Clark University Featured in Princeton Review's 'Guide to 361 Green Colleges'

From Clark University:

Clark University is among the most environmentally responsible colleges according to The Princeton Review. The university is included in the education services company’s “Guide to 361 Green Colleges: 2016 Edition.”

“We are delighted that Clark is again in the Princeton Review’s Green Colleges for the seventh consecutive year — in fact, since they began publication,” said Jenny Isler, director of sustainability at Clark. “That is a testament not only to how ‘green’ Clark is, but to the University’s long-standing commitment to address the complex issues of economic, social and environmental sustainability. It clearly shows how hard our students, faculty and administration work to keep Clark ahead of the curve, leading the way in effective sustainability initiatives, programs, curricula and research.”

The guide highlights Clark's “bold” Climate Action Plan, which sets a goal of zero emissions by 2030. Also noted are green campus features that started with student initiatives, such as the co-generation plant (which provides heat and power to 70 percent of campus); the student Recycling Crew and its 50 percent waste diversion rate; the composting program, which composts 100 percent of food and paper waste in the Higgins Café; and the campus’ Electric Vehicle charging stations, which were the first in central Massachusetts.

The Princeton Review chose the schools for the guide based on data from the company’s 2015-16 survey of hundreds of four-year colleges concerning the schools’ commitments to the environment and sustainability. Schools received "Green Rating" scores (from 60 to 99) for their sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. More than 25 data points were weighted in the assessment. Schools with Green Rating scores of 80 or higher made it into the guide; Clark received a green rating score of 90.

Since the survey data was collected, Clark has opened the Alumni and Student Engagement Center (ASEC) on campus. The building incorporates a full roof solar array that will provide up to 50 percent of the building's energy needs, a landmark for the city of Worcester and for the University. The ASEC is expected to receive LEED Gold level certification in the coming months.

The profiles in The Princeton Review’s “Guide to 361 Green Colleges” provide information about each school’s admission requirements, cost and financial aid, and student body stats. Each profile also lists “Green Facts” that include details on the availability of transportation alternatives at the schools and the percentage of the school food budgets spent on local/organic food.

The free, 160-page guide is available on the Princeton Review website.
Founded in 1887 in Worcester, Massachusetts, Clark University is a liberal arts-based research university addressing social and human imperatives on a global scale. Nationally renowned as a college that changes lives, Clark is emerging as a transformative force in higher education today. LEEP (Liberal Education and Effective Practice) is Clark’s pioneering model of education that combines a robust liberal arts curriculum with life-changing world and workplace experiences. Clark’s faculty and students work across boundaries to develop solutions to complex challenges in the natural sciences, psychology, geography, management, urban education, Holocaust and genocide studies, environmental studies, and international development and social change. The Clark educational experience embodies the University’s motto: Challenge Convention. Change Our World.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay