Elon University
IN-26: Innovation C

Innovation credits are open-ended and reserved for new, extraordinary, unique, groundbreaking, or uncommon outcomes, policies, and practices that address sustainability challenges and are not covered by an existing credit or exemplary practice option.

1)     In general, innovation credits should have roughly similar impacts or be on the same scale as other STARS credits.  

2)     Outcomes, policies, and practices that are innovative for the institution’s region or institution type are eligible for innovation credits.

3)     The innovative practice, policy, program, or outcome must be ongoing or have occurred within the three years prior to the anticipated date of submission.

4)     The innovative practice or program has to be something that the institution has already implemented; planned activities do not count.

5)     The innovative practice or program should originate from an area within the defined institutional boundary.

6)     Practices, policies, and programs that were once considered innovative but are now widely adopted (e.g. being the first institution to enact a policy 20 years ago that is now common) may not be claimed as innovation credits.

7)     Multiple activities or practices whose sum is innovative can be considered for an innovation credit as long as those activities or practices are related. Listing a series of unrelated accomplishments or events under a single innovation credit is not accepted.

8)     While the practices that led to receiving an award may be appropriate for an innovation credit, winning awards and/or high sustainability rankings in other assessments is not, in and of itself, grounds for an innovation credit. When the innovation is part of a partnership, the summary provided must clearly describe the institution’s role in the innovation.

An institution can only claim a particular activity as an innovation credit once. When re-submitting for a STARS rating, an innovation credit that the institution submitted previously cannot be re-submitted. However, an institution that has made significant advancements to a project or program that was previously submitted as an innovation may resubmit based on those advancements if the project or program is still considered innovative.

To help verify that the policy, practice, program, or outcome that the institution is claiming for an innovation credit is truly innovative, the institution may submit a letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise in the associated content area or a press release or publication featuring the innovation.

This credit is optional and may be earned by any institution.

Institutions earn 0.5 Innovation & Leadership (IN) points for this credit up to a maximum of 4 points for the IN category. An institution’s overall, percentage-based STARS score is increased by the number of IN points it earns.

Timeframe

Report on innovations that occurred during the three years prior to the anticipated date of submission. Planned activities or activities that happened more than three years ago do not count for these credits.

Sampling and Data Standards

Not applicable