Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability
The Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability
CU Boulder serves as the host institution for the Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability. The Elective Classification for Sustainability is designed to recognize and celebrate higher education institutions that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and climate action as integral to their academic missions. This classification provides a rigorous framework for assessing and advancing sustainability efforts in curriculum, research, operations, and community engagement.
The Classification aims to:
- Recognize excellence: Highlight institutions that integrate sustainability into their core academic missions and campus practices
- Encourage innovation: Foster creative solutions to sustainability challenges through research, teaching, and community engagement
- Promote access: Ensure accessibility for all institutions, including those with fewer resources, by offering adaptable criteria and support
- Foster collaboration: Build on existing frameworks, such as AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System, to align efforts and maximize impact.
We need you! Become an application reviewer for the upcoming elective cycle.
We’re seeking application reviewers and graduate student fellows to support the inaugural review cycle. Reviewers will help ensure a thoughtful, rigorous process while gaining insight into sustainability efforts across higher education. Graduate fellows will join review teams in a compensated role open to students across sustainability disciplines.
Express your interest by September 25.
Why the classification matters
Higher education institutions play a critical role in addressing global challenges, including climate change and resource sustainability. The Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability highlights and supports institutional efforts to lead in these areas by fostering innovation, collaboration, and measurable progress toward a more sustainable future. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education (ACE) developed this classification to support thriving, sustainable communities for current and future generations. These efforts are culturally, regionally, and contextually informed.
"We learned so much about our own institutional strengths going through this process. It was great to have an activity to organize and bring key leaders to the table to discuss how we can further our institutional work on sustainability together."
Andrea Romero, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, University of Arizona
Timeline to Apply
March 9, 2026
Applications Become Available Online
August 14, 2026
Deadline to Register and Submit Payment
December 18, 2026
Online Application Deadline
May 2027
Institutions Notified of Classification Status
June 2027
Public Announcement of the 2027 Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability Cohort