Delta College finishes in top ten for sustainability efforts in U.S. and Canada

When it comes to sustainability efforts and associate colleges, Delta College is among the very best.

Delta College has yet again ranked in the top ten in overall sustainability efforts among associate colleges in the United States and Canada, receiving the ninth highest score of 54.9 and a Silver Award from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability Higher Education (AASHE).

Scores are determined through self-reporting via Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Ratings Systems. The STARS system measures the progress of sustainability efforts among colleges and universities.

The school points to a number of sustainability efforts throughout the institution: Delta is a certified monarch waystation for butterflies migrating to Mexico; the new downtown Saginaw and Midland centers were constructed to LEED silver standards; and on-campus trees that were cut down last year have since been composted and used as mulch.

The Delta College Planetarium will reignite your curiosity about space.“This appreciated recognition would not be possible without support and participation in sustainability practices by everyone at Delta, notably our committed sustainability team,” says Dr. Jean Goodnow, president of Delta College.

“Our students, faculty and staff embrace sustainability every day and this acknowledgment is proof of that.”

Delta is ranked on a number of sustainability efforts, including buildings, transportation, water, and more. The full STARS report is available online.

Ranking high in the annual Sustainable Campus Index from AASHE has almost become routine at this point, a testament to the school’s sustainability efforts. Delta received a Silver score in 2017 and again ranked in AASHE top ten lists in ‘18 and ‘19.

While not directly related to AASHE, although still within the same ballpark, the school was the first certified Bee Campus in Michigan as recognized by the pollinator-advocacy group Bee City USA. In 2019, Delta received the 2018 Higher Education Climate Leadership Award for two-year institutions from the U.S. Green Building Council and Second Nature.

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