Central Community College has earned a STARS gold rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.
CCC’s STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.
According to Ben Newton, CCC environmental sustainability director, the college made gains in campus and community engagement, operations and academics each year since 2017. In the summer of 2025, CCC students participated in Nebraska's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), which was funded by the National Science Foundation. The student-involved research lasted over 16 weeks and focused on 10 native Nebraska plants present at four CCC locations. Students sought to assess how each attracted and supported the native pollinators essential for food and plant reproduction. The Students 4 Sustainability club is also increasing engagement through community events such as native seed dispersal at the City of Hastings dog park, monarch butterfly tagging at the Nebraska State Fair, highway cleanups and presentations at academic sustainability conferences.
People are also reading…
CCC is also integrating clean-energy infrastructure into its own operations by reducing paper use 25 percent since 2016, utilizing hybrid electric vehicles, EV charging stations and using wind and solar to supply 70 percent of the college’s electricity. CCC faculty and staff continue to expand educational activities through eBadges, achieving goals through an environmental sustainability action plan and maintaining ongoing, sustainability-focused community partnerships that address waste reduction, recycling, pollinator conservation, habitat restoration and environmental education.
“Nebraskans care about our water, soil, energy and natural resources, so I am very pleased with our continued improvements and recognition as earning a gold rating in 2026,” said CCC President Dr. Matt Gotschall. “This STARS Gold ranking puts Central Community College in the top five associate colleges for sustainability achievements in the United States.”
With more than 1,200 participants in 52 countries, AASHE’s STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in five overall areas: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and 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. “CCC has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS gold rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”
Unlike other rating or ranking systems, this program is open to all institutions of higher education, and the criteria that determine a STARS rating are transparent and accessible to anyone. Because STARS is a program based on credits earned, it allows for internal comparisons as well as comparisons with similar institutions.
“We are very proud to have achieved a STARS gold rating for our sustainability accomplishments,” Newton said. “The Central Community College administration, faculty, staff and students have all been key to helping our sustainability efforts grow and improve by tracking collective efforts by our team through the STARS program. For our central Nebraska communities and beyond, we believe environmental sustainability is important and necessary for healthy communities, people and economic sustainability.”
