����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ

�ճ���� and the�� have announced that ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ has been chosen to serve as the administrative and operational host for the new Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability.

The Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability recognizes and celebrates higher education institutions that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and climate action as integral to their academic missions.��

“We want to help every community enjoy access to clean air, fresh water, abundant food and a vibrant natural environment—the necessities for building a happy, healthy life,” said ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “Our motivation to host the new elective classification is to partner with a broad array of educational institutions to center sustainability in our missions, closely engage the publics we serve, and support practical solutions for communities near and far to achieve environmental resilience and a sustainable future.”

Officials from ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ and the American Council on Education convened a panel on the new Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability. Left to right: Cara Carmichael, associate vice chancellor for sustainability, ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ; Andrew Mayock, vice chancellor for sustainability, ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ; Mushtaq Gunja, executive director of the Carnegie Classification Systems, American Council on Education; Marisol Morales, executive director of the Elective Classifications, American Council on Education.��

����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ Vice Chancellor for Sustainability Andrew Mayock celebrated the announcement during his keynote address at the Green Schools Conference at Cornell University ILR School’s New York City conference center as part of New York City Climate Week events.

“We are grateful that Carnegie and ACE have entrusted ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ with this critical leadership role, and we are excited to get to work with the initial cohort of colleges and universities participating in the pilot program,” said Mayock, who previously served as the U.S. government’s chief sustainability officer. “This selection places ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ at the center of a rigorous new framework for assessing and advancing sustainability efforts in curriculum, research, operations and community engagement.”��

�ճ���� is the nation’s leading framework for categorizing diverse U.S. higher education institutions. �ճ���� will be the third such elective classification offered by Carnegie, the first two being for Community Engagement and Leadership for Public Purpose.��

“����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ undertakes world-class sustainability research and is dedicated to ensuring their students are exceptional stewards of our planet, no matter the professional path they choose,” said Timothy F.C. Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. “Carnegie is thrilled to partner with ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ and ACE to recognize colleges and universities for their essential contributions to global sustainability.”��

���� representing minority-serving institutions, community colleges, research universities and large liberal arts colleges is participating in a yearlong pilot program that will help shape the framework, indicators and application process for the sustainability classification.��

����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ will refine the framework based on feedback gathered through the pilot phase and will emphasize a number of key factors in developing a formal approach to the framework, including:

• Inclusive and accessible methodology
• Sustainability as an active area of rigorous academic inquiry
• Career development and workforce preparation
• Ecosystem model and climate action
• Complementary to existing sustainability frameworks, such as AASHE’S STARS certifications and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

The official application process for the elective classification is expected to launch in February 2026.

“We are excited for the ways in which this new classification will recognize the great efforts colleges and universities are making to ensure a sustainable future,” said Ted Mitchell, president of ACE, a membership organization that represents all sectors of colleges and universities in the United States. “And we are thrilled for the ways in which it inspires colleges and universities to push their efforts even further.”��

����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ’s status as a leader in sustainability and climate research spans decades, and the university’s student body is highly engaged. The university is home to the first student-run Environmental Center, founded in 1970. ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ was also the first school to achieve a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) Gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). And ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ’s athletics department is also active, with the first major college football stadium to launch a zero-waste program.

More recently, ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ updated its Climate Action Plan, committing to a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by no later than 2050. In July, the university announced a new pouring rights deal with Pepsi that��eliminates single-use beverage plastics on campus. And in August, ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ��announced the launch of the Buckley Center for Sustainability Education, made possible by a $10 million gift from alumnus Spike Buckley.����

About the American Council on Education

ACE is a membership organization that leads higher education with a unified vision for the future, galvanizing our members to make change and collaborating across the sector to design solutions for today’s challenges, serve the needs of a diverse student population, and shape effective public policy. As the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities, our strength lies in our diverse membership of more than 1,600 colleges and universities, related associations, and other organizations in America and abroad. ACE is the only major higher education association to represent all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities. For more information, please visit�� or follow ACE on X (@ACEducation) and LinkedIn.

About the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

The mission of the Carnegie Foundation is to catalyze transformational change in education so that every student has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified, and fulfilling life. Enacted by an act of Congress in 1906, the Foundation has a rich history of driving transformational change in the education sector, including the establishment of TIAA-CREF and the creation of the Education Testing Service, the GRE, Pell Grants, and the Carnegie Classifications for Higher Education. For more information, please visit��.��

About ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ

CU is Colorado’s leading public research university, transforming lives since 1876.��As the state’s flagship university and one of only 38 U.S. public research institutions in the Association of American Universities (AAU), ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ has proudly served Coloradans since the state’s founding. Home to five Nobel Laureates since 1989 and the only university to send space instruments to every planet in the solar system, ����������ý�Ļ���Ʒ provides a strong return on investment by aligning efforts to achieve research and creative excellence, global sustainability impact and the success of all students, faculty and staff. Learn more at��.��