UNE featured in Princeton Review’s 2019 Green Colleges Guide

The University of New England is one of the nation's most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review.

The education services company known for its test preparation and tutoring services, books, and college rankings features UNE in its book, The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2019 Edition, which was published on October 22.

The Princeton Review chose 413 schools for this tenth annual edition of its "green guide." The four-year colleges were selected for demonstrating a deep commitment to the environment and sustainability.

This is the third year in a row that UNE has made the list.

According to UNE’s Vice President of University Admissions Scott Steinberg, a college or university’s track record on sustainability issues is an important factor among prospective students.

"How ‘green’ colleges are matter to prospective students and their parents,” Steinberg stated. “A majority of students will consider how ‘green’ college is when determining whether to apply to or attend a particular school. UNE demonstrates its commitment to environmental issues through our programs, facilities, and initiatives. It is very gratifying to have UNE’s work in sustainability be nationally recognized.”

Recent sustainability efforts include the installation of new solar panels on the roof of the Arthur P. Girard Marine Science Center, the placement of hives on the Biddeford Campus to offset the decline in honey bee populations and the transfer of edible plants grown inside UNE’s Aquaponics Lab to the Living Wall inside the Ripich Commons.

Alethea Cariddi, UNE’s sustainability coordinator, says the University’s commitment to environmental responsibility is now part of the fabric of daily life on campus.

"A more diverse campus population is drawn to the tenants of planetary health, and sustainability is becoming more of the way we ‘do business,’” she explained. “Sustainability is woven into our daily activities, and our students are cheering on these endeavors.”

Colleges were selected for the guide based on a combination of institutional data and student surveys. Factors considered include whether students have a quality of life on campus that is both healthy and sustainable, how well a school is preparing students for employment in an increasingly green economy, the degree to which a school’s policies are environmentally responsible, how sustainability issues influence students’ education and life on campus, the extent to which administration and students support environmental awareness and conservation efforts, and the visibility and impact of student environmental groups.

The rankings are available at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide.