The AASHE Staff Review Process

As a benefit of paid participation in STARS, all reports submitted for a rating (i.e., Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum) receive AASHE staff support to help ensure the accuracy of reports before they are published. This collaborative review & revision effort also helps to protect the credibility of STARS.A review is conducted by AASHE staff after a report has been submitted but before the report is publicly posted and any rating is announced. The review will focus on a set of credits with high error-rates (listed below) as well as one or more randomly selected credit(s).  We review credits from within this group when the provisional score for that credit is above a particular threshold (usually the 50th percentile). As a result, submissions with higher provisional scores and ratings will be subject to a more comprehensive review. The AASHE staff collaborative review & revision process and other mechanisms for promoting data integrity are outlined in the STARS Data Accuracy Policy. 

Yes, post-publication reviews are possible. Periodic audits of data submitted by all institutions are conducted by AASHE staff for identification of data outliers or inconsistencies. This typically occurs annually during the development of AASHE’s Sustainable Campus Index (SCI). If issues are found, they are addressed through data inquiries, as outlined in the STARS Data Accuracy Policy. 

AASHE staff review the contents of the following credits for all institutions to ensure that credit criteria are met:

• AC 1: Academic Courses
• AC 2: Learning Outcomes
• OP 7: Food & Beverage Purchasing

For the credits listed below, AASHE staff conduct a review if the credit score is above the 50th percentile. 

• AC 6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment
• AC 9: Research & Scholarship
• AC 11: Open Access to Research
• EN 1: Student Educator’s Program
• EN 7: Employee Educators Program
• EN 14: Participation in Public Policy
• OP 1: Emissions Inventory & Disclosure
• OP 2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• OP 4: Buildings Operations & Maintenance
• OP 5: Building Energy Consumption
• OP 6: Clean & Renewable Energy
• OP 9: Landscape Management   
• OP 11: Sustainable Procurement
• OP 16: Commute Modal Split
• OP 18: Waste Minimization & Diversion
• OP 21: Water Use
• PA 2: Sustainability Planning
• PA 3: Inclusive & Participatory Governance
• PA 4: Reporting Assurance
• PA 7: Support for Underrepresented Groups
• PA 10: Sustainable Investment
• PA 11: Investment Disclosure
• PA 12: Employee Compensation
• PA 14: Wellness Program

The Innovation (IN) credits listed below tend to have relatively high error rates, and will be reviewed by AASHE staff if they are pursued. Other IN credits may be reviewed to ensure that consistent standards are met and for the purposes of gathering and sharing exemplary practices.

• Academy & Industry Connections
• Carbon Mitigation Project Development
• Dining Services Certification
• Green Athletics 
• Green Cleaning Certification
• Green Laboratory Program
• Hospital Network
• Laboratory Animal Welfare
• Pay Scale Equity
• Spend Analysis
• Stormwater Modeling
• Sustainability Course Designation
• Sustainability Office Diversity Program
• Work College

• Related article and video: What happens after we submit a STARS report?
• The Collaborative review and revision process.