Framingham State Named Green College by Princeton Review

Framingham State University has once again been named to the Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges for its efforts to be environmentally responsible.

“FSU is fortunate to be situated on a beautiful New England campus, so our entire community takes environmental stewardship very seriously,” says Framingham State President F. Javier Cevallos, in a press release. “We are proud to once again receive this recognition from the Princeton Review. I’d like to thank members of our Facilities Department, our student Green Team, and University Sustainability Coordinator Carl Hakansson for their leadership in making Framingham State a model of environmental stewardship in the Commonwealth.”

FSU is one of just 23 colleges in Massachusetts included in the Princeton Review’s Guide to 353 Green Colleges, 2015 Edition.

The organization chose the colleges based on “Green Rating” scores (from 60 to 99) tallied in summer 2014 for 861 colleges using data from its 2013-14 survey of school administrators.

The survey asked them to report on their school’s sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. More than 25 data points were weighted in the assessment. Schools with Green Rating scores of 83 or higher made it into the guide.

Framingham State received a Green Rating of 91.

The University has taken a comprehensive approach to environmental sustainability, guided by a Climate Action Plan, which was written in 2010 and is updated every year.

Major efforts include a comprehensive energy project that converted heating fuel from oil to natural gas, a project that has reduced emissions by 33 percent and will save the University $15 million over the 20-year life of the system.

The University also has solar PV arrays on three campus facilities, including the campus center and athletic building, as well as a LEED Gold-certified residence hall on campus.

Other steps the University has taken to reduce energy consumption include eliminating lunch trays in the dining hall to conserve water; installing water-saving dishwaters; altering class schedules to reduce the number of days commuter students have to drive to campus; and installing a university vegetable garden.

Framingham State has received considerable support from food service provider Sodexo, which has also implemented a composting program.

“Among nearly 10,000 teens who participated in our ‘2015 College Hopes & Worries Survey,’ 61 percent told us that having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the college,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s Senior VP-Publisher, in a press release. “We strongly recommend the schools in this guide to environmentally-minded students who seek to study and live at green colleges.”

Framingham State University was founded in 1839 as the nation’s first public university for the education of teachers. Today, the public University enrolls more than 6,400 students with 53 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences and professional fields.