Environmentally responsible
UD highlighted in guide to green colleges
11:20 a.m., April 22, 2011--The University of Delaware has been named one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S. and Canada, according to a new book published by the Princeton Review.
Created by the Princeton Review in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), The Princeton Review's Guide to 311 Green Colleges is a free guidebook that profiles institutions of higher education that demonstrate a notable commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. Schools were selected based on a survey of administrators at hundreds of colleges that the company polled in 2010 about their school's sustainability initiatives.
Honors Stories
National Medal of Science
Warren Award
The guide's section on the University of Delaware notes that the "overarching objective is to make the University of Delaware a national and international resource for environmental research, technology, education and policy -- today and into the future -- by leading the way in environmental research, becoming 'The Green University,' developing and demonstrating alternative energy technologies and integrating environmental programs within the curriculum."
Several UD initiatives, including trayless dining, green purchasing guidelines, single stream recycling, campus events and programs on sustainable careers, also are noted, along with the wind turbine in Lewes and the solar panels on three Newark campus buildings.
The free guide can be downloaded at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide.aspx or www.centerforgreenschools.org/greenguide.
The Princeton Review first created this resource for college-bound students in 2011 with the U.S. Green Building Council, which is best known for developing the LEED standard for green building certification. This past fall, USGBC launched its Center for Green Schools to increase its efforts to drive change in how campuses and schools are designed, constructed and operated so that all educational facilities can enhance student learning experiences.
“College-bound students are increasingly interested in sustainability issues," said Robert Franek, senior vice president for publishing at the Princeton Review. “Among 8,200 college applicants who participated in our spring 2011 'College Hopes & Worries Survey,' nearly seven out of 10 said having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school. … We highly recommend the colleges in this book."
"A green campus can transform the college experience for students through enhanced sustainability education and by creating healthy living and learning environments all while saving energy, water and money as part of an institution’s bottom line," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the USGBC.
Selection criteria
The Princeton Review chose the 311 schools based on a survey it conducted in 2010 of hundreds of colleges across the U.S. and in Canada to tally its annual "Green Rating" scores of colleges for its school profiles in its college guidebooks and website. The survey asks administrators more than 50 questions about their institution's sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. The company tallied Green Ratings for 703 institutions in summer 2010. The 311 schools in the guide received scores of 80 or above in that assessment. (The Princeton Review does not rank the schools in this guide hierarchically according to their Green Rating scores, nor does it include those scores in this book's school profiles.) More information about The Princeton Review’s Green Rating methodology and its "Green Honor Roll" list saluting schools that received Green Ratings of 99 is available online.