2018 AASHE Conference

We posted an article on the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) last month, because OSU earned a gold rating in their Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).This was a huge achievement for OSU, because STARS is a comprehensive system that measures sustainability performance and we ranked at the second highest level out of five levels of sustainability. Read this primer on AASHE, borrowed from our previous article “OSU in the Sustainable Campus Index 2018!”

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is a coalition comprised of over 900 higher education institutions, businesses, and other organizations; it exists to support higher education faculty, administrators, staff and students as they “lead the global sustainability transformation.” AASHE aims to contribute to a more equitable and ecologically healthy world through the avenue of higher education. The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is one of AASHE’s most impactful programs for empowering institutions of higher education to be global leaders of sustainability.

About the 2018 AASHE Conference

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) also holds the largest annual conference on sustainability in higher education and surrounding communities. This year, the AASHE conference is taking place in Pittsburgh from October 2nd to October 5th and is expected to draw over 2,000 participants! According to AASHE, campus representatives come from a diverse background and include:

Senior campus administrators
Campus planners, purchasers and other staff
Facility, dining and transportation officers
Administrators of system offices
Campus faculty
Sustainability officers
Undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows
Business managers and owners
Consultants
Environmental and energy-related government agencies
Business sustainability directors and managers
Construction project managers, builders, contractors, architects and designers

AASHE exhibitors are businesses, higher education institutions, and non-profits who aim to demonstrate to decision makers and institutions how their services can contribute to a sustainable future. According to AASHE, previous exhibitors were from the following sectors:

Air & Climate
Buildings
Campus Engagement
Coordination, Planning & Governance
Curriculum
Dining Services
Diversity & Affordability
Energy
Grounds
Health, Wellbeing & Work
Investment
Public Engagement
Purchasing
Research
Transportation
Waste
Water

The theme of this year’s conference is “Global Goals: Rising to the Challenge.” The purpose of this theme is to work towards fulfilling higher education’s role in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to AASHE, the conference goals are as follows:

Attend a high-quality, participatory and interactive event delivered in a professional manner.
Be inspired, motivated, energized and empowered to advance sustainability in higher education and beyond.
Learn how to build or strengthen alliances and coalitions with diverse stakeholders.
Develop skills to integrate diversity, inclusion and social justice goals into the core culture of their institution, organization or community.
Gain lessons, ideas and tools to bring back to their institution, organization or community.
Learn from and network with a diverse audience of faculty, administrators, students, sustainability professionals, non-profit leaders and business partners.

What will the Conference Entail?

The 2018 AASHE conference will include workshops, tours, networking opportunities, keynote speakers, a poster session, a student summit, a film festival, and more!