Knox Receives Silver Ranking for Sustainability

by Tricia Duke '19

Knox College's efforts in sustainability have earned a Silver STARS ranking from the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Director of Sustainability Deb Steinberg translated this as, "we go above and beyond, and we want to do a little bit more."

According to AASHE website, the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Recording System (STARS) serves as a "transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance."

Steinberg said that STARS serves as a good way for colleges to measure their own performance, transparently report their practices to students and alumni, and collaborate with other institutions toward the common goals of sustainability. All participating schools' reports are available online for others to view, and AASHE holds a conference where administrators can network and share ideas for building a more secure future.

"Think of the three-legged stool of sustainability: environmental, economic, and ethical," Steinberg said. "It's about meeting the needs of the present without sacrificing the future."

Steinberg described how the rating system contains items from each of those three areas of sustainability. Those are further divided into subsections, each of which contains a list of sustainable practices. Each practice, depending on its difficulty and necessity, credits the college with a number of points. Knox scores especially well in the "ethical" portion of the system, with high scores in subsections like "Campus Engagement" and "Diversity and Affordability."

For example, under the topic of Campus Engagement, Knox received points for the "There is No Away" campaign put on by students in the spring of 2017. The Office of Sustainability distributes collection boxes throughout residence halls the week of summer move-out for students' unwanted things. Then staff and volunteers sort through what is discarded and recycle or donate whatever they can. The report estimated that "Six tons of still-good items were prevented from being sent to the landfill."

Under "Diversity and Affordability," Knox earned points for the Gale Scholars Program. Knox partners with Carl Sandburg College and Galesburg School District 205 to support first-generation or income-eligible students in District 205 who aspire to attend college.

Steinberg said that STARS provides a way of knowing and recording how Knox's efforts are making an impact on the community.

"This is a good set of peer-reviewed guidelines where people are saying these are the things that will make a difference."