July 17, 2025
JCCC received the highest score (67.78) of all community colleges in the United States, and the fifth highest score among community colleges internationally.
Overland Park, Kan. – Johnson County Community College (JCCC) has earned a STARS 2025 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.
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. JCCC’s STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.
“Achieving an AASHE STARS Gold Rating has long been a goal for JCCC students, faculty, and staff,” said Dr. Tony Miksa, President of JCCC. “From integrating sustainability into our curriculum to reducing waste and engaging the public, this achievement marks a significant milestone for JCCC – and a powerful realization of our vision to be an innovative leader in student learning and success.”
STARS Scoring System
JCCC reported achievements in five overall areas:
- Academics
- Engagement
- Operations
- Planning and administration
- Innovation and leadership
STARS scores are based on the percentage of applicable points earned across the four main categories of credits: academics, engagement, operations, and planning and administration. Innovation credits earned are then added to the final percentage, determining the total STARS score. See the STARS Technical Manual for a more in-depth overview of the credits included in STARS and how they are scored.
Since the College’s last rating in 2022, the Center for Sustainability is most proud of its score improvements in curriculum integration for nearly every academic division at JCCC, the increased amount of renewable energy used on campus, and staff wide investments in water/wastewater management, recycling, and materials management.
“This Gold rating validates the totality of the work we’ve done at JCCC beyond just avoiding over $12 million in energy costs,” said Dr. Jay Antle, Executive Director of JCCC’s Center for Sustainability. “The JCCC campus is now a learning lab for students who can see real-world solutions to sustainability problems everywhere they turn.”
History of Sustainability Efforts
In 2008, JCCC committed to the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). The ACUPCC’s mission is to accelerate progress towards climate neutrality and sustainability by empowering the higher education sector to educate students, create solutions, and provide leadership-by-example for the rest of society.
The College’s original sustainability goals were to:
- Engage students with sustainability in curriculums on and off campus.
- Reduce our carbon footprint, energy, and water use. Become a zero-waste-to-landfill campus by 2025, and a 100% renewable energy campus by 2050.
- Increase sustainability initiatives to achieve an AASHE Gold Rating designation.
JCCC first reported to AASHE STARS in 2014, receiving a Bronze rating, and again in 2022, receiving a Silver rating. Since receiving the silver rating, JCCC has added and updated a number of sustainability programs and initiatives across campus. Under Antle's leadership at the Center for Sustainability, a team of six employees and numerous student interns have grown JCCC’s sustainability programs to meet the College’s sustainability goals.
More information can be found at jccc.edu/sustainability.
About STARS
“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said Meghan Fay Zahniser, AASHE Executive Director. “Johnson County Community College has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Gold Rating and is to be congratulated for its efforts.”
STARS was developed by the higher education community and is designed to:
- Provide a framework for understanding sustainability in all sectors of higher education.
- Enable meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
- Create incentives for continual improvement toward sustainability.
- Facilitate information sharing about higher education sustainability practices and performance.
- Build a stronger, more diverse campus sustainability community.
For more information about the STARS program, visit stars.aashe.org.
About AASHE
AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that are working to create a sustainable future. AASHE’s mission is to empower higher education to lead sustainability transformation. It provides resources, professional development, and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research. For more information about AASHE, visit www.aashe.org.
About JCCC
JCCC embraces a mission of inspiring learning to transform lives and strengthen communities, a direction that has endured since the College opened its doors in 1969. The College is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and committed to offering accessible, high-quality education from a main campus and multiple satellite locations. JCCC is devoted to enriching lives by meeting individual, community, and workforce needs in a welcoming and supportive environment.
Serving Johnson County, Kansas, and the entire Kansas City metropolitan area, JCCC supports the educational and career goals of students through more than 100 degree and certificate programs. Knowledgeable, dedicated faculty and staff work on behalf of more than 38,000 credit and continuing education students in a stimulating academic community.
CONTACT:
Emma Swinney
Public and Media Relations Coordinator
eswinne1@jccc.edu
913-469-8500, ext. 4949
Chris Gray
VP, Strategic Communications & Marketing
chrisgray@jccc.edu
913-469-8500, ext. 7623
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