The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) awarded Hope College its second consecutive STARS gold rating in recognition of its strong sustainability achievements. STARS — the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System — measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.
The gold rating signals Hope’s sustained commitment to being an environmentally responsible
campus and for engaging hundreds of students, faculty, staff and alumni in those efforts.
The award recognizes Hope for ongoing sustainability research and for publicly reporting
its impact around campus. Hope achieved its first gold rating in 2023. Before 2023,
Hope achieved a silver rating from 2017 through 2022 and a bronze rating from 2012
to 2017.
Sustainability efforts at Hope are initiated, pursued and retained by students, faculty, staff and alumni, and take a variety of forms.
- Such efforts are supported and encouraged by an advisory committee known as the Green Team — consisting of students, faculty and staff.
- Student-organized groups at the college include Green Hope, which is focused on sustainability.
- In addition, each year about a dozen students participate in the college’s Hope Advocates for Sustainability internship program coordinated by the college’s Office of Sustainability.
- Hope Alumni are encouraged to continue engaging in campus sustainability through the Hope College Alumni Sustainability Affinity Group, aka HopeSustains. This group has supported projects such as alumni events, tree plantings, retrofitting a college-owned residential cottage as a green facility and the installation of solar-powered EV charging stations at a residence hall.
In accepting the gold rating, Michelle Seppala Gibbs, Hope’s director for the office of sustainability, congratulated the college’s sustainability teams as a repeat gold-rating institution for the many campus efforts. “This is a recognition for our entire campus because so many people have put time towards progressing and living into our sustainability commitment to care for our planet and our neighbors,” said Gibbs. “I’m proud and very grateful for the efforts by all our sustainability teams and so many others around campus.”
Hope publishes an annual report each year, highlighting the projects, work and impact around the campus. The 2025-26 annual report is currently being prepared. 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. “Hope College demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Gold rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”
Unlike other rating or ranking systems, this program is open to all higher education institutions and the criteria that determine a STARS rating are transparent and accessible to anyone. Because STARS is a program based on credits earned, it allows for both internal comparisons as well as comparisons with similar institutions.
Dr. Steven Bouma-Prediger, chair of the Green Team and a Hope religion faculty member, emphasized the many examples in Christian practice where stewardship is both taught and exhibited. “From the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, Christians are called to be caretakers of creation,” he said. “And within the history of the Church there are many who are enthusiastic caretakers of creation (e.g. St. Francis of Assisi). In short, both Holy Scripture and Christian Tradition remind us that creation care is an essential Christian practice.”
About AASHE:
AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that are working to create a
sustainable future. AASHE’s mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability
transformation. It provides resources, professional development and a network of
support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability
in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research. For
more information about AASHE, visit www.aashe.org. For more information about the STARS program, visit stars.aashe.org.