Great Lakes college recognized for sustainability

Students at Wisconsin’s Northland College know green living.

A residential hall with recycled furniture, composting toilets and solar panels allows students to live and learn about sustainability at the same time. That’s one reason why Sierra Magazine recently ranked the school seventh in its list of greenest colleges.

The magazine, a publication of the Sierra Club, asked 900 schools about their global warming and sustainability initiatives. Only 162 schools responded to the “Coolest Schools” annual survey; nearly a third are located in Great Lakes states.

Northland ranked the highest of all schools in the watershed.

The school’s McLean Environmental Living and Learning Center was a pioneer pilot project for the LEED certification program, a rating system that encourages environmentally sustainable building and development. Now the college is committed to obtaining the official green recognition for all campus buildings.

“The students who come to Northland College are really looking for something a little bit different than they are going to find at a more traditional college or university,” said David Wahlberg, vice president of marketing at Northland. “We have across our campus very visual signs of our commitment to operating in a sustainable manner – whether it’s wind turbines, solar collectors or ground water systems.”

The “Coolest Schools” survey focused on 10 environmental topics, including efficiency, food, transportation and waste management. This year, the magazine emphasized energy use, which allowed many schools to earn higher rankings. Northland jumped nearly 50 spots from its last year ranking.

The magazine also evaluated how schools incorporate sustainability into the curriculum and administration.

Northland College became an environmental liberal arts school in 1971, Wahlberg said. The college offers a core curriculum of multi-disciplinary environmental courses.

“We think the tradition of a liberal arts education is a perfect lens to look at environmental challenges facing humanity,” he said. “Our students come out having, no matter what their major, a core curriculum that includes a look at the environment or the Great Lakes watershed.”

The school’s location is perfect for this, Wahlberg said.

“We’re on the shores of the greatest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior. We are surrounded by nearly a million acres of national forest. We can see the Apostle Islands on the horizon every morning. This is an outstanding location for students to come and look at the intersection of humanity and the environment,” he said.

Northland, along with Drexel University in New York, also ranked high in sustainable food procurement. A high ranking indicates the school purchases organic, sustainable or local food and offers vegetarian options, according to the survey.

Northland works closely with food service partners to ensure food is locally grown, Wahlberg said. Students also raise food in community gardens.

DePaul University, a private Chicago institution, scored high in sustainable transportation. The university promotes the use of Chicago’s commuter trains and buses.

DePaul also ranked high in energy-efficiency and sustainable purchasing policies.

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and the University of Dayton in Ohio both scored high in administrative initiatives and investments. That means the universities lower greenhouse gas emissions and practice environmental sustainability daily, according to the survey.

Financial investments must also be environmentally responsible for a high ranking.

Universities could earn 10 points for each category for a total of 100 points. Vermont’s Green Mountain College scored the highest with 88.6 points. Dickinson College in eastern Pennsylvania took the second place spot.

Sierra Magazine isn’t alone in judging the environmental sustainability of universities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ranks schools that purchase green power on a quarterly schedule. Rankings reflect energy conservation efforts.

Pennsylvania State University has held onto a third place spot on the list since January for its use of biomass, small hydroelectric and wind power.

The Princeton Review, a test preparation and admissions company, also rates colleges based on environmental practices and academics. Northland College earned a perfect score this year along with 18 other colleges.

“It’s interesting that within the last two weeks we’ve gotten four of these recognitions and that tells us we are on the right track,” Wahlberg said. “It’s not time to rest on our laurels by any means. There’s still much to do.”