MARCH 28, 2024 — The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education has awarded UTSA with a Gold rating on its Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS).
The award, the second-highest tier on STARS’ five-point rating system, recognizes UTSA’s culture of sustainability, which has shaped the institution’s successful growth in recent years and promises to contribute to the wellbeing of the campus community into the future.
The STARS program is the most widely recognized framework worldwide for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. The system evaluates achievements in five key areas: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership.
A prime example of UTSA’s commitment to sustainability is the Campus Master Plan, which strives for connected, mixed use, resource-efficient campuses that support health, wellness and prosperity.
“Sustainable efforts are a major part of UTSA’s commitment to be a responsible steward of its unique environmental and cultural assets,” said Veronica Salazar, UTSA executive vice president for business affairs and chief enterprise development officer. “These efforts include enhancing campus walkability and bikeability, increasing renewable energy infrastructure, retrofitting buildings for optimal efficiency and establishing a LEED Silver standard for all new construction exceeding $10 million.”
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the most widely used green building rating system in the world, focuses on sustainability through design, construction and operations practices that improve environmental and human health.
UTSA exceeded its LEED Silver goal on one of its latest projects, San Pedro I, which opened in 2022 and achieved LEED Gold, the second highest tier of certification.
Designed and constructed with thoughtful attention to energy efficiency and sustainable site development, the building features indoor/outdoor connections and reconfigurable spaces for multipurpose use, facilitating an adaptable environment suited to serve occupants for many years to come. As the first building at UTSA to achieve LEED Gold, San Pedro I has paved the way for a more sustainable approach to new campus buildings.
“Our LEED certification is a testament to the incredible work of executive vice president for Business Affairs and chief enterprise development officer Veronica Salazar and associate vice president of Real Estate, Construction and Planning Corrina Green and their work with our architects at Jacobs and Overland Partners, as well as contractor Whiting-Turning, to realize this important design goal for San Pedro I,” said UTSA President Taylor Eighmy. “I applaud their collective efforts, as they continue to advance San Pedro I—an engaging, compelling and wonderful learning and research space in the heart of downtown San Antonio.”
San Pedro II, currently under construction, likewise follows a design guided by stewardship and sustainability. The two buildings are part of larger placemaking efforts to revitalize downtown San Antonio’s historic San Pedro Creek area.
UTSA’s STARS Gold rating illustrates the university’s commitment to leverage data-driven approaches and promote knowledge to ensure a sustainable future, pairing institutional growth with the intentional design of spaces that enhance the campus experience and facilitate meaningful engagement between Roadrunners and the local community.
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Window Lounge (SU1.02.00C,) Student Union, Main CampusThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
