2024 STARS Gold Rating

Stanislaus State is proud to have earned a STARS Gold rating in recognition of our sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.

2024 STARS Gold Rating 

American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Excellence & Innovation Awards

E&I Awards provide a means to celebrate and share successes, best practices and innovations at AASCU institutions – recognizing the exemplary programs and initiatives at member campuses in these areas: civic learning and community engagement; leadership development and diversity; international education; Stewards of Place; student success and college completion; sustainability and sustainable development; and diversity, equity, and inclusion leadership.

2023 AASCU Excellence & Innovation Awards

2023 Excellence and Innovation Award for Sustainability and Sustainable Development – Comprehensive: The California State University – Faculty Learning Community in Teaching Climate Change and Resilience

This award recognizes the California State University led by Chico State, with Cal Poly Humboldt, CSU Monterey Bay, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CSU San Marcos, and Stanislaus State, for the Teaching Climate Change and Resilience Initiative - a CSU multi-campus Faculty Learning Community (FLC) - for its outstanding results and potential to serve as a model for other institutions.

Sustainable Facilities Forum Leadership Awards

These annual awards celebrate the accomplishments of those making a difference in the area of sustainability, in the environment, the education sector and in the State of California to the betterment of future generations.

Sustainable Facilities Forum 2024

2022 Leadership Award - Public College or University

Geng Liu, Stan State's energy manager, accepted the Sustainability Leadership Award on behalf of the Capital Planning and Facilities Management team, for their work on the campus wide LED lighting conversion and Student Center roof photovoltaic array.

California Higher Education Sustainability Conference (CHESC) Best Practice Awards

These awards highlight the achievements that California campuses have made through innovative and effective energy efficiency projects and sustainable operations, showcase specific projects as models to be used by other campuses to achieve energy efficiency and sustainability goals, and provide campus staff with a compendium of Best Practice projects that could be transferable to their campus.

2020 Interdisciplinary Academics: Institutionalizing Teaching Sustainability/Campus as a Living Lab Faculty Learning Communities

Based on the success of two Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) in infusing sustainability into the curriculum of twenty-one courses from nineteen disciplines and in recognition of the crucial role that sustainability in the curriculum plays in empowering students with tools to address challenges resulting from the interconnectedness of environment, society, and the economy, Stanislaus State’s Teaching Sustainability/Campus as a Living Lab FLCs were institutionalized in support of the university’s strategic plan to prepare students for careers related to sustainability.

2016 Best Practices Award in Water Efficiency/Site Water Quality

Project Details: Conversion of Central Plant cooling towers’ water supply from domestic water to reclaimed irrigation water that reduced City of Turlock domestic water consumption by 20%. 100% of the tower blowdown is then captured and reclaimed for irrigation.

2014 Best Practices Award in Energy & Energy Efficiency

Project Details: Fume hood exhaust improvements on the third floor of Naraghi Hall of Science involve a retrofit of the original, high-volume ventilation system to a system that reduces flows through fume hoods to the lowest allowable levels. This project reduces overall average ventilation energy requirements by 50-60% and provides an annual energy savings of 440,146 kWh and 14,213 therms. 

2013 Best Practices Award for HVAC Design/Retrofit

Project Details: The Central Plant MBx/Retrofit optimized the performance of the campus chilled and hot water distribution systems and chiller plants to address operational issues with the goal of reducing energy usage. Major piping modifications and control strategies resulted in an annual energy savings of 213,998 kWh (24% of the total). 

CSU Facilities Managers Conference Best Practice Awards 

These awards showcase and celebrate the hard work, innovations, and achievements of California State University campuses. Best Practice Awards are awarded in seven categories: energy, sustainability, physical plant, design, construction, student achievement, and environmental health and safety.

2016 Best Practices Award in Facilities/Physical Plant Operations

Project Details: Conversion of Central Plant cooling towers’ water supply from domestic water to reclaimed irrigation water that reduced City of Turlock domestic water consumption by 20%. 100% of the tower blowdown is then captured and reclaimed for irrigation.

Updated: October 11, 2024