3. Analyze whether or not SU's participation in the STARS pilot study will/did add value to the institution.
Even in light of its apparent shortcomings, it seems clear that the STARS program will add value to the campus and the institution. The benefit that is most directly explicated by the case study is that relating to an increased level of campus collaboration. In light of the STARS program, the case study notes that "Moreover, top administrators and associate deans began to recognize more fully what the Sustainability Office had been advocating and working on for years. Specifically, sustainability encompasses courses and academic programs and research on sustainability, not just operations. The Sustainability Office was provided with opportunities for partnering with others on campus in the future, for example, the Office of Institutional Research." (Charkey & Hadden, p. 4) This denotes that the shared objectives of sustainability may help to create a greater inter-departmental cohesion across the university.
4.Evaluate whether or not the STARS model rewards higher education for focusing on the "low-hanging fruit" or its more long-term strategic sustainability challenges.
That said, there is also considerable evidence emergent from the pilot program to suggest that the rewards established...
To an extent, the pilot program would reveal a situation in which 'low hanging fruit' is rewarded in a way equal to that of challenges that should otherwise be seen as greater and certainly more economically demanding. According to the case study, among the flaws revealed by the pilot program would be a lack of nuance in creating sustainability scorecards. The case study makes as an example the fact that a facility may be rewarded the same number of points on this scorecard for installing a new bike rack and for installing an entirely new and energy-efficient air-conditioning and lighting source. This is so even though the expense of the latter is much higher and the reduction in carbon emissions also much greater. It is suggested that in order to help STARS push for loftier goals that it create a scoring system that is weighted according to environmental impact and economic consequences. It is also relevant to note that that STARS must establish a baseline relationship with such external standards as LEED-certification if its goals are to have any value to society beyond changes on individual campuses.
Works Cited:
Charkey, B. & Hadden, L. (2010). Measuring Sustainability Performance in Higher Education: Implementing Sustainability Scorecard.
