Making the Green Grade, Naturally
Dickinson received the highest possible score of 99 on the Green Honor Roll
Althouse Hall is one of three buildings on Dickinson's campus that was awarded Gold certification by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
When it comes to being green, Dickinson has once again made the grade. For a second time the college has been named to The Princeton Review’s Green Honor Roll.
Dickinson was one of only three liberal-arts colleges on the 2012 list of 16 higher-education institutions receiving the highest possible score of 99. Some of the other colleges and universities named to the Green Honor Roll include American University, College of the Atlantic, Harvard College, University of Washington, Northeastern University, University of California–Santa Cruz, Virginia Tech and Warren Wilson College.
“Unsustainable consumption of resources, environmental degradation, injustice and poverty are critical challenges of the 21st century,” said Neil Leary, director of the Center for Sustainability Education. “At Dickinson, we are tackling these challenges to help create a sustainable society by rethinking what we teach and how we teach, as well as by conserving energy, water and other resources; switching to smarter and cleaner energy sources; and collaborating with community partners to promote positive change.”
Now in its fourth year, the Green Honor Roll measures colleges’ and universities’ environmental responsiveness, based on practices, policies and academic offerings. This includes evaluations of students’ quality of life on campus; how well the college prepares students for employment and citizenship in a world defined by environmental challenges; and the college’s overall commitment to environmental issues. The survey measured 768 schools, which were rated on a scale of 60-99.
Dickinson’s environmental-studies department is considered one of the best-established in the country. The college offers students more than 200 classes with sustainability content on renewable energy, environmental justice, environmental science, climate change and more. And Dickinson's Center for Sustainability Education infuses sustainability into all facets of college life by linking classroom learning with co-curricular programs, the greening of campus operations and civic engagement.
The majority of environmental efforts at Dickinson are student-led. Students may work at the college’s organic farm and live a sustainable lifestyle in alternative housing known as “the Treehouse.” They also may work as interns at the Center for Sustainability Education or Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM); serve on Dickinson’s Socially Responsible Investment Committee; and take part in a spectrum of related campus organizations and events.
Published August 30, 2011