New Paltz again named one of nation’s greenest colleges

SUNY New Paltz is one of the 375 most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S. and Canada, according to the 2017 Guide to Green Colleges published by Princeton Review.

The guide focuses on recognizing colleges and universities that are committed to sustainability in all areas of operation, including:

• Offering academic programs and career preparation for environmentally focused fields;
• Adopting responsible energy and campus maintenance policies;
• Serving sustainably and locally sourced foods and drinks on campus;
• Partnering with regional non-profits and farms to create opportunities for students, faculty and staff to get involved and make a difference.

New Paltz performs well in these areas thanks to broad support for sustainability throughout the campus community: from the School of Business students who organized a tree planting on campus to celebrate a new track in sustainable management, to faculty who perform research on ecological and climate trends, to the recent decision by the SUNY New Paltz Foundation to divest from fossil fuel companies.

The Guide to Green Colleges methodology relies on publically available data and responses to student surveys to evaluate schools based on students’ quality of life in areas of health and sustainability, and programs’ ability to prepare students for employment in an increasingly green economy. It also factors in environmentally responsible practices in facilities management and operations.

“Among more than 10,000 teens and parents who participated in our 2017 College Hopes & Worries Survey, 64% 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, Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief. “We strongly recommend the schools in this guide to environmentally-minded students who seek to study and live at green colleges.

New Paltz also earned a strong showing in Princeton Review’s overall college rankings for 2018, which like the green colleges list relies heavily on student feedback and satisfaction.

To learn more about Sustainability at SUNY New Paltz, please visit the Office of Campus Sustainability online.