| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 86.88 |
| Liaison | Lisa Kilgore |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2023 |
Cornell University
PRE-2: Points of Distinction
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Lisa
Kilgore STARS Administrator Campus Sustainability Office |
Name of the institution’s featured sustainability program, initiative, or accomplishment:
A brief description of the institution’s featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Starting in August 2020, all incoming undergraduate students (first-year and new transfer students) now complete a new sustainability module entitled "Mission Sustainability" as part of the student "To-Do List." This course includes four parts: a climate & sustainability literacy survey, a 13-minute video about sustainability at Cornell, an exploration of sustainability-related campus resources, and a short reflection essay.
The public does not have access but here is a link the students use: https://newstudents.cornell.edu/fall-2022/first-year
Which of the following impact areas does the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Campus Engagement
Wellbeing & Work
Website URL where more information about the accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Name of a second highlighted sustainability program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
In summer 2022, the university drilled a nearly two-mile deep exploratory borehole that has enable researchers to further explore subsurface rock conditions and heat output. Data collected from the borehole will allow the university to determine whether it can move forward with Earth Source Heat. All the data collected as part of this project and resulting analyses are made publicly available on Cornell's Deep Geothermal Heat Research website. https://deepgeothermalheat.engineering.cornell.edu/
Which impact areas does the second program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Air & Climate
Energy
Website URL where more information about the second program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the second program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
Name of a third highlighted program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
National Rankings
Cornell participates in the national Campus Race to Zero Waste (https://campusracetozerowaste.org/) competition which includes institutional waste tracking for the national competition.
Cornell Standings:
Division Rate 23th out of 70
Per Capita Classic 25th out of 79
Food Organics 11th out of 82
Cornell rose in the national rankings this year, jumping to first in the nation for electronics recycling (total amount recycled), first in New York State for overall waste diversion, second in the nation for the Food Organics category (large campus division), and twenty-fifth in the nation for landfill diversion (e.g. total food and recycling diversion).
Which impact areas does the third program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Food & Dining
Waste
Website URL where more information about the third program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the third program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.