NJIT Earns Silver Rating for Its Sustainability Efforts
New Jersey Institute of Technology earned a silver rating in sustainability after a year-long assessment of the university’s sustainability footprint in greenhouse gas emissions and its research, courses and community engagement related to sustainability.
The assessment, from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), is based on a Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) that awards points in five categories: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration and innovation and leadership.
In particular, NJIT was recognized for its research that addresses global challenges, partnership with Newark to enrich the city environment and strategic plan, which identifies sustainability as one of the four pillars of the university. With this report card, NJIT joins the ranks of other AASHE-rated universities, including Princeton and MIT.
“This rating affirms our commitment to sustainability on many levels, including the research we conduct, the curriculum we deliver and how we engage with the community,” NJIT President Teik C. Lim said.
Prabhakar Shrestha, the university’s assistant director of sustainability, added that NJIT “seeks to integrate sustainability into different aspects of our daily lives through conservation and the use of renewable energy, informed recycling and other practices.”
In addition, last year NJIT signed the carbon commitment as it works toward the goal of carbon neutrality. As Andrew Christ, senior vice president for real estate development and capital operations, put it, “We are living our core values and integrating sustainable principles in academics, research, engagement and operations.
About New Jersey Institute of Technology
One of only 35 polytechnic universities in the United States, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is an R1 (most elite) Carnegie Classification research university that offers more than 125 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and spurs economic growth while preparing students to become leaders in the technology-dependent economy of the 21st century. NJIT is a catalyst for applied research and innovation that improves lives and fosters economic growth. Ranked No. 14 in the nation on Money’s Best Colleges list, NJIT also stands among the top 100 colleges and universities nationally for the mid-career earnings of its graduates, according to PayScale.com. NJIT is ranked No. 33 nationally by The Princeton Review as a Best Value College and is rated among the top 50 public national universities and top 100 overall by U.S. News & World Report.
About AASHE
AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that are working to create a sustainable future. AASHE’s mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation. It provides resources, professional development and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research.
