The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System is a set of peer-reviewed, standardized indicators that measure and help manage our sustainability efforts.

It is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to gauge relative progress toward sustainability, developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) with broad participation from the higher education community.  STARS is designed to:

  • Provide a framework for understanding sustainability in all sectors of higher education
  • Enable meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements
  • Create incentives for continual improvement
  • Facilitate information sharing about higher education sustainability practices and performance
  • Build a stronger, more diverse campus sustainability community.
AASHE Member Resources

As an institutional member of AASHE, OSU students and employees have access to AASHE member benefits and resources, including exclusive networking and professional development. 

Interested in taking advantage of AASHE resources? To get started, visit this page and create an account. 

OSU's STARS History

STARS engages and recognizes the full spectrum of institutions from community colleges to research universities, and from institutions just starting sustainability programs to long-time sustainability leaders.

When the STARS Pilot began in 2008, OSU understood it could be a game changer in measuring and managing sustainability within higher education. In the summer of 2010, the Sustainability Office began the data gathering process for OSU's first STARS submission. This included identifying stakeholders throughout campus that have access to information needed to complete STARS reporting.  

On January 31, 2011, OSU submitted its first report for Fiscal Year 2010 (July 1, 2009-June 30, 2010). OSU was the first and only school in Oregon to submit its STARS report on time, by the January 31 deadline. This deadline was for the first round of STARS participants and since then, deadlines have been removed so schools can report when convenient for them. Princeton Review and the Sierra Club, however, have their own deadlines and rely on STARS data.

As an early adopter, OSU is a charter participant in the STARS program. We continue that leadership today by being one of few institutions to perform a campus-wide assessment every year. In fact, with our FY20 report submission, OSU became the first institution to reach a 10-report milestone. Then, in 2022, OSU became the first institution to submit 12 STARS reports! This assessment process aligns with guidance and directives from university leadership and also supports OSU's climate initiatives and Strategic Plan.

Each time since 2011, OSU has attained a Gold rating in STARS.  It was the first school in Oregon to submit a report. 

Fiscal Year Submission Date STARS Version STARS Score STARS Gold
2023 Jan. 4, 2024 2.2 72.34
2022 Dec. 9, 2022 2.2 73.38
2021 Dec. 8, 2021 2.2 74.49
2020 Dec. 23, 2020 2.2 74.29
2019 Dec. 20, 2019 2.1 74.57
2018 Dec. 20, 2018 2.1 72.61
2017 Jan. 31, 2018 2.1 72.23
2016 Feb. 28, 2017 2.1 72.21
2015 Mar. 4, 2016 2.0 73.24
2014 Apr. 30, 2015 2.0 72.78
2013 Apr. 30, 2014 2.0 70.94
2012 May 11, 2013 1.2 68.95
2010 Jan. 31, 2011 1.0 69.74