Randolph College has been chosen to participate in a green pilot program that will rate sustainability initiatives on campuses across the country.

The College’s participation underscores its continuing commitment to green design and sustainability measures.

Early this year, Randolph was selected as one of more than 90 U.S. colleges and universities that will rate sustainability measures according to a system developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The self-assessment system, called STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System), was launched in early ment, February.

Participating schools will test the system during 2008 and provide feedback for incorporation into the STARS version 1.0, to be released in the spring of 2009. The schools chosen represent a wide range of institutional types, sizes, and geography and include public and private schools, community colleges, and research universities.

This project work will help gauge the progress higher education is making toward sustainability; enable meaningful comparisons across institutions; create incentives for improvement; foster the sharing of information about sustainability practices; and build a stronger, more diverse campus sustainability community.

While many higher ed institutions have launched their own green initiatives, there is now no system to compare the effectiveness of their measures. The STARS system is similar to the LEED (Leadership in Energy Environmental Design) green building rating system, except that it applies to an entire campus rather than a single building or complex.

In addition to taking part in the STARS program, the College will continue to consider how to incorporate green design into all of its new facilities as they are developed.