Notre Dame was recently highlighted in The Princeton Review’s latest edition of their Guide to 322 Green Colleges. According to The Princeton Review, the guide was created to help recognize schools that “demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation.” The guide was produced in conjunction with the U.S. Green Building Council, which recently established a Center for Green Schools to increase its efforts to drive change in how campuses and schools are designed, constructed, and operated.
The ratings were computed using a numerical score from 60-99, based on a 50-question survey conducted among school administrators. Only schools that ranked above 83 were included in the guide. “We are honored to be recognized for our efforts, but it is even more important that publications like this exist to keep potential students informed on a school’s commitment to sustainability as they move through the application process,” said Erin Hafner in the Office of Sustainability.
Robert Franek, Senior VP/Publisher at The Princeton Review, writes, “College-bound students are increasingly interested in sustainability issues. Among 7,445 college applicants who participated in our 2012 ‘College Hopes & Worries Survey,’ nearly 7 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 recognized Notre Dame for their expanding Office of Sustainability, their $10 million investment in energy conservation projects, and their establishment of a $2 million dollar Green Loan Fund. The “Green Highlights” section also cites Notre Dame’s LEED certified buildings, single-stream recycling program, the annual Old 2 Gold yard sale, free TRANSPO usage with ID, and the existence of environmentally conscious clubs such as Student’s for Environmental Action and GreeND.