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For the second year in a row, Raritan Valley Community College has been lauded for its campus sustainability efforts by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The College has been recognized as a top performer in the 2016 Sustainable Campus Index, ranking fourth in the country in the “Associate’s Colleges” category. The College received a Silver rating for its efforts.

The 2016 Sustainable Campus Index, a publication of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, highlights top-performing colleges and universities in 17 areas and overall by institution type, as measured by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).

RVCC achieved top performer status by earning a high score overall, particularly in the Coordination and Planning, Waste, and Air and Climate categories. Its Silver rating reflects the College’s 2009 agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency, its comprehensive recycling programs, and a 51 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on campus since 2005.

“RVCC’s strong performance demonstrates significant leadership and commitment to advancing sustainability,” said AASHE’s Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “We are pleased to recognize Raritan Valley Community College for working to secure a thriving, equitable and ecologically healthy world by incorporating sustainability into campus operations, administration, engagement and academics.”
   
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS was developed by AASHE with broad participation from the higher education community. STARS recognizes the breadth of higher education sustainability in four areas:  Academics, Engagement, Operations, and Planning & Administration. All reports are publicly accessible on the STARS website. For more information, visit stars.aashe.org.

AASHE empowers higher education faculty, staff and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. AASHE enables members to translate information into action by offering essential resources and professional development to a diverse, engaged community of sustainability leaders. The organization works with and for higher education to ensure that our world’s future leaders are motivated and equipped to solve sustainability challenges. For more information, visit www.aashe.org.  

For additional information, contact RVCC Sustainability & Energy Coordinator Sue Dorward at Susan.Dorward@raritanval.edu or visit www.raritanval.edu.

Raritan Valley Community College’s main campus is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. Serving Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for close to 50 years, RVCC is an educational and cultural center that is nationally recognized for its innovative programming, service to the community and environmental leadership. The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training, professional development and personal enrichment courses. The College also has a performing arts center and planetarium.

RVCC is committed to offering a quality and affordable education through effective teaching, liaisons with the community’s businesses, and state-of-the-art technology. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 1, 2016

Media contacts:

RVCC: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

AASHE: Andrea Huggins, 888-347-9997, ext. 123

PR #52