Eastern makes Princeton Review's Green Colleges list for 13th year
Willimantic, CT (11/21/2022) — For the 13th year in a row, Eastern Connecticut State University is recognized in the Princeton Review's "Guide to Green Colleges." More than 700 schools were reviewed for their green practices, and Eastern was selected as one of 455 schools recognized for prioritizing sustainability and environmentally conscious initiatives.
In order to be recognized by the Princeton Review, universities are examined through the following standards: whether students have a campus quality of life that is both healthy and sustainable; how well a school is preparing students for employment in the clean-energy economy of the 21st century and for citizenship in a world now defined by environmental concerns and opportunities; and how environmentally responsible a school's policies are.
Among Eastern's "green" features include its utilization of 100% renewable energy, a pledge to reach carbon neutrality by 2030, five high-efficiency buildings that are LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), electric vehicle charging stations, a composting program in the dining hall and more.
Additionally, over the last 22 years, Eastern's Institute for Sustainability has established the University as a state and regional leader in environmental sustainability and advocacy. The Institute has helped Connecticut municipalities, schools and government agencies improve energy efficiency, redesigned school curricula and advocated for carbon footprint reductions.
"Eastern's recognition as a Green College signals to prospective students and their families that we align programs, policy and practice to meet our sustainability goals," said Patty Szczys, director of the Institute for Sustainability. "Students can expect to find a sustainability thread connecting academic, student life and pre-professional opportunities at Eastern that empower the next generation of problem-solvers and change-makers."
The Institute works closely with the Environmental Earth Science Department to provide Eastern students with internship opportunities in the field of renewable energy and sustainability and partners with the University's Office of Facilities Management and Planning on a host of green campus initiatives ranging from recycling programs to lighting retrofits.
Each year, the Princeton Review assembles a panel of experts in higher education green practices to produce a survey for college and university administrators across the country. Ratings are produced based on the school's responses to the survey.
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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving more than 4,300 students annually on its Willimantic campus. In addition to attracting students from 160 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 31 states and eight countries. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 65 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 20 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2022 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 13 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.
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