The Princeton Review & USGBC's 286 Green Colleges Guide

Submitted by uesiet on Mon, 04/26/2010 - 08:51
ShareThis

 

By Marya McQuirter, PhD
chocolate & arugula

The Princeton Review's Guide to 286 Green Colleges
The Princeton Review's Guide to 286 Green Colleges
Photo Credit: The Princeton Review

Last week, The Princeton Review, in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council released The Princeton Review's Guide to 286 Green Colleges, 2010-2011. It is being marketed as “the first free comprehensive college guide book focused solely on colleges & universities that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to sustainability both in the classroom as well as around campus.” It is available as a free download on The Princeton Review's website and on the USGBC's website.

How were the 286 selected?

The Princeton Review invited 2,000 schools to complete a survey in 2008-2009 for their 2nd annual Green Ratings of colleges published in July 2009. Out of 2,000 schools, 697 completed surveys. Based on the survey data & criteria, each of the 697 schools was given a rating from 60 to 99. For the current guide book, all 286 schools receiving Green Ratings in the 80s and 90s.

Are there any hbcus in the 286?

There are no hbcus in this guide book. For my blog, chocolate & arugula, I wrote extensively about the 2nd annual Green Rating. For a list of the ratings that all hbcus received, click here. For a list of the schools that received ratings higher than 60, click here. Clark Atlanta University received the only rating in the 80s and 90s—83. Yet, it is not part of the 286. Therefore, while all 286 schools received ratings in the 80s and 90s, it is clear that all schools who received high ratings were not selected.

So what are my thoughts?

  1. I am concerned that prospective students and families who read the guide book may conclude that hbcus are not engaged in sustainability in meaningful and significant ways.
  2. Despite The Princeton Review's vigorous assertions that this is not a list of the 286 greenest colleges, it is being interpreted that way. And that's a problem.
  3. I'd like to know how many other high scoring schools were not included.
  4. What an incredible & free marketing opportunity for the 286 schools. And I wonder how much each school paid for the full-page ads in the guide book.
  5. There seemed to be a concerted effort to include a wide range of schools—large, small, public, private, rural, and urban. So, it's surprising that Clark Atlanta University wasn't included.

What are your thoughts?
 

 

Marya McQuirter, PhD is a sustainability consultant, scholar and blogger based in Washington, DC. She works with universities, businesses and non-profits on researching, writing and marketing their sustainability portfolios. She also lectures widely on sustainability and writes about sustainability on her blog, chocolate & arugula.