Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 67.17
Liaison Hannah Rushing
Submission Date Feb. 17, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Sterling College (VT)
IN-2: Innovation 2

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Matthew Derr
President
Administrative
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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Title or keywords related to the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
Fossil Fuel Divestment

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A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
Sterling College is proud to be the first college in Vermont and only the third in the United States to announce that it will soon divest its endowment from the two hundred fossil fuel companies identified by 350.org in its effort to move higher education toward fossil free investment. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously at its February 2, 2013 meeting to instruct the investment team to take this action and to move swiftly to divest. As quoted from the school's website: "President Matthew Derr said, “Sterling College is an institution that lives by its core values of environmental stewardship and sustainability, and our investment strategy is now completely in line with those values. By fully divesting its endowment from fossil fuel extractors, we are reaffirming our mission to educate problem solvers and the next generation of environmental stewards.”"

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A brief description of any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation (if not reported above):
Sterling College became the third college in the United States and the first in Vermont to divest from fossil fuel companies identified by 350.org.

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A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise:
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Which of the following STARS subcategories does the innovation most closely relate to? (Select all that apply up to a maximum of five):
Yes or No
Curriculum No
Research No
Campus Engagement Yes
Public Engagement Yes
Air & Climate Yes
Buildings No
Dining Services No
Energy No
Grounds No
Purchasing No
Transportation No
Waste No
Water No
Coordination, Planning & Governance Yes
Diversity & Affordability No
Health, Wellbeing & Work No
Investment Yes

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Other topic(s) that the innovation relates to that are not listed above:
Divestment; Endowment

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The website URL where information about the innovation is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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