Solar panels on one of two outdoor classrooms at Pitzer’s Robert Redford Conservancy.
Claremont, Calif. (October 17, 2018)—Pitzer College ranks #7 in The Princeton Review’s “Top 50 Green Colleges” list and was named one of the 399 most environmentally responsible colleges in The Princeton Review Guide to 399 Green Colleges: 2018 Edition.
Pitzer, a pioneer of innovative academic programming, was one of the first colleges in the nation to offer an environmental studies program in the 1970s. In 2012, the College established the Robert Redford Conservancy for Southern California Sustainability, which builds upon and expands Pitzer’s longstanding commitment to protecting the environment. In June, the Redford Conservancy earned LEED Platinum certification from US Green Building Council joining of several LEED Platinum- or Gold-certified buildings on Pitzer’s campus.
The College’s core value of Environmental Sustainability guides its academic curriculum and institutional practices. In 2014, Pitzer launched the Fossil Fuel Divestment-Climate Action Model, making it the first private college or university in California to divest its endowment from fossil fuel stock. Last year, Pitzer partnered with the investment firm BlackRock, Inc. to create a first-ever global equity index fund that is both Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)-focused and free of fossil fuel stocks. Following the completion of two phases of Pitzer Housing Master Plan in 2014, 74 percent of student living on-campus reside in LEED-certified mixed-used residential halls and the College reduced water usages by 55% since 2008. The College also hosts numerously sustainable programs including ReRoom, ReSource, Food Recovery Network, Food Wasted Composting, Green Dishware and the Green Bike Program.
Robert Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review, noted that college applicants and their parents are increasingly concerned about the environment and sustainability issues. Among nearly 11,000 teens and parents The Princeton Review surveyed earlier this year for its 2018 “College Hopes & Worries Survey,” 63 percent overall said having information about a college’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school.
The Princeton Review chose the schools for this ninth annual edition of its “green guide” based on data from the company’s 2017-18 survey of hundreds of four-year colleges concerning the schools’ commitments to the environment and sustainability. For the “Top 50 Green Colleges”, The Princeton Review developed the ranking list using data from its institutional survey for its Green Rating and its surveys of students attending the colleges. Ten data points from the institutional survey were factored into the assessment. Data from the student survey included student ratings of how sustainability issues influenced their education and life on campus; administration and student support for environmental awareness and conservation efforts; and the visibility and impact of student environmental groups.
