USC has earned a gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, a professional association for the campus sustainability community.
The achievement comes after significant efforts to create a greener and more sustainable university under USC President Carol Folt’s sustainability “moonshot,” which marshals research, teaching, operations, inclusion and community engagement efforts to create a healthy, just and thriving world.
The rating is based on criteria established by the AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), a comprehensive sustainability benchmarking system for colleges and universities that addresses the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability.
“Our Assignment: Earth strategy has always been to make sure sustainability is integrated throughout the university,” said Mick Dalrymple, USC’s chief sustainability officer. “It’s not solely about earning a gold rating, but also about how we continuously improve and how we work together to solve sustainability challenges globally. Everything is connected and everyone plays a role in solutions.”