UNF featured in The Princeton Review's Guide to 311 Green Colleges

Joanna Norris, Associate Director 

Department of Public Relations 

(904) 620-2102 

The University of North Florida is one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the United States and Canada, according to The Princeton Review. The well-known education services company selected UNF for inclusion in the just-released second annual edition of its free downloadable book, “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 311 Green Colleges: 2011 Edition.” 

Created by The Princeton Review in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 311 Green Colleges” is the only free, comprehensive guidebook profiling institutions of higher education that demonstrate a notable commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.  

“College-bound students are increasingly interested in sustainability issues,” said Robert Franek, senior vice president, Publishing, The Princeton Review. “Among 8,200 college applicants who participated in our spring 2011 ‘College Hopes & Worries Survey,’ nearly 69 percent said having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school.” 

UNF joins the ranks of outstanding universities and colleges nationwide that are leading the “green” movement through its own special programs and initiatives.With a nature preserve located in the middle campus, it comes as no surprise that UNF is a green leader. A 382-acre natural area on campus was designated a preserve in May 2006 by UNF President John Delaney. The state-protected area features miles of nature trails as well as numerous lakes and ponds with an abundance of wildlife. The preserve offers students the opportunity to participate in plenty of experiential learning programs.  

The University has received recognition for its green building practices, and 100 percent of new construction on campus is either LEED-certified or pursuing certification. UNF’s sustainability research takes a multidisciplinary approach. Projects include publishing a State of the River Report for the Lower St. Johns River Basin, presenting status and trends in water quality, fisheries, aquatic life and contaminants; a storm water management and water-quality monitoring project; a hurricane damage assessment and recovery research team that evaluates techniques for sustainable construction; and 

assessment of the health of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems on campus.  

The Princeton Review chose the 311 schools based on a survey it conducted in 2010 of hundreds of colleges across the U.S. and in Canada to tally its annual “Green Rating” scores (scaled from 60 to 99) of colleges for its school profiles in its college guidebooks and website. The survey asks administrators more than 50 questions about their institution’s sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. The Company tallied Green Ratings for 703 institutions in summer 2010. The 311 schools in the guide received scores of 80^{or above in that assessment. The Princeton Review doesn’t rank the schools in this guide hierarchically (1 to 311) according to their Green Rating scores, nor does it include those scores in the book’s school profiles.}  

The Princeton Review first created this one-of-a-kind resource for college-bound students in 2010 with the U.S. Green Building Council, which is best known for developing the LEED standard for green building certification. “A green campus can transform the college experience for students through enhanced sustainability education and by creating healthy living and learning environments all while saving energy, water and money as part of an institution’s bottom line,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC.  

The Princeton Review has been a pioneer and leader in helping students achieve their higher education goals for more than 28 years through college and graduate school test preparation and private tutoring. With over 165 print and digital publications and a free website, www.PrincetonReview.com, the Company provides students and their parents with the resources to research, apply to, prepare for and learn how to pay for higher education.  

The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprised of 79 local affiliates, 16,000 member companies and organizations and more than 155,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009 to 2013.  

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