Union has again been named one of the country’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review’s “Guide to Green Colleges.”
Union is among 416 schools profiled in the 11th edition of the guide. The College has been included in each edition.
Schools were chosen based on data collected from nearly 700 four-year colleges on their sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. Only schools with a Green Rating of 80 or higher were included in the guide. The company's editors analyzed more than 25 survey data points in the process of choosing schools for the guide.
Union achieved a Green Rating of 94. The College has garnered accolades for its Presidential Green Grants program, the U-Sustain committee and other initiatives.
The profiles in the guide include information about each school’s admission requirements, cost and financial aid, and student body statistics. They also include “Green Facts” about the schools with details on the availability of transportation alternatives and the percentage of the food budgets spent on local/organic.
“We strongly recommend Union to students who want to study and live at a green college," said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's editor-in-chief. "Each and every one of the outstanding colleges in this edition of our guide offers both excellent academics and exemplary evidence of environmental commitment.”
Franek noted that college applicants and their parents are increasingly concerned about the environment and sustainability issues. Among the nearly 13,000 teens and parents the Review surveyed earlier this year for its College Hopes & Worries Survey, 66 percent said that having information about a college's commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school.
In 2007, Union was among the first to sign the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), pledging to reduce the College's carbon footprint and provide research and education about climate change. Union has developed a long-term plan to be carbon neutral by 2060.
The free guide is available by visiting the website.