The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) has earned a STARS Gold rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.
UMD’s STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.
Achievement of the STARS rating aligns with the University of Minnesota MPact 2025 strategic plan. This is the second Gold STARS rating UMD has earned from AASHE. UMD previously earned a Gold rating in 2019, a Silver in 2016 and a Reporter rating in 2014.
“Transformational work to advance sustainability is happening every day across our campus,” UMD Chancellor Charles Nies said. “UMD’s Gold STARS achievement reflects the University’s deepened commitment to research, teaching and service, access and opportunity, and forward-thinking innovation in our goal toward a more sustainable future. This award is recognition of our commitment to and progress toward that goal.”
Some highlights covered by the 2024 report include:
- All undergraduates must fulfill Liberal Education course requirements that include at least one 3-credit Sustainability course. Over 20% of UMD graduates are from degree programs considered sustainability-focused, preparing the next generation to be conscious citizens of our planet.
- Academic departments are highly engaged in sustainability, with 97% having at least one employee engaged in and contributing to sustainability research.
- Of particular note, credit AC-8, Campus as a Living Laboratory, showcases the variety of unique opportunities students at UMD have to use campus as a ‘living laboratory’ for engaged learning. From Living Learning Communities in on-campus housing, to tree and invasive species inventories in collaboration with UMD Grounds, students have the chance to put their classroom learning into real world projects.
- UMD has reduced campus greenhouse gas emissions by 29.5% over their 2007 baseline through energy efficiency and other investments to operations.
“We are very proud to have achieved this Gold STARS rating for our sustainability accomplishments,” Jonna Korpi, sustainability director at UMD, said. “This was a huge team effort and while the data that went into this report is significant, it’s really just a small sample of the tremendous work that has been done to advance our commitment to sustainability at UMD. We look forward to watching our sustainability efforts grow and improve through the STARS program.”
With more than 1,200 participants in 52 countries, AASHE’s STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in five overall areas: 1) academics 2) engagement, 3) operations, 4) planning and administration, and 5) innovation and leadership.
“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “UMD has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Gold Rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”
Header Image: An exterior view of the Labovitz School of Business and Economics (LSBE) building. Constructed September 2006, US Green Building Council certified LSBE as successfully meeting the green building standards required for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) at the Gold level. LSBE's Gold Certification was the first of its kind in the University of Minnesota system