The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) released the 2025 Sustainable Campus Index (SCI) on Sept. 9, and FGCU received a gold-level rating.
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) is a program of AASHE that analyzes the progress of higher education institutions in academics, engagement, operations, administration, and leadership.
STARS is a self-reporting framework, meaning institutions themselves report the data through its reporting tool. Institutions earn their rating by filling out the credits in STARS.
“This recognition by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) affirms FGCU’s leadership in sustainability education and research, showcasing its commitment to preparing students to tackle global environmental challenges through innovation, collaboration and community engagement,” said Kathleen Crawford, environmental sustainability coordinator in the Department of Environmental Health & Safety at FGCU.
The first time FGCU ranked gold was in 2014. This is the fourth time the university has been ranked gold in the STARS report. To receive a gold rating, institutions must earn a score of 65 or above. FGCU obtained a score of 72.78.
There is only one rating above gold on the STARS report, which is platinum. Institutions must earn a score of 85 or above to receive a platinum rating.
“It provides opportunities for friendly competition between institutions and encourages continued improvement toward advancing sustainability,” said Monika Urbanski, Senior Manager of Resources, Data Quality, and Publications at AASHE. “The index also recognizes recent, high-impact initiatives to encourage and inspire institutions working in sustainability.”
In the report, FGCU received an almost perfect score in the academics and engagement criteria. Scoring the least in the operations criteria, which rates things like having clean and renewable energy, waste minimization, water use, and carbon emissions.
FGCU also ranked number six among doctoral/research institutions for its sustainability curriculum, scoring 99.7%
“This reflects the university’s deep integration of sustainability across its academic programs. The long-standing ‘University Colloquium: A Sustainable Future’ course has been complemented by an expanded offering of courses that meet the university’s Sustainability Course Graduation Requirement (SCGR),” said Crawford. “This integrated approach ensures students from all fields can engage meaningfully with sustainability, aligning with FGCU’s mission to cultivate environmentally responsible citizens.”
FGCU has a total of 807 acres of land, comprising 324 acres of restored wetlands, 23 acres of created wetlands and 121 acres of upland reserves. The remaining 339 acres comprise the current portions of the campus that have been developed.
The grounds staff at the university work daily to maintain the campus clean and operating, which includes litter removal, maintenance of the landscape and inspections of irrigation systems. However, the university still needs the help of students to keep its campus well-maintained..
“[The] low hanging fruit is [to] recycle properly. Pay attention in Colloquium and other courses that discuss sustainability to see how it applies in your courses and life,” said Biology professor Dr. Nora Demers.
The gold rating on the SCI is a significant achievement for the university, as it signifies that the school is making efforts to remain environmentally friendly. It also provides ideas on how to advance sustainability further.
