Northern Arizona University earned its second consecutive gold rating in the annual Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System survey, a self-assessment program launched by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.<\/p>\n
With its gold status, NAU continues to rank among the top institutions in the country for\u00a0sustainable practices.<\/p>\n
\u201cAchieving STARS Gold for the second year in a row is evidence of the continued collaborative efforts happening across campus,” said Ellen Vaughan<\/strong> from the Office of Sustainability. \u201cWe look forward to watching our sustainability efforts grow and improve.\u201d<\/p>\n STARS ratings are based on a campus\u2019s performance in four broad sustainability-focused categories: academics; engagement; operations; and planning and administration. NAU earned its highest points in academics.<\/p>\n In a letter that accompanied the ratings submission, President John Haeger<\/strong> cited the university\u2019s $18 million investment in energy savings that will eliminate the need to extract and combust tons of fossil fuels. \u201cThis initiative, along with dozens of others, is helping to make NAU a national leader in sustainability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n NAU previously received a silver rating in 2011 and gold rating in 2012.<\/p>\n The full report can be accessed online.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"