sometime in summer 2015. Results, she says, will show the university where it is excelling and where it can improve. Universities are ultimately recognized with a bronze, silver, gold or platinum rating.
"In addition to receiving a rating, hopefully our findings can be used as a marketing tool for future students and employees alike who are familiar with and are interested in how sustainable UW-L already is," she says.