ABQ Times

The University of New Mexico (UNM) has been awarded a Silver rating in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) Version 3.0. This recognition is administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The accolade underscores UNM's dedication to environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and community engagement. The university's report can be accessed on the STARS website.

"UNM 2040 highlights Sustainability as a key institutional priority, and this STARS Silver rating reflects UNM’s collective effort to integrate sustainability into all facets of university life," stated UNM President Garnett Stokes. "From classrooms to operations, we are creating a culture of sustainability that aligns with our mission and values."

STARS is an internationally recognized framework for assessing sustainability performance in higher education institutions. With over 1,200 participants across 52 countries, AASHE’s STARS program is considered the most widely acknowledged framework globally for publicly reporting comprehensive information about a college or university’s sustainability performance.

"STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts," said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. "The University of New Mexico has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Silver Rating and is to be congratulated for its efforts."

UNM secured its Silver rating with a score of 51.71 through an assessment led by the UNM Office of Sustainability. This evaluation covered academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, as well as innovation and leadership.

Key areas contributing to this achievement include:

Academics: UNM offers numerous undergraduate and graduate degrees focusing on sustainability topics available across nearly all schools and colleges. The Sustainability Studies Program provides an undergraduate minor degree accessible to students from any department or college.

Research: The university showed strength in sustainability-related research initiatives through hubs like the ARID Institute and leadership within the Intermountain West Transformation Network. Notably, 94% of academic departments engaged in research at UNM are involved in sustainability-related projects.

Community Engagement: UNM participates in various partnerships focused on sustainability that support underrepresented groups both locally and globally.

Operations: Sustainable practices such as energy conservation, green building design, construction, and greenhouse gas accounting contributed points toward meeting rigorous operational standards.

Social Equity & Wellbeing: The institution excelled in programs advancing diversity, equity, inclusion while promoting wellbeing among students, staff, and faculty.

"There is much to celebrate about sustainability achievements at UNM," said Anne Jakle, Director of Sustainability at UNM. "We can use this baseline sustainability data generated through the STARS assessment to set campus priority areas to focus future sustainability initiatives."

The Office of Sustainability has initiated a strategic planning process aimed at gathering input on strategic priorities related to sustainability from across campus. This effort will include public meetings and surveys during Spring 2025 semester leading towards developing five-to-seven priority areas for implementation by UNM Office Of Sustainability.

The STARS Silver designation remains valid until December 2027 reinforcing UNMs position as leader within New Mexico regarding advancement towards greater sustainable milestones ahead.

AASHE comprises colleges aiming towards creating sustainable futures; it empowers higher education institutions leading transformations via resources professional development networking support enabling modeling advancement governance operations education research activities visit www.aashe.org more details about their mission offerings available online

For additional information concerning STARS program please refer stars.aashe.org further insights regarding specific initiatives undertaken visit respective office website dedicated ongoing efforts