Durham College (DC) is pleased to share that it has received a silver rating from the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS), offered through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), for its on-campus sustainability initiatives.

DC became a member of AASHE in 2009 and achieved a bronze rating in 2012. Work towards achieving silver status began in January 2016, with employees from many departments and schools across the college contributing to the collection of data required to support the application.

Environmental responsibility has been a key focus for the college’s Sustainability Committee and Living Green initiative, who, along with the entire campus community, have been implementing changes to increase green activities and operationalize sustainability programs across DC. These include the use of solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, co-mingle waste bins and low-flow toilets, all of which contributed to achieving the silver rating.

STARS is a comprehensive tool that compares the sustainability initiatives of participating colleges and universities by focusing on several key areas including education and research; operations; planning; and administration and engagement, with each category holding a percentage-based score.

AASHE has extensive participation from several universities and colleges throughout North America. This group of institutions creates networking opportunities to advance sustainability through sharing ideas and opening dialogues on behalf of the diverse community AASHE effects. Administrators, faculty, staff and students all contribute to improve sustainability and demonstrate the value of collaboration on these initiatives.