Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has been recognized as one of America’s “Greenest Universities” by BestColleges.com, a website that collects and posts information about colleges and universities for prospective students.
Editors ranked FGCU No. 26 in their 2015 list after reviewing more than 240 schools nationwide rated by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Their list of 39 “greenest” colleges and universities was generated using AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) database, which recognized FGCU with a Gold Rating in 2014; STARS scores are based on sustainability efforts in academics, campus engagement, operations, planning and administration.
“Sustainability and environmental stewardship are not simply terms students learn in the classroom at FGCU,” said President Wilson G. Bradshaw. “They are core components of the university’s mission and figure prominently in research initiatives such as our Emergent Technologies Institute, as well as our campus design and operations.”
BestColleges.com stated that FGCU and other schools on the list had “gone above the baseline” in sustainability efforts. It also spotlighted FGCU’s preserved and restored lands, solar energy field, civic engagement emphasis and buildings certified for sustainable design, construction and operation.
The campus community consistently rallies around the university’s sustainability initiatives, which are key to helping prepare students to lead the “green economy,” said Katie Leone, environmental stewardship & sustainability coordinator.
“FGCU functions as a living-learning laboratory, where operational practices are integrated into the curricular experience, creating sustainability service and research opportunities,” she said. “Students graduate understanding how economic systems are supported by social and ecological resources, and they are empowered to ensure the continual health of our planet and society through their professional and personal decisions.”
For more information, contact Leone at (239) 590-1507 or [email protected].