STARS is the product of an extensive stakeholder engagement process that began in 2006 and continues to this day.
Milestones
2006
- The Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium (HEASC) issued a call for AASHE to develop a campus sustainability rating system.
- Feedback gathered from workshop participants at the AASHE 2006 conference.
2007
- Feedback gathered from workshop participants at the 2007 Rocky Mountain Sustainability Summit, the 2007 Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference, and the 2007 Greening of the Campus Conference.
- STARS 0.4, a draft version of the rating system, released.
2008
- STARS Pilot Project initiated.
- STARS 0.5 released to public comment.
2009
- STARS Pilot Project ended.
- STARS Charter Participant registration opened.
2010
- STARS 1.0 released.
2011
- STARS 1.1 released.
- STARS International Pilot launched.
2012
- STARS 1.2 released.
- The Campus Sustainability Data Collector launched to allow institutions to share STARS data with third parties and reduce the “survey fatigue” associated with multiple reporting obligations.
2013
- STARS 2.0 released, which included open international registration and two levels of access.
- Administrative Update One to STARS 2.0 published.
2015
- Universidad de Monterrey (Mexico) became the first institution outside the U.S. and Canada to earn a STARS rating.
- Colorado State University became the first institution to earn a STARS Platinum rating.
- The first Sustainable Campus Index (SCI) published, highlighting top-performing colleges and universities in 17 impact areas.
2016
- STARS 2.1 released.
- AASHE staff began reviewing all scored reports prior to publication as part of a collaborative review and revision process.
2018
- A STARS Review Template and pilot program launched to encourage and support independent review of reports prior to submission.
- Sierra magazine and The Princeton Review announced that they will use published STARS reports as the basis of their annual rankings.
2019
- A preview version of the STARS 2.2 Technical Manual released to stakeholders.
- New STARS website, Benchmarking Tool and online Community launched.
- STARS 2.2 released.
- Vision for STARS 3.0 approved by the STARS Steering Committee.
2020
- New introductory videos and Data Accuracy video series released.
- COVID-19 reporting guidance published.
- Higher Education Sustainability Assessment Frameworks Compared published.
- STARS Aligned: Using the Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System to Report on Contributions to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals published.
2021
- The window to report under STARS 2.1 closed.
- Public comment on STARS 3.0 opened on a rolling basis.
- Sierra magazine announced that it will no longer publish its Cool Schools ranking.
2022
- AASHE launched a new STARS Cohort program designed to guide new and returning participants through the reporting process by providing hands-on training and support.
- Public comment on STARS 3.0 continued.
2023
- The public comment process for STARS 3.0 concluded.
- A consultative weighting exercise was conducted to provide the broader community with an opportunity to help determine the point allocation for STARS 3.0.
- The STARS Steering Committee approved the STARS 3.0 Technical Manual.