Awards & Recognition
2025 Associates and Short Cycle Institutions, AASHE STARS
The college’s leadership in sustainability has resulted in numerous awards and recognition:
- Portland Community College was the 4th college nationwide to become Bee Campus USA certified and is also Tree Campus USA certified;
- PCC Rock Creek Learning Garden received the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) 2015 Sustainability Award for addressing food insecurity among students;
- PCC was a recipient of the international APPA Award for Excellence in Sustainability in 2016;
- The College was awarded the 2017 Climate Leadership Award from Second Nature and the US Green Building Council;
- PCC’s 2021 Climate Action Plan: Resiliency, Equity and Education for a Just Transition was used as a case study example in Second Nature’s report, Higher Education’s Role in Advancing Climate Justice in 2022;
- PCC was recognized as a 2024 EPEAT Purchaser Awards recipient from the Global Environmental Council. This award recognizes organizations that prioritize sustainable electronics purchasing and demonstrates PCC’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact;
- And the college was recognized in the 2021 AASHE Campus Sustainable Campus Index for its equity in contracting practices and in the 2017 AASHE Sustainable Campus Index for best practices in the Wellbeing & Work category and as a top performer among associate colleges overall.
- PCC has consistently ranked in the top 10 of community colleges. that report to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. PCC received its first STARS Gold rating in 2025, having previously received ratings for STARS Silver in 2021, 2017 and 2013.