OSU Sustainability Reporting

The Sustainability Office creates OSU's sustainability reports every year or two years.  The reports are based on key performance indicators, activity highlights plus other key aspects of OSU’s sustainability work.

OSU's reports are in part built on data from OSU's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) data.  STARS is a comprehensive measure of sustainability in higher education.  STARS ratings are good for three years, so some numeric scores below may not show within the STARS reporting tool.

Fiscal Year 2023 OSU Sustainability Report

 

OSU’s FY23 sustainability performance by STARS subcategories

Positive trending STARS subcategories

  • No categories reported a change greater than +5%

Negative trending STARS subcategories

  • Curriculum
  • Food & Dining
  • Water
High performing STARS subcategories
  • Research
  • Campus Engagement
  • Public Engagement
  • Coordination & Planning
  • Diversity & Affordability

Low performing STARS subcategories

  • Air & Climate
  • Buildings
  • Energy
  • Food & Dining
  • Wellbeing & Work

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STARS submissions

Fiscal Year Submission Date STARS Version STARS Score
2023 Jan. 4, 2024 2.2 72.34
2022 Dec. 9, 2022 2.2 73.38
2021 Dec. 8, 2021 2.2 74.49
2020 Dec. 23, 2020 2.2 74.29
2019 Dec. 20, 2019 2.1 74.57
2018 Dec. 20, 2018 2.1 72.61
2017 Jan. 31, 2018 2.1 72.23
2016 Feb. 28, 2017 2.1 72.21
2015 Mar. 4, 2016 2.0 73.24
2014 Apr. 30, 2015 2.0 72.78
2013 Apr. 30, 2014 2.0 70.94
2012 May 11, 2013 1.2 68.95
2010 Jan. 31, 2011 1.0 69.74

First OSU Sustainability Report

The first sustainability report for OSU was done for fiscal year 2009. In spring 2008 the Institute for Natural Resources (INR) was asked to conduct an inventory of OSU’s sustainability capabilities. To produce this inventory, INR used a variety of sources of information, including the OSU on-line course catalog, the OSU website, documents from units, and the Research Office’s grants and contracts data. Since the term “sustainability” lacks a precise definition and is interpreted differently by different audiences, inclusion of particular activities is not exact.

The 2009 INR report is a snapshot of the depth and breadth of research, education, outreach, and operations activities as they relate to sustainability at Oregon State University. Most of the work at OSU contributes to one or more of the dimensions of sustainability but trying to balance and link these dimensions challenges how we think and do our teaching and scholarship. As such, particular emphasis was given to: (1) activities that identify their intent or self-describe “sustainability”; (2) the areas in which OSU sustainability activities appear to link the four dimensions of sustainability—environmental, economic, institutional, and social; and (3) the identification and categorization of OSU sustainability strengths.

2009 OSU Sustainability Inventory