Green Colleges -- Have Your Say

Not long ago small private colleges had a near monopoly on campus environmental initiatives in the United States. But today supersize public universities are nipping at the nimble, hemp-shod heels of those pioneers by adopting green building standards, expanding environmental studies programs, and converting fleets to zero-emission vehicles. Read all about the schools (and students) leading the charge to green higher education in Sierra's second annual "Cool Schools" roundup.

If you're excited or frustrated with initiatives on your campus or convinced we've missed a great green school, you can vent or brag right here. Just hit that comments button below to join the conversation--and help us make next year's list even better.

Comments

[mia boynton]

Hello! Great article re: the top ten colleges green-wise. Thank you for the inspiring info. I had a query: Cornell University in Ithaca NY installed an expensive and large lake source cooling system about a decade ago that biologists and environmentalists were saying was going to be stellar (it takes cool water from Cayuga Lake and uses it to cool Cornell's buildings in summer). Is it stellar, or was it hype? Some of us (I am an Ithacan by birth) were worried that the returned water from Cornell's buildings, which is put back into the lake, would alter eco systems of the lake too much. Do you know about this? Have you researched it? Are there other colleges/univs using lake source cooling? Why not Univ Vt at Burlington, which is on Lake Champlain? (perhaps they are right not to, but do clue me here). Thanks so much-- Mia Boynton, Cornell University alumna.

[Carsten]

I think it's obvious that 10 schools is too few to get an accurate picture of the premier green colleges.

President Wright of Big Green (Dartmouth College), for example, has not signed onto the President's Climate Commitment, but Dartmouth has ranked first (with Carleton College, Harvard University, Middlebury College, University of Vermont, and University of Washington) on the 2008 College Sustainability Report (available at http://www.greenreportcard.org/), which has a broad rating of 200 schools. Additionally, for what good it is in our matter, the Princeton Review has now released its green rankings (http://www.princetonreview.com/green.aspx?uidbadge=) with a completely different assortment of winners and losers.

The key, I believe, is how well integrated the environment is with every other aspect of college life.

Because I'm a Big Green student, I am biased, but I would say Dartmouth is doing a noteworthy job of influencing that integration. From its own commitment to renewable energy, its LEED Gold certification measure, and its renowned Outing Club, the College is doing a great job.

Regardless, the NYT brings us great news, "In a Princeton Review survey this year of 10,300 college applicants, 63 percent said that a college’s commitment to the environment could affect their decision to go there."

If this article has interested you, you would enjoy: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/education/edlife/27green.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

CHeers!

[Paul J. Fonteyn]

I'd like to compliment the editors of Sierra Magazine's latest feature on sustainability efforts on college campuses (September/October 2008).

It is gratifying to see how the higher education landscape is changing—the massive nationwide effort to green campuses. New buildings are LEED certified and locally grown food is finding its way into the dining halls. But this is the easy part. It is not just the light bulbs that need to be changed; it is the curriculum too. The really “cool schools” from an environmental point of view have transformed their curricula, and not just a few courses.

Green Mountain College, a member of the Eco League, adopted the environment as a unifying theme for its teaching, curriculum and campus culture in 1995. The faculty and administration set out to convert the traditional general education program to an applied curriculum that integrates sustainability throughout: writing, literature, history, mathematics, social and natural science courses. They combined these classroom activities with outdoor conservation projects and relevant service learning activities. The result: the entire 37-credit core is an environmental liberal arts curriculum.

At Green Mountain College we believe it is not enough simply to model sustainability in the physical plant and to have environmental courses as electives or major-specific offerings. Environmental education should be placed firmly within the liberal arts core. We hope that schools who do this will make your top ten list next year.

Paul J. Fonteyn

President

Green Mountain College

[student]

Great article! I'd like to point out another 'green' school: Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. Led by President Bill Durden, Dickinson has focused more and more on sustainability in the last five years. Among other achievements, Dickinson...
-gets more than 50% of its electricity from wind power
-converts oil from both Dickinson College and nearby Gettysburg College into biodiesel fuel
-runs a 30-acre farm that grows vegetables for campus
-just inagurated a LEED-certified, energy-efficient science building which will host the new Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education
-sponsors the Center for Sustainable Living (nicknamed "the treehouse") a gold-LEED certified special-interest housing option
-installed solar panels on several buildings
-sponsors several student-run environmental groups, including the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring
-see more environmental initiatives: http://www.dickinson.edu/departments/sustainability/initiatives.html

Dickinson was recently named by Newsweek magazine and Kaplan college guide to a list of 25 environmentally responsible colleges.

Thanks!

[Deborah Marquardt]

Regarding Eco Dorms: Also check out the Greek Quad at Clemson (LEED Silver), University Heights at the University of Vermont (LEED Gold), and prefabricated bathroom pods currently being installed at two new residential colleges at Rice University.

[Lonnie Gamble]

Thanks for putting together this review and ranking of the greening of the campus.

I teach at Maharishi University of Management (Fairfield, Iowa) where we developed the first 4 year degree program in Sustainable Living in the US (http://www.mum.edu/sustainable_living/). The Sustainable Living program now has over 100 majors. We also offer a green MBA program.

We have made the most progress in what we do with food. Our cafeteria is 100% organic and vegetarian, with much of the produce coming farm our own organic certified farm and greenhouses. Fertility for the farm is provided in part by composting 100 % of the food waste from the campus food service. Aladdin Food Service, our food services provider, recently stated that they feel our university leads the nation in its commitment to sustainability and food. Students have also organized an on campus chapter (convivium) of Slow Food.

We are building the first off grid (water, electricity, heating and cooling, and waste treatment), classroom, office, and lab building at a US campus – a building that gives back more than it takes. The building is designed to exceed LEED platinum.

I won't bore you with a list of the many sustainability initiatives on our campus, but here is an example:
A student organized biodiesel coop project led to a $2 million dollar grant to study the production of biofuels from algae.

A unique feature of our University is the integration of development of consciousness and inner sustainability (students, faculty and staff all meditate together twice a day), which drives our outer commitment to create a beyond sustainable, regenerative campus. .

Fairfield, Iowa, where MUM is located, was rated “one of the top ten places to live that you have never heard of by Mother Earth news”

Thanks again for putting this ranking together, I learn a lot and get inspiration from seeing all the great work that you showcase.

The collective work at these colleges is showing that another world is possible, and I believe that imagining, creating, and advocating for it is the great work of the upcoming generation.

[Susan Finkel (ED of COPLAC)]

I want to let you know how pleased I was to see that you acknowledged The Evergreen State College in your list in "Ten that Get It."

I am Executive Director of COPLAC (The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges), and The Evergreen State College is one of the 26 outstanding public liberal arts colleges nationwide and also in Canada that make up this organization. COPLAC held its annual meeting this past summer on Sustainability, and it was an extraordinary meeting that illustrated the leadership in Sustainability that these schools have demonstrated--and which I believe you would be excited about as well. Each of these schools has explored original, practical, and brilliant methods to employ sustainability on their campus.

So, I invite you to explore our website (www.coplac.org), and check out under "News and Events" a short recap of that meeting. I believe that the Sierra Club might be interested in featuring some of the other colleges that make up the membership of COPLAC--or perhaps the whole organization of COPLAC itself.

Thank you so much, again, for your acknowledgment of The Evergreen State College's leadership in Sustainability.

[Rica]

Oberlin only #8? Are you kidding? A low-light is no public transportation?

Let me break this down to you, as of when _I_ was a student, let alone today...
1) There is no need for public transportation. Everyone goes on bikes, and many towns are within biking distance.
2) Oberlin has one of the MOST giving share-ride systems GOING! On any given day, you can carpool from Cleveland, to Elyria, to the airport to New York and back!
3) For a small fee, there are NUMEROUS PRIVATE shuttles to and from Cleveland, the airport, etc!

[Connie]

Thanks for your article!

About Oberlin College: It isn't really accurate to say that a "lowlite" for Oberlin is that there is no mass transit. The reason there is no mass transit is that Oberlin is such a small town, that no one needs to use either cars OR buses. This is actually better in energy efficiency than city schools that use bus passes. My son and daughter-in-law graduated from Oberlin College a year ago. They said they easily walk everywhere they need to go--the downtown is only a few blocks long, and they used bicycles sometimes for convenience.

Also, Oberlin has lots of student-run food Coops that use a large proportion of local produce. I don't know why this wasn't included.

[Keri Strisower]

Seems to me that CSU, Chico should've scored a bit higher than some of those who actually "made the cut".

Chico State is committed to sustainable policies and practices that reduce the campus' "ecological footprint." For example, we are reducing CO2, constructing sustainable buildings, implementing energy conservation practices, purchasing and investing in environmentally and socially responsible products, regularly conducting environmental audits, and minimizing the use of hazardous chemicals. The actions that contribute to the campus reducing its ecological footprint also provide us the opportunity to integrate our sustainable practices into the educational and scholarly activities of the University.

California State University, Chico is one of the first campuses in the nation to sign a long-range commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and become "climate neutral" in its affect on the environment. In December, CSU, Chico President Paul Zingg joined six other top campus executives in signing the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).

The campus is minimizing its footprint and leading in sustainability in the following areas:
University Purchasing & Campus Stores
Landscaping & Grounds
Transportation
Energy & Utilities
Facilities & Student Housing
Dining & Food Services
Communication & Technology
Waste Management
Campus Stewardship

[Shawn Hamilton]

Where is College of the Atlantic? They were voted #1 Greenest College by the Daily Green because they were the first college to go carbon neutral in 2007. Try not to leave them out next time.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/10-greenest-colleges-460708

[Betty in Washington]

I graduated from Fairhaven College with a minor from Huxley in 1986. Back then we were and I think still now very green. There was "Outback", a totally eco-friendly cabin for Fairhaven students that had a composting toilet, a kiva for cooking, a garden that was totally organic and animals for eating. Grades were given for students living there. One student even brewed his own beer! Huxley was the premier environmental college, with Faihaven doing the same and then some. I was surprised that neither were on the list, but Evergreen got a spot. We were always better than them, even when I attended Evergreen I thought so.

[Mark S. Lentz, P.E., President, Lentz Engineering Associates, Inc.]

I'm glad to see educational institutions start moving toward better building designs and environments. However, what I see in the trade journals and publications do not even come close to what has been accomplished at the Wausau School District in Wausau, WI.

They are not a college, or university, but Wausau puts them all to shame. They have been converting their facilities to 100% outside air to clean up the indoor environment, and have adopted true high performance HVAC designs which have permitted them to cut their total energy costs by 50% or better.

Classical HVAC systems are unable to either efficiently process or effectively manage ventilation, and that is why ventilation is so energy intensive. To achieve both dramatically improved indoor environmental conditions and major reductions in energy use, these designs are based on completely different strategies, and built around completely different underlying technologies.

The really great thing about this, was that the Wausau School District, and its Facilities Director, Mr. Dennis Wald, did it for the health of their students and staff, and because it made great economic sense. They committed to this policy in the late 1990's, before there even was a "Green" movement.

In August, 2007, the President of ASHRAE, Mr. Kent Peterson, PE, ASHRAE Fellow, challenged the HVAC industry to try harder to do much better. Mr. Kent Peterson visited Wausau in late May, 2008. After spending 300 days on the road, visiting 30 countries, ASHRAE President Peterson featured the Wausau School District on the ASHRAE Home Page on his President's Blog as an example of what can be accomplished.

[Myla]

My comment is about the high school I work at...the recycle bin isn't even emptied when it's supposed to be and with us doing a student-run recycling program, well...this is not modeling very well! It has been very frustrating! I'll need to check out the school district mentioned above, Wausau!

[5-College Grad]

I am disappointed that no colleges within the 5-college consortium (UMass Amherst, Amherst College, Mt. Holyoke College, Smith College, and especially Hampshire College) made the list. They tout themselves on being so liberal and green, etc. etc. I guess I am not surprised, as I went to school there for the 5-college dance department, which ended up being a total sham.

I guess their "environmentalism" is a sham as well. Sad but true. None of these schools even received honorable mention!

[hannah]

I am currently looking for schools to transfer to. i plan to become an environmental science major and so i am looking for a school that is strong with that major. this list is pretty helpful. Although i am paying for 90 to 100% of my tuition so i need all the help i can get and these colleges are all EXPENSIVE. i know my dreams and i feel like i can't reach them due to my problem. I am disappointed to see that the scholarships list on here is only for graduate students. what about undergrads in the field of conservation. i have no clue how i can get instate tuition or great scholarships, or just get an affordable education. sorry for venting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! any advice???????????

[sara]

Vassar College? They have a huge sustainability plan.

UC campuses? What about all that irrigation to keep the desert green? They even water sidewalks. Look at UCI.

[The Green Life]

Re: Shawn Hamilton

College of the Atlantic is featured (along with the rest of the Eco League and the University of California system) as a Shining Star. You can find the writeup here: http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200809/coolschools/shining-stars.asp

If you have a chance to read it, we hope you'll come back and let us know what you think.

[SonzTwin]

Good focus. Note that these are mostly colleges that are in the north, near the Canadian border, and influenced by the more environmentally-friendly Canadians. That makes the accomplishment of UF and ASU all the more remarkable. I'm not counting Warren Wilson because they only have a couple of dozen students in total. Maybe there should be a size limit?

[Patty]

I didn't notice any school that teaches ecopsychology. I also would like to know what kind of jobs would be available in this field. Does that article about the Eco League from last year address this, and how can I look at that?

[Miriam Weinstein]

I'm glad to see Sierra Magazine is making it's green college issue an annual guide (10 Coolest Schools.)
Families wanting to learn more extensively about green colleges can do so in Making A Difference Colleges (10th edition) published by SageWorks Press. Everyone seems to have their own way of ranking schools, mine is primarily based on curriculum and college ethos. Info on majors, interdisciplinary education, service-learning, field studies, organic gardening, activism and the like are all included.
And unlike Princeton Review et al, we are hardly jumping on the bandwagon. Green colleges have been our passion and purpose since 1992.
This practical career-oriented guide is endorsed by Julia Butterfly Hill, Green Teacher Magazine, and the late David Brower among others.
Incidentally, two of my children went to your #4 college - Warren Wilson in North Carolina.

[Mary Nolan]

Hi, My daughter attends College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Me. and it has been touted as 'the first carbon neutral campus in the world" or something like that. I'm surprised that they are not listed in your top 10. Any thoughts?
Also, I'm working on a greening initiative in the public schools here in Indianapolis and I wish there was more out there about that, so that any school systems that are greening could be a model. I have heard of individual private schools that are working on it (some) but no public systems. Any other thoughts? Peace--Mary

[Nichole Baldwin]

It seems like some of the schools on that list didn't have any qualities thatwould make them stand out from the rest! if they are on the list, why can't the college of saint rose (my school) be there too? we're not outstanding, but we have an environmental club that organizes "do it in the dark" events and we have a big campus recycling program where students recycle paper, plastic, and glass products. Our school encourages students to walk to class and take CDTA buses (free of charge to students) that run on biodiesel to farther places. i'm sure there are more good points to the school that i'm not informed about, but mostly i'm a little upset that the top ten green school aren't as outstandng as i expected.

[Scott Payette]

I am disappointed in this "US News & World Report" approach. Global warming, resource depletion, sustainability are very complex issues. A few extra solar panels, some recyling bins, and a LEED certified building doesn't address the problem. Buildings, by some estimates use as much as 40% of our energy and material resources. Where is the discussion of the building insulation, energy conservation, resource conservation, and reuse? Where is the acknowlegement of Ed Marzria's 2030 challenge? Why not evaluate the schools that are attempting carbon neutrality?

[Kat Morgan]

HI there -- great and timely coverage. Thanks!

Three schools I want to mention here: first, a large construction project, currently underway at the College of Wm & Mary is LEED-certified. It's a big library!

Also, Sonoma State University, which was praised in the Princeton Review report, has been doing this good work for a long time. I attended a green building conference @ 8-9 years ago in their green building: way cool!

Lastly, Humboldt State University has some amazing student-led engineering projects focused on renewable energy. If I'm remembering correctly, they also have dorms where the refrigerator, etc., are powered by bike power -- students ride a stationary bike that generates the juice that creates the electricity that runs the stuff. Pretty cool.