SUNY Oswego has received a STARS Silver rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) for sustainability efforts.

The college joins the silver rating rank alongside SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Geneseo and 250 other colleges and universities. Rating is decided using a point grading scale on a variety of categories including public engagement, curriculum and building sustainability.

SUNY Oswego scored especially high in the academics category, receiving a perfect score for Research and Scholarship, and Support for Sustainability Research. Oswego also received a near perfect score in Innovation and Leadership, with the ban on single-use plastics being a leading factor.

SUNY Oswego’s low scores were focused on the dining halls and buildings, with sustainable food and beverages being a focal point. According to AASHE’s report, 1.23% of SUNY Oswego’s annual food and beverage expenditures were sustainably or ethically produced.

Kate Spector, SUNY Oswego’s  sustainability manager, said in an interview for SUNY Oswego News and Events article about the STARS rating, said “It has been an inspirational experience to work with a team of dedicated professionals from across our campus to gauge our progress towards a more sustainable future through the STARS reporting process.”

SUNY Oswego’s sustainability department has created many initiatives in the past few years including Tap In, encouraging students to use reusable water bottles and fill up stations around campus to drink local water and to remove plastic bottles from the campus’s waste. The college has also created BikeShare, to lend students bicycles and reduce the carbon footprint from fossil-fuel vehicles.

“SUNY Oswego has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Silver Rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts,” Meghan Fay Zahniser,  AASHE Executive Director said for the SUNY Oswego News and Events article.

The Office of Sustainability at SUNY Oswego is funded by billing students $5 per semester and encourages students to volunteer on projects or intern with the office to get involved. 

Brandon Ladd | The Oswegonian