The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) recently released the 2024 Sustainable Campus Index (SCI), with Dickinson College ranked first amongst other baccalaureate institutions for the third year in a row. Dickinson was also ranked sixth in curriculum, ninth in water, and first in data accuracy against all 358 institutions affiliated with AASHE.
The SCI is based upon self-reported data from each institution that is registered with AASHE. The SCI then breaks the rankings down by categories, such as Air and Climate, Campus Engagement, Water and Waste, as well as overall sustainability for each institution type, including Associate, Baccalaureate, Master’s and Doctoral. Each institution also receives a detailed report about itself with numerical rankings of each category and an overall score. Dickinson’s overall score was 81.96/100, which is classified by AASHE as a “Gold” institution. To improve the ranking to “Platinum,” the highest level, Dickinson would need a score of 85 or above.
Having this data and being able to compare Dickinson against other institutions is helpful for staff to understand where more resources and improvements are needed. For instance, Dickinson’s lowest scores are in “Investment and Finance” and “Work and Wellbeing,” especially in paying living wages to college employees. However, the report also highlights where the college is doing well or is improving. According to Lindsey Lyons, director of sustainability learning for the Center for Sustainability Education (CSE), “It’s inspiring to see our strengths and hard work rewarded in this way, and it’s really a pride point for Dickinson to be at the top for this many years!”
AASHE has colleges and universities re-report current data every three years. Dickinson’s data was reported by Ken Shultes, former Vice President of College Sustainability and Facilities Management, alongside support from Lyons, CSE Director Neil Leary, CSE interns and community partners. Lyons also shared that “Completing this report is a major undertaking for Dickinson every three years, but the results are always so exciting. I love looking at the peer comparisons and seeing what colleges and universities are leading in each of the categories.” CSE staff plan to use this data to guide their future work on campus and in the Carlisle community.
