The University of Missouri is one of only 76 higher education institutions to receive a gold rating for its sustainability efforts. Among the 14 universities within the Southeastern Conference, MU and the University of Georgia achieved the designation. The rating is from the Sustainability Tracking and Rating System, or STARS, a self-reporting program that measures sustainability at colleges and universities.
“We take great pride in the fact that MIZZOU is supportive of sustainability efforts,” said David Beversdorf, chair of MU’s Environmental Affairs and Sustainability Committee and an associate professor of radiology at the School of Medicine.
MU earned Best in Class designations in four areas.
Categories:
• Campus As a Living Laboratory. The lab measures use of infrastructure and environment in student instruction. MU examples include Sanborn Field and a sustainable technologies class in Architectural Studies.
• Support for Underrepresented Groups. Among MU’s programs and offices is this group are the Office of Accessibility, the Chancellor’s Diversity Initiative and the LGBTQ Resource Center.
Programs:
• The Energy Strategies Student Advisory Group. The program was created in 2012 to educate students on MU’s energy and climate action plans.
• Mississippi/Missouri River Advanced Biomass/Biofuel Consortium. The consortium is an MU-led clean energy research group whose goal is to develop a regional system for the sustainable production and distribution of bioenergy and bio-based products that help the environment and the economy.