UIC earns silver rating for sustainability
UIC’s sustainability efforts were recently recognized with a rating of “silver” from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
Silver certification represents further improvement over bronze, which was UIC’s rating in its last evaluation three years ago, said Mark Donovan, vice chancellor for administrative services.
He credited the gains to the UIC Sustainability Office staff, which advocated for programs throughout the campus.
UIC administrators reported campus results according to the association’s sustainability tracking, assessment and rating system, which covers initiatives in operations, academics, engagement, planning, administration and innovation.
The system’s 650 participants worldwide make it the most widely recognized means to report a university’s sustainability performance, said Cynthia Klein-Banai, associate chancellor for sustainability.
“We worked with dozens of campus partners to acquire the information to achieve credits. In the process, we have engaged more of the campus community in thinking about how sustainability relates to their work,” Klein-Banai said.
UIC also earned the 28th Annual Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Award for 2014 for its commitment to improving the environmental health and sustainability of Illinois.