STARS

OSU's STARS History

When the STARS Pilot began in 2008, OSU understood it could be a game changer in measuring and managing sustainability within higher education. In the summer of 2010, the Sustainability Office began the data gathering process for OSU's first STARS submission. This included identifying stakeholders throughout the university who have access to information needed for STARS reporting.  

On January 31, 2011, OSU submitted its first report for Fiscal Year 2010 (July 1, 2009-June 30, 2010). OSU was the first and only school in Oregon to submit its STARS report on time, by the January 31 deadline. This deadline was for the first round of STARS participants and since then, deadlines have been removed so schools can report when convenient for them. Other entities using STARS data, like Princeton Review, have reporting deadlines.

As an early adopter, OSU is a charter participant in the STARS program. We continue that leadership today by being one of few institutions to perform a campus-wide assessment every year. In fact, with our FY20 report submission, OSU became the first to reach a 10-report milestone and today continues that leadership by being the school with the most STARS reports. This assessment process aligns with guidance and directives from university leadership and also supports OSU's climate initiatives and Strategic Plan.