| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.91 |
| Liaison | Elizabeth MacKenzie |
| Submission Date | June 25, 2024 |
University of Iowa
PRE-2: Points of Distinction
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Gaby
Maymi Nieblas Intern Office of Sustainability and the Environment |
Name of the institution’s featured sustainability program, initiative, or accomplishment:
A brief description of the institution’s featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
- 169 sustainability courses (2018); 226 sustainability courses (2024), over 33% increase in sustainability course offerings
- 44% of departments offering at least one sustainability course (2018), 74% of departments (2024)
- Currently, students entering the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Public Health, and the College of Education all must take a sustainability course as part of their general education requirement.
Which of the following impact areas does the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment most closely relate to?:
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:
One of the Sustainability Goals listed in the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan is to be a coal-free campus by 2025. The UI has a pioneering biomass program, exploring fuels such as energy pellets, oat hulls, and Miscanthus grass to replace the dependence on fossil fuels. Furthermore, as of 2022, 84% of the university’s total electricity needs came from green power, making it the No. 2 in the Top 30 Colleges and Universities of the largest green power users.
Which impact areas does the second program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
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:
The Iowa Initiatives for Sustainable Communities (IISC) creates mutually beneficial partnerships with communities across the state to advance shared sustainability goals. Full partnerships bring many multi-disciplinary teams of UI faculty and students into communities to engage in high-impact, real-world projects. In the 2020-2023 period, the IISC has built relationships with 21 new communities across Iowa, resulting in 105 projects in which 15 different campus units participated, involving around 471 students in total.
Which impact areas does the third program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Public Engagement
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.