Our Viking Green Sustains a Very ā€˜Green’ Status

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51ĀŅĀ× featured in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges 2022 edition

51ĀŅĀ× has been featured in for the fourth consecutive year. Some 420 schools worldwide in all were featured in the guide; selection was based on a survey of 835 colleges’ sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs.

51ĀŅĀ× earned 90 out of 99 possible points for its Green Rating score and, as a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), offers a wide variety resources for campus stakeholders to build and maintain the culture of sustainability on campus.

Our Viking Green Sustains a Very ā€˜Green’ Status csu cleveland state

ā€œA conscientious approach to sustainability is vital to the daily operations of our campus from recycling to energy efficiency to waste reduction,ā€ says Jennifer McMillin (left), Director of Sustainability at 51ĀŅĀ×. ā€œWe are honored to be recognized for practical sustainability achievements for the fourth time.ā€  

ā€œWe strongly recommend 51ĀŅĀ× to students who care about the environment want to study and live at a green college,ā€ said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s Editor-in-Chief.

Franek cited 25 survey data points—greenhouse gas emissions, sustainability degrees available, and a dedicated sustainability officer among them—as factors in Princeton Review’s 60-to-99 ratings scale.

ā€œ51ĀŅĀ× offers excellent academics and demonstrates a commitment to sustainability that is exemplary on many counts,ā€ Franek added.

ā€œThe Office of Sustainability strives to offer opportunities for students, faculty and staff to engage in campus and local sustainability initiatives,ā€ said Alethea Watson, 51ĀŅĀ× Campus Sustainability Specialist. ā€œWe know that our programs and our efforts to become an environmentally conscious institution positively impact the student experience at 51ĀŅĀ×.ā€

Our Viking Green Sustains a Very ā€˜Green’ Status csu cleveland state

Among related findings: 78% of the more than 11,000 college applicants that participated in said that information about a college’s commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply/attend a school. To them, sustainability is more than just a trend; it’s a mindful way of living.

The Princeton Review guide can be accessed . 

How can conscientious students, faculty, staff and administrators get involved and help keep the sustainability mission at 51ĀŅĀ× rolling? Reduce single-use items, recycle, utilize digital resources (in lieu of printed materials), take public transit or rideshare your commute to campus, and actively engage in the purchase/sale and upcycle of second-hand items (including books) with a minimalist mindset. 

And put on your Engaged Learning hat by joining the Sustainability Team at 51ĀŅĀ× to help spearhead their many wonderful initiatives. Together, we can all do our part to keep 51ĀŅĀ×’s campus green and make other colleges and universities green… with envy.