For the second consecutive year, students headed to college can select where to go to school based on the question: how green is it?
And for the second straight year, Niagara University is ranked among the country’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review. The well-known education and test-prep service company has once again partnered with the U.S. Green Building Council to release the second annual edition of a free guidebook that recognizes the nation’s “greenest” colleges.
The Princeton Review’s Guide to 311 Green Colleges: 2011 Edition profiles 308 higher-education institutions in the United States and three in Canada that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.
“We are extremely proud to be featured in this high-profile publication once again as it speaks to Niagara University’s ongoing campus-wide commitment to sustainability,” stated David Ederer, chair of Niagara’s Sustainability Task Force. “This honor is really a manifestation of the incredible efforts that so many students, faculty and staff have put forth to create a more sustainable campus and I’m very pleased to see these efforts recognized.”
Niagara University maintained its ranking as one of the outstanding universities and colleges nationwide that are leading the “green” movement through their own special programs and initiatives.
Within the past three months, Niagara University has won a contest sponsored by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo that will furnish it with a $3,000 grant to construct a community vegetable garden and initiated a series of online videos focused on highlighting university sustainability efforts. This week, solar panels are being installed on the roof of Dwyer Arena to offset the unique electrical requirements of the ice hockey arena, especially during the summer months.
The Guide to 311 Green Colleges features school profiles with application, admission, financial aid and student enrollment information. Green highlights show the school’s environmental and sustainability initiatives and sidebars report statistics and facts on the school’s use of renewable energy sources, recycling and conservation programs, and the availability of environmental studies programs and green jobs career guidance.
“College-bound students are increasingly interested in sustainability issues,” said Robert Franek, senior vice president of 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 told us that having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school.”
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. The survey asked administrators more than 50 questions about their institution’s sustainability-related policies, practices and programs.
The free guidebook can be downloaded at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide.aspx.
For more information on Niagara University’s commitment to sustainability, please visit http://www.niagara.edu/green.
How Schools Were Chosen for the Guide
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 (scaled from 60 to 99) 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 this guide received scores of 80 or above in that assessment. (Note: The Princeton Review does not rank the schools in this guide hierarchically (1 to 311) according to their Green Rating scores, nor does it include those scores in this book’s school profiles.) Information about The Princeton Review’s Green Rating methodology and its “Green Honor Roll” list saluting schools that received Green Ratings of 99 is at www.princetonreview.com/green.aspx.
About The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review has been a pioneer and leader in helping students achieve their higher education goals for more than 28 years through college and graduate school test preparation and private tutoring. With more than 165 print and digital publications and a free website, the company provides students and their parents with the resources to research, apply to, prepare for and learn how to pay for higher education. The Princeton Review partners with schools and guidance counselors throughout the U.S. to assist in college readiness, test preparation and career planning services, helping more students pursue postsecondary education. The company also owns and operates Penn Foster Education Group, a global leader in online education. Penn Foster provides career-focused degree and vocational programs in the fields of allied health, business, technology, education and select trades through the Penn Foster High School and Penn Foster Career School. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University and is not a magazine.
About the U.S. Green Building Council
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprised of 79 local affiliates, 16,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 155,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.
About the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council
The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is how USGBC is making sure every student has the opportunity to attend a green school within this generation. From the kindergartner entering the classroom to the Ph.D. student performing research in a lab, the Center provides the resources and support to elevate dialogue, accelerate policy and institute innovation toward green schools and campuses. Thanks in part to generous support from founding sponsor United Technologies Corporation, the Center works directly with staff, teachers, faculty, students, administrators, elected officials and communities to drive the transformation of all schools into sustainable places to live and learn, work and play. For more information, please visit www.centerforgreenschools.org.
