Stetson University has been recognized for the ninth time as a Green College by The Princeton Review, which cited the institution’s strong commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship on the DeLand campus.

The Princeton Review selected Stetson University for the 2025 Guide to Green Colleges based on surveys of administrators at nearly 600 colleges about their sustainability-related policies and programs. Students also were asked about their “green” experiences on campus.

“This national recognition honors the extraordinary efforts of our students, faculty and staff,” said Stetson President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD. “Being good stewards of the environment is one of our core values at Stetson and we know there is more work ahead to continue this progress.”

In selecting Stetson, the Princeton Review noted the university’s STARS Silver rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The university received points for having a formal committee that advances sustainability on campus and for offering sustainability-focused degrees through its Environmental Science and Studies program, among other areas.

“We are delighted to recommend Stetson University to students who want their ‘best-fit’ college to also be a ‘green’ one,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s Editor-in-Chief. “Stetson, which offers excellent academics, also demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability in its campus programs, policies and practices.”

Campus-wide Initiatives

Stetson has adopted many environmentally friendly practices, such as reducing energy and water usage. The Environmental Fellows conduct an annual greenhouse gas audit to monitor and work to reduce the university’s emissions over time. In addition, the Gillespie Museum offers environmental programs, and its grounds and the adjacent Volusia Sandhill serve as models for native landscaping.

Stetson also is setting new goals to improve campus sustainability in the coming years.

Kathryn Carpenter, former AmeriCorps Campus Climate Action Corps team leader for Stetson last year, has joined the Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience (IWER) as the new Sustainability and Resilience Coordinator and will lead an effort to attain a STARS Gold rating by 2030. 

Work this year will focus on assessing current practices on campus and determine where improvements could be made within academic, engagement, operations, and planning and administration activities. 

Supporting this effort is a team of students, staff and faculty working together on numerous initiatives across campus. Projects include: turning the thrifting events run by the Hatter Closet team into a formal student club with a permanent location on campus; creating a campus “Green Guide” on Stetson’s sustainability website as a resource to answer questions on best sustainable practices for recycling, food choices, transportation and much more; determining the potential for purchasing renewable power from Duke Energy; and creating a native plant landscape management plan to assist students and staff in maintaining important pollinator habitats.

Values Day 2024

To learn more about sustainability initiatives on campus and ways to get involved, look for workshops and tabling during Values Day on Nov. 14:

• Several interactive workshops will take place at the Rinker Environmental Learning Center at 10 a.m.

• Information will be available from campus partners in sustainability under the main tent at the Global Citizenship Fair on the Stetson Green from noon until 2 p.m. These partners include the Water Institute, Environmental Fellows, Stetson’s recycling team and Stetson’s Sustainability manager in the Facilities Management department.

–Stetson Today