Princeton Review's Green College Guide features Lipscomb
Janel Shoun |
Lipscomb University is one of the country’s most environmentally-responsible colleges according to The Princeton Review. The nationally-known education services company selected Lipscomb as the only university in Middle Tennessee to be included in a unique new resource for college applicants - “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 286 Green Colleges.”
Developed by The Princeton Review in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, the “Guide to 286 Green Colleges” is the first, free comprehensive guidebook focused solely on institutions of higher education who have demonstrated an above average commitment to sustainability in terms of campus infrastructure, activities and initiatives.
Since establishing its Institute for Sustainable Practice in 2008, Lipscomb University has:
- Opened the Gold-level LEED-certified A.M. Burton Health Sciences Building;
- Constructed three facilities using energy-efficient geothermal heating and cooling systems;
- Established trayless dining;
- Created a green MBA and a Master of Sustainability;
- Established the state’s first business summit on sustainability best practices;
- Opened $21 million worth of green construction;
- Won the Governor’s Award for Environmental Stewardship; and
- Established a monthly sustainability lecture series.
The Princeton Guide, based on a survey of hundreds of colleges nationwide, profiles the nation’s most environmentally-responsible campuses. From energy-efficient buildings to the budget percentage spent on local/organic food, the Guide looks at an institution’s:
- Commitment to building using the USGBC’s LEED green building certification program;
- Environmental literacy programs;
- Formal sustainability committees;
- Use of renewable energy resources;
- Recycling and conservation programs, and much more.
The free Guide can be downloaded at www.princetonreview.com/greenguide and www.usgbc.org/campus.
“Students and their parents are becoming more and more interested in learning about and attending colleges and universities that practice, teach and support environmental responsibility,” said Robert Franek, senior vice president and publisher, The Princeton Review.
“According to our recent College Hope & Worries Survey, 64 percent of college applicants and their parents said having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would impact their decision to apply to or attend it. We created this Guide to help them evaluate how institutions like Lipscomb University focus on environmental responsibility so that they can make informed decisions as they move through the college assessment and application process.”
The Princeton Review noted that another unique aspect of the Guide is that it provides important information on schools that have dedicated environmental studies curriculums. “By many accounts, there are going to be a lot of job opportunities related to the environment and sustainability,” commented Franek. “For those who are interested in working in this growing sector, the Guide highlights the schools that are doing an especially good job in preparing and placing the next generation of green professionals.”
How the Schools Were Chosen
The Princeton Review chose the 286 schools included in the Guide based on the “Green Rating” scores the schools received in summer 2009 when The Princeton Review published Green Rating scores for 697 schools in its online college profiles and/or annual college guidebooks. The Princeton Review’s “Green Rating” is a numerical score from 60 – 99 that’s based on several data points. In 2008, The Princeton Review began collaborating with USGBC to help make the Green Rating survey questions as comprehensive and inclusive as possible. Of 697 schools that The Princeton Review gave “Green Ratings” to in 2009, the 286 schools in the Guide received scores in the 80th or higher percentile. The Princeton Review does not rank the schools in this book hierarchically (1 to 286) or in any of its books based on their “Green Rating” scores.