Princeton Review rates North Central College among nation’s “greenest” colleges

North Central College’s commitment to sustainability is being recognized with inclusion in “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 353 Green Colleges: 2015 Edition.”

This marks the fifth straight year North Central College has achieved the recognition by The Princeton Review. The guide “profiles colleges with the most exceptional commitments to sustainability based on their academic offerings and career preparation for students, campus policies, initiatives and activities.” The free guide may be downloaded at princetonreview.com/green-guide.

“North Central College has a strong commitment to sustainability as evidenced by such projects as composting, electric-vehicle charging stations and LED lighting,” says Brittany Graham, the College’s sustainability coordinator. “These initiatives, along with our environmental studies minor and independent student projects, demonstrate how North Central College is a leader in sustainability.”
 
The Princeton Review chose the schools in its 2015 edition based on scores determined by data from its 2014 survey of college administrators. The survey asked about a school's sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. More than 25 data points were measured in the assessment of nearly 900 institutions. Schools with scores of 83 or higher made it into the 2015 edition of this guide. For the first time, the 2015 edition includes a ranking list naming the Top 50 Green Colleges based on a combination of institutional and student survey data gathered in 2014.

Sustainability initiatives at North Central College include a robust alternative transportation program, electric vehicles and an electric vehicle-charging station, a bicycle-sharing program, a LEED-certified Silver Residence Hall/Recreation Center, refillable bottle program, community garden, campus dining efforts that include donating used oil and grease to green diesel research, food composting program, faculty-student research in the area of sustainability, student clubs, and career center assistance with locating green jobs.
 
At North Central College’s Earth Day celebration on April 22, Debra Jacobson of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center will present North Central College with an award recognizing it as the first four-year liberal arts institution in suburban Chicago to achieve gold-level recognition through the Illinois Campus Sustainability Compact. The Compact outlines environmental goals that public and private colleges and universities may adopt and incorporate into their campus operations, academic and research programs, student activities and community outreach.

North Central College students will celebrate Earth Day from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, in Jefferson Plaza, east of Brainard Street at Jefferson Avenue. In addition to the award presentation, the celebration will include informational displays, games, prizes and refreshments for students.

At North Central College, sustainability is the collective effort of students, faculty, staff and visitors working toward the development of a socially just, environmentally responsible and economically functional campus community.

Visit northcentralcollege.edu/content/sustainability-central to learn more.