Stetson University has been named to The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges, 2012 edition, which highlights the nation’s most eco-friendly campuses.

The list, presented by Princeton Review in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, includes colleges and universities that demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability. Schools were reviewed qualitatively and quantitatively, using data provided by school administrators, in areas found to be the most important to students. Those areas include: whether students have a campus quality of life that is both healthy and sustainable, how well a school is preparing students for employment in a green economy, and the environmental responsibility of the school’s policies. The guide also provides tips for how college students can get involved.

The Guide to 322 Green Colleges includes a profile on Stetson with “green highlights” including the mission of the university’s Environmental Responsibility Council “to function in ways that will not compromise the lives of future human generations nor diminish the health of planetary ecosystems.”

“Along with a commitment to environmental education, Stetson is dedicated to environmentally responsible purchasing, efficient use and conservation of resources, minimizing solid waste and hazardous materials, and promoting a green campus design that incorporate plants native to Florida,” the guide reads.

It highlights Stetson’s comprehensive recycling program and high performance in the annual RecycleMania Grand Championship and the four LEED-certified green buildings on the DeLand campus. Stetson’s Lynn Business Center was the first LEED-certified building in the state of Florida. The university recycles more than 200,000 pounds of paper and cardboard, 10,000 pounds of plastic products and 1,000 pounds of aluminum each year.

Also listed is information on Stetson’s transportation alternatives, academic offerings related to the environment, tuition costs and financial planning information, and data on the student body such as test scores, GPA and enrollment.

Stetson is also recognized in the guide as one of the included schools that are also signatories of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) – a comprehensive effort by colleges and universities to address global climate disruption by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from campuses and conducting research and education related to climate neutrality and sustainability. Stetson signed that commitment in 2007.

The full Guide to 322 Green Colleges can be viewed at http://www.princetonreview.com/green-guide.aspx. Stetson’s profile is on Page 131.

For more information on Stetson’s green initiatives, visit www2.stetson.edu/green.