Overall Rating	Gold - expired
Overall Score	72.66
Liaison	Megan Litke
Submission Date	March 5, 2021

STARS v2.2

American University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	2.00 / 4.00	Megan Litke Sustainability Manager Office of Sustainability

"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Measurable sustainability objectives

Academics

Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in curriculum and/or research?:

Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to academics and the plan(s) in which they are published:

Within the Sustainability Plan, measurable sustainability objectives for the curriculum include:
-Increase courses which achieve one or more of the following:
Understand and be able to effectively communicate the concept of sustainability;
Develop and use an ethical perspective in which they view themselves as embedded in the fabric of an interconnected world;
Become aware of and explore the connections between their chosen course of study and sustainability;
Develop technical skills or expertise necessary to implement sustainable solutions;
Understand the way in which sustainable thinking and decision making contribute to the process of creating solutions for current and emerging social, environmental, and economic circumstances;
Contribute practical solutions to real-world sustainability challenges;
Synthesize understanding of social, economic, and environmental systems and reason holistically.

Engagement

Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address student, employee, or community engagement for sustainability?:

Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to engagement and the plan(s) in which they are published:

Within the Sustainability Plan, the goal is to continue to increase number of students and staff reached on a continuing basis as well as continuing to produce materials for outreach and events that are conducted on an ongoing basis.

Some of the measurable objectives include:
-Increase the number of Certified Green Offices
-Achieve 100,000 annual hours of community service (done - see EN-13)

Operations

Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in operations?:

Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to operations and the plan(s) in which they are published:

Within the Sustainability Plan, Reduce energy consumption in existing buildings by 10 percent; and design new buildings to use at least 30% less than ASHRAE standards.

Administration

Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address diversity, equity, and inclusion; sustainable investment/finance; or wellbeing?:

Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to administration and the plan(s) in which they are published:

The Sustainability Plan includes goals related to sustainable investing including establishing a committee to make recommendations to the Board of Trustees and screening of the endowment portfolio.

The Plan for Inclusive Excellence includes goals related to diversity and inclusion including: training, campus culture, systems and polices, access and equity, and curriculum.

https://www.american.edu/president/diversity/inclusive-excellence/goals.cfm

Part 2. Sustainability in institution’s highest guiding document

Does the institution have a published strategic plan or equivalent guiding document that includes sustainability at a high level? :

The institution’s highest guiding document (upload):

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Website URL where the institution’s highest guiding document is publicly available:

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Which of the following best describes the inclusion of sustainability in the highest guiding document?:

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Optional Fields

The institution's sustainability plan (upload):

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Website URL where the institution's sustainability plan is publicly available:

http://www.american.edu/finance/sustainability/Sustainability-Plan.cfm

Does the institution have a formal statement in support of sustainability endorsed by its governing body?:

The formal statement in support of sustainability:

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The institution’s definition of sustainability:

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Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:

	Yes or No
The Earth Charter	---
The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI)	---
ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter	---
Pan-Canadian Protocol for Sustainability	---
SDG Accord	---
Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the ACUPCC), Resilience Commitment, and/or integrated Climate Commitment	Yes
The Talloires Declaration (TD)	Yes
UN Global Compact	---
Other multi-dimensional sustainability commitments (please specify below)	Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal sustainability commitments, including the specific initiatives selected above:

We Are Still In
White House's American Campuses Act on Climate
District of Columbia Mayor's College and University Sustainability Pledge

Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning efforts is available:

http://www.american.edu/finance/sustainability/Commitments.cfm

Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

A new sustainability plan for AU is in review and will be completed during the 2020-2021 academic year.

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.