UND again among greenest schools in USA

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-1-2011

Abstract

UND again among greenest schools in USA

UND has been notified that it once again will be listed as one of the country’s greenest schools, according to the Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges-2012 Edition.

The 2012 Guide will profile 319 institutions in the United States and three in Canada that demonstrates a strong commitment to the sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.

UND first made greenest schools list this earlier year.

Among the most advanced sustainability enhancements are building projects such as the complete overhaul and addition to the University’s College of Education and Human Development.

A new project going up right now is the UND Alumni Center – the Gorecki Alumni Center.

“It’ll be LEED Platinum certified, the highest rating you can get,” said Larry Zitzow, director of facilities management and chair of the UND Council on Environment Stewardship and Sustainability, “To get Platinum is really a major accomplishment , and it’ll be the first and so far only Platinum-rated building in North Dakota.”

Princeton Review partnered with the United States Green Building Council, a national nonprofit organization best-known for developing the LEED green building certification program, to produce the Guide.

Criteria for Princeton Review’s “Green Rating,” a measurement of how environmentally friendly an institution is, cover three areas:

  • Whether the school’s students have a campus quality life that is healthy and sustainable.
  • How well the school is preparing its students for employment and citizenship in a world defined by environmental challenges.
  • The school’s overall commitment to environmental issues.

At UND, other sustainability enhancements include systems for turning off lights automatically, shutting down air handlers when a building is unoccupied and major changes in lighting systems to reduce electricity consumption.

“We’re becoming a very aggressive institution with respect to sustainability,” Zitzow said. “We’re making lots of changes and enhancing the campus.”

David L. Dodds

Media Relations/Writer and Editor, University Relations

777-5529

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