SU again featured in green colleges guidebook

Syracuse University is one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the United States and Canada, according to The Princeton Review. The well-known education services company again selected SU for inclusion in the recently released second annual edition of its free downloadable book, “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 311 Green Colleges: 2011 Edition.” 

SU joins the ranks of outstanding universities and colleges nationwide that are leading the “green” movement through their own special programs and initiatives. Some of SU’s sustainability programs highlighted in the guide include:

• a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a result of signing the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC);
• using green building materials and techniques for new buildings and renovations;
• voluntarily purchasing 20 percent of its annual electricity used in the form of low-impact hydropower;
• Food Services issuing students reusable beverage bottles for refills and carry-outs; and
• sustainable transportation initiatives such as a Park and Ride program, carpool and ride-share programs and a Zipcar program. 

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 the only free, comprehensive guidebook profiling institutions of higher education that demonstrate a notable commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. The guide has profiles of the colleges that provide application information plus facts, stats and writeups reporting on the schools’ environmentally related policies, practices and academic offerings. 

The Princeton Review chose the schools for this guide based on a survey of administrators at hundreds of colleges that the company polled in 2010 about their school’s sustainability initiatives. The free guide can be downloaded at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide.aspx and www.centerforgreenschools.org/greenguide. 

“College-bound students are increasingly interested in sustainability issues,” says 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 (69 percent) said having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school,” he adds. “Together with the USGBC, we are pleased to make this free resource available to all students seeking to attend colleges that practice, teach and support environmentally responsible choices.  We highly recommend the colleges in this book.” 

For more information about SU’s sustainability initiatives, including its Climate Action Plan, which is designed to reduce the campus’s carbon footprint, visit the University’s Sustainability website at http://greenuniversecity.syr.edu. To discuss a green idea to implement on campus, contact SU’s Sustainability Division at sustain@syr.edu.