The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is the first in the UT System and one of only three universities in Texas to earn AASHE STARS “Gold” status for its sustainability initiatives.  Read more here.

UTRGV's GOLD STAR -- 67.00, Awarded Sept. 20, 2017

UTRGV's Silver STAR -- 50.39, Awarded August 28, 2015

STARS provides positive, public recognition - each level of recognition represents significant sustainability leadership. Participating in STARS, which includes gathering extensive data and sharing it publicly, represents a commitment to sustainability that should be applauded. 

The AASHE STARS framework creates wide-ranging, cross-disciplinary initiatives infusing sustainable development, and underscores our institution’s positive contributions in protecting the well-being for our institution and region.  Every two years, UTRGV completes a university-wide assessment of sustainable development across the campus.  We do this by survey and interviews, gather pertinent data and metrics to provide a full picture of the progress that our institution has made since the last assessment.  A team of research assistants through the Office for Sustainability gathers this information. 

Not only will this collection of information and data help with the AASHE STARS Assessment, but it will also help build sustainable development into every fiber of our campus and community.  It provides us with a platform of information to build our Campus Sustainability Action Plan which supports UTRGV's mission and strategic plan to transform the Rio Grande Valley, the Americas, and the world through an innovative and accessible educational environment.

UTRGV 2018 Sustainability Report

View the UTRGV 2018 Sustainability Report. 

STARS Overview

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS ^®) is a transparent, intensive, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS is intended to engage and recognize the full spectrum of colleges and universities—from community colleges to research universities, and from institutions just starting their sustainability programs to long-time campus sustainability leaders. STARS encompasses long-term sustainability goals for already high-achieving institutions as well as entry points of recognition for institutions that are taking first steps toward sustainability.

STARS is designed to:

• Provide a framework for  understanding sustainability  in all sectors of higher education.

• Enable meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the international campus sustainability community.

• Create incentives for continual improvement toward sustainability.

• Facilitate information sharing about higher education sustainability practices and performance.

• Build a stronger, more diverse campus sustainability community.

For more information, please go to the AASHE website.