Maine Maritime Academy deepens commitment to sustainability

Written by Heather Ervin
Maine Maritime Academy

Maine Maritime Academy

In an effort to further campus efforts toward building a thriving, equitable and ecologically just world, Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) recently became a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

Through membership in AASHE, the academy will receive support in advancing its sustainability initiatives throughout the institution and in the community.

“I’m thrilled that MMA is now part of an organization that guides colleges in their quest to become more environmentally sustainable,” says engineering professor Barbara Fleck. “I hope that with the expertise provided by AASHE and the involvement of students, faculty, and staff we can set environmental goals for MMA, evaluate our progress towards those goals, and achieve greater environmental sustainability on campus.”

“AASHE counts on the support of progressive institutions like Maine Maritime to fulfill its mission to inspire and catalyze higher education to lead the global sustainability transformation,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “As laboratories for experimentation and innovation, higher education institutions have a unique opportunity to make sustainability part of everyone’s agenda. I welcome MMA to our family of colleges, universities, associations and businesses driving the transformation to a sustainable world.”

AASHE enables higher education institutions to meet their sustainability goals by providing specialized resources, professional development, and a network of peer support and knowledge sharing. Membership covers every individual at an institution, so the entire campus community can take advantage of member benefits.

“We are happy to have MMA join AASHE and take an active role within this community as we all work to advance sustainability,” shared Meghan Fay Zahniser. “We invite students, faculty, and staff at the institution to visit our site and create an AASHE account. This will allow everyone to take advantage of the member only resources, free webinars, and discounts to our annual conference.”

“This commitment to sustainability aligns closely with our partnerships in local communities and industry, and is an exciting next step for MMA. We anticipate growth in sustainability programming in the coming years, and this membership is key to our future success,” says Keith Williamson, vice president for Academic Affairs.

Among AASHE’s major programs is the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS®), a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS is intended to engage and recognize the full spectrum of colleges and universities—from community colleges to research universities – and encompasses long-term sustainability goals for already high-achieving institutions as well as entry points of recognition for institutions that are taking first steps toward sustainability.

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