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Five SC Schools Chosen for 2011 Guide to Green Colleges

Submitted by: Dan Gerst on Apr 25, 2011 at 3:00 pm Tagged with: Clemson University, Coastal Carolina University, Furman University, green, Schools, University of South Carolina, USGBC, Wofford College Source: USGBC SC Chapter

The Princeton Review in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council published the second annual Guide to Green Colleges in celebration of Earth Day 2011 to help students and parents select schools that are making green a priority.

703 secondary institutions in the U.S. and Canada were evaluated on their responses to ten questions about their green academic programs, environmentally friendly practices and commitment to sustainability.

The guide profiles each of the 311 schools, providing general institutional statistics and responses to the survey questions, as well as green highlights and facts about the school. http://www.princetonreview.com/uploadedFiles/Editorial_Content/Green_Mat...

In 2008, the Princeton Review began collaborating with the USGBC to help make the Green Rating survey questions as comprehensive and inclusive as possible. A Princeton Review survey indicated that 64% of college applicants and their parents said having information about a school's commitment to the environment would impact their college decision.

Five of these Green Colleges are in South Carolina.
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
Furman University
University of South Carolina—Columbia
Wofford College

The guide looks at the college's commitment to sustainability by evaluating the number of college buildings that achieved USGBC LEED certification; environmental literacy programs; formal sustainability committees; use of renewable energy resources; recycling and conservation programs.

USGBC’s work in greening schools has struck a common chord across industry sectors, political affiliation, and generations. In an effort to equip the people who make the case, the people who make the decisions, and the people who get things done when it comes to greening the nation’s schools and campuses, USGBC launched the Center for Green Schools in 2010.

The Center for Green Schools at USGBC has a bold mission to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to attend a green school within this generation. From the kindergartner entering the classroom, to the Ph.D. student performing researching in a lab, the Center provides the resources and support to elevate dialogue, accelerate policy and catalyze innovation toward green schools and campuses. The Center works directly with faculty, students, administrators, elected officials and communities to drive the transformation of all schools into sustainable places to live, learn, work and play.

Approximately 25 percent of the nation’s total population—more than 60 million people—goes to school every day. There are nearly 140,000 K–12 schools, colleges and universities in the United States, and millions of faculty, students, staff, and administrators walk into classrooms, libraries, cafeterias, and lecture halls that are compromising their ability to learn and teach.
High-performing schools result in high-performing students.

For information on the USGBC SC Chapter: www.usgbcsc.org