Dickinson College Ranks Number One Among Baccalaureate Institutions in Sustainability Report

Students working at The Hive

Students working at the hive

Top Honors for a Commitment to Sustainability

by Craig Layne

Dickinson College is the No. 1 Overall Top Performer among baccalaureate institutions in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) “Sustainable Campus Index 2018.”

“This recognition from AASHE is a nod to years of hard work and dedication on the part of Dickinson’s students, faculty and staff,” said Lindsey Lyons, assistant director of Dickinson’s Center for Sustainability Education. “Sustainability is a core value of this institution, and we’re immensely proud of this honor.”

AASHE evaluates the performance of more than 470 colleges and universities using their Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), which covers 17 sustainability impact areas that span academics, campus and community engagement, operations and planning and administration.

In addition to its top spot in the baccalaureate category, Dickinson also earned top-10 placements among all colleges and universities in three categories. The college tied for No. 2 in the “Campus Engagement” category; tied for No. 3 in the “Research” category; and placed ninth in the “Curriculum” category.

“Sustainability is part of the academic and co-curricular experience of every Dickinson student,” said Neil Leary, director of the Center for Sustainability Education. “It is also a guiding principle for campus strategic planning and operations.”

The report also highlights Dickinson’s Sustainability Dashboard, which allows users to explore metrics for greenhouse gas emissions, campus energy use, College Farm production, waste minimization, water consumption, student and employee diversity, sustainability learning outcomes, sustainability faculty development projects and more. In addition, the report mentions Dickinson’s new, 12-acre solar array, Green Bike program and The Hive Beekeeping Cooperative.

The AASHE No. 1 ranking adds to a long list of sustainability accolades for Dickinson, which includes a gold rating from AASHE’s STARS program and recognition on Sierra magazine’s list of Top 20 Cool Schools and the Princeton Review’s Green Honor Roll. Dickinson is also the No. 3 Most Eco-Friendly College, according to College Magazine.

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Published August 22, 2018