Budget-breaking energy costs combined with growing student activism are boosting the appeal of sustainability initiatives on college campuses across the country. The interactive GreenReportCard.org website reveals that two out of three schools have improved their grades from last year in the new College Sustainability Report Card 2009.
The website, launched today, provides interactive sustainability profiles and grades from the Report Card for 300 schools with the largest endowments ranging from approximately $150 million to $35 billion. The combined total is nearly $400 billion.
"The College Sustainability Report Card is the only independent evaluation of sustainability in campus operations and endowment investments and it has the highest response rate of any college sustainability ranking or rating," said Mark Orlowski, Executive Director of the Sustainable Endowments Institute (SEI), the Report Card’s publisher. "We had 290 of 300 schools (97%) respond to at least one of the three Report Card surveys. Many are taking pride in greener campuses and sustainability-savvy investments."
With "A-" as the highest overall grade earned, only 15 schools reached that level and qualified as College Sustainability Leaders. In contrast, the average grade for all schools surveyed came to "C+," with more than 75% of colleges and universities earning sustainability grades in the "B" and "C" range.
Ivy League schools made notable progress since last year, but not all Ivies were green enough to achieve the highest grade. Only five are among the top 15: Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard, and Penn.
Other schools with top marks include Stanford and the following liberal arts colleges: Carleton, Dickinson, Middlebury, and Oberlin. State school leaders include University of Colorado, University of New Hampshire, University of Vermont, and University of Washington. In Canada, the University of British Columbia was the only school to earn the distinction.
"Making a commitment to sustainability, ranging from local food sourcing to renewable energy investments, is no longer a priority of only environmentalists," said Orlowski. "Such innovations are capturing the attention of everyone, from college trustees to admissions applicants."
Responding to interest from students applying to college, GreenReportCard.org provides the first comprehensive college sustainability selection tool for high school students. 63% of 10,300 college applicants recently polled by the Princeton Review said that a college’s commitment to the environment could affect their decision. "This website will help high school students make an educated college choice," said Orlowski.
Innovator and Champion Awards
SEI also announced the winners of the Sustainability Innovator Awards and the Champions of Sustainability in Communities Awards. Eight schools in all were selected for recognition for their leadership in sustainability through these two award programs.
Five Champions of Sustainability in Communities Awards were given to schools with community partnerships that demonstrate the impact of collaboration in achieving sustainability goals. Three Sustainability Innovator Awards recognize an additional group of schools, which do not fulfill the selection parameters of the Report Card 2009, for their advancement of sustainability initiatives.
Recipients of the Champions of Sustainability in Communities Award include: Dalhousie University, University of Chicago, University of Minnesota, University of New Hampshire, and University of Oregon.
Recipients of the Sustainability Innovator Awards include: Green Mountain College, Northland College, and University of Prince Edward Island.
In addition, Honorable Mentions for the Champions of Sustainability in Communities Awards were given to four projects that have tremendous potential to grow into high-impact sustainability partnerships. Recipients of Honorable Mentions include: Brandeis University, Drury University, Tulane University, and University of Oregon.
"We give these awards to recognize schools’ successes,” says SEI’s Executive Director, Mark Orlowski. “We hope others will find inspiration in these examples and follow their leadership.”
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