Colorado State University earns more top marks for its sustainability research and courses

Kelly Lyell, Fort Collins Coloradoan
·2 min read

Colorado State University shared the No. 1 ranking in interdisciplinary sustainability curriculum and was No. 4 overall among doctoral institutions in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s annual Sustainable Campus Rankings.

The university shared its rankings Thursday in its online publication, Source.

CSU received a perfect score of 100% in interdisciplinary sustainability curriculum, matching State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Sterling College in Vermont for top honors.

CSU’s score of 88.13, based on average scores in each of the 17 impact areas rated, trailed only the Universite de Sherbrooke in Quebec, Canada (92.73), Arizona State University (91.10) and University of California-Irvine (88.9) among institutions that offer doctoral programs. CSU has finished at the top of those rankings four times previously.

“This year was the toughest competition we have ever faced, and it’s great that so many institutions are coming on so strong with sustainability initiatives,” Tonie Miyamoto, director of communications and sustainability in CSU’s Vice President for Student Affairs Office, told Source. “The need has never been greater.”

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There were 340 colleges and universities worldwide, including 284 in the United States, that submitted materials for the AASHE assessment. CSU earned top-eight ratings in seven of the 17 impact areas:

  • No. 3 (tied) in research

  • No. 3 in campus engagement

  • No. 5 in investment and finance

  • No. 5 in purchasing

  • No. 7 in public engagement

  • No. 8 (tied) in water research

“It’s gratifying to see our faculty, researchers, staff and students recognized as world leaders in creating a more sustainable environment and society,” CSU President Amy Parsons told Source, a publication of the university’s marketing and communications department. “Every one of CSU’s colleges is invested in sustainability and is committed to an interdisciplinary curriculum. Our students are not only learning from world-class experts, but their focus on sustainability is driving the curriculum forward.”

CSU was the first institution to receive a platinum rating, the highest possible rating, in AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System in 2015 and has now earned that distinction four times.

All eight of the university’s colleges offer at least one minor and/or major related to sustainability, and all of its academic departments offer at least one course that includes sustainability, for a campuswide total of more than 800 courses. The university has 464 faculty, staff and students conducting sustainability research, Source reported, and 92% of all academic departments are engaged in at least one sustainability research project.

Reporter Kelly Lyell covers education, breaking news, some sports and other topics of interest for the Coloradoan. Contact him at kellylyell@coloradoan.com, twitter.com/KellyLyell or facebook.com/KellyLyell.news.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: CSU earns more top marks for its sustainability research and courses