Abstract
As higher education expands to include more virtual platforms, the importance of tracking sustainability impacts of these programs increases. Approximately one-third of all college students reported taking at least one course online over the past year, including many who complete their entire program online. While the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) is the preferred model to track sustainability metrics from campus curricula, facilities, programs, and more, no equivalent measures exist for this fledgling population of virtual platform learners. By decreasing emissions from travel and on-campus facilities energy usage, there is potential for online learning to have a positive impact on the environment. This article describes the growth of these emerging platforms, proposes areas for measurement, and initiates the design of new sustainability metrics. Currently, there are no generally accepted metrics for comparing environmental impact across noncampus platforms. Although these platforms have possible connections to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—an increasingly common set of goals being adopted by higher education institutions—limited data exists to demonstrate progress toward these initiatives. The proposed new metrics are exclusive to virtual platforms across three categories: enrollment (energy usage, resource usage of noncampus students, sustainability attitudes), the multiplatform workforce (instructor autonomy, faculty protection, governance), and facilities (server locations, third-party providers, energy training programs). These metrics would allow for multiplatform sustainability tracking at universities that can contribute to the development of measurable goals and the inclusion of other educational noncampus platforms across the world.
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