January 15, 2026, Santa Rosa, CA – Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) has earned a STARS Gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), recognizing SRJC’s leadership and ongoing progress in advancing sustainability across academics, operations, and community engagement.
STARS—the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System—is a transparent, self-reporting framework used by colleges and universities worldwide to measure their sustainability performance. Santa Rosa Junior College’s full STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.
SRJC’s Gold rating reflects the College’s long-standing commitment to sustainability as a core institutional value. Over the past decade, SRJC has invested in initiatives that reduce environmental impact, strengthen social and economic equity, and integrate sustainability into student learning. Highlights include: SRJC’s Urban Microgrid Project funded by the California Energy Commission, sustainable agriculture, & wildfire Resiliency training programs at Shone Farm, and SRJC’s student-funded Any Line Any Time Free Bus program. These efforts build on SRJC’s history of environmental stewardship and its commitment to modeling sustainable practices across all campuses.
“SRJC continues to be a leader in Sustainability across the California Community College system and within Sonoma County. In 2019, SRJC was the first California Community College to earn a Bronze STARS designation, and we have continued to build on that momentum to achieve a Gold rating,” said David Liebman, Energy & Sustainability Manager. “This achievement reflects the collective efforts across SRJC’s departments and underscores how sustainability and climate action support student success.”
With more than 1,200 participating institutions in 52 countries, STARS is the most widely recognized system for publicly reporting comprehensive sustainability performance in higher education. Institutions report progress in four main categories—Academics, Engagement, Operations, and Planning & Administration—with additional recognition for Innovation and Leadership.
“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Santa Rosa Junior College has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Gold Rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”
SRJC’s participation in STARS reflects its dedication to continual improvement. By using a transparent, common framework, the College can measure progress over time, benchmark against peers, and strengthen collaborative efforts across departments and the wider community.
About AASHE
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) empowers higher education to lead the sustainability transformation. AASHE provides resources, professional development, and a network of support to help colleges and universities model sustainability across governance, operations, academics, and research.
