Georgia Southern University Named to Guide to 322 Green Colleges by the Princeton Review

April 17, 2012

For the second year in a row, Georgia Southern University has been named to the Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges. The guide to the top eco-friendly institutions in the U.S. includes colleges and universities based on their proven commitment to environmental and sustainability issues, and is produced in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council.

“Georgia Southern University is proud to be recognized by the Princeton Review and the U.S. Green Building Council as a good steward of our environmental resources,” said Georgia Southern President Brooks Keel, Ph.D. “But we are doing more than conserving water and energy today. We are also teaching our students the importance of environmental awareness and that is a lesson we believe many of them will carry beyond our University as they become the next generation of leaders.”

Georgia Southern launched a new Interdisciplinary Concentration in Environmental Sustainability in January 2011, and requires all students to successfully complete a four-credit environmental course before graduation. All new construction at the University must be LEED certified, and 30 percent of the buildings on campus have undergone retrofits to make them more energy efficient.  Georgia Southern is one of the institutions that signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, and partners with the city of Statesboro to claim their re-use water for irrigation of some athletic fields. For the second year in a row, the University is participating in “No Impact Week,” which shows students how to make small changes that will have positive impacts on the environment.

“Protecting the environment is becoming increasingly important to our students,” said Georgia Southern’s Director for the Center for Sustainability Lissa Leege, Ph.D. “They are interested and actively involved in conserving our natural resources, and are eager for hands-on opportunities to learn more about sustainability. This designation will mean a great deal to our students, faculty and staff who are working very hard to preserve our environment for the future.”