UMW’s sustainability efforts contributed to its inclusion in The Princeton Review’s Guide to 399 Green Colleges. (Photo by Adam Desio)
The University of Mary Washington has landed on a list of top “green colleges” in the nation for the fourth year in a row. The ranking appears in the 2018 edition of The Princeton Review’s Guide to 399 Green Colleges.
The Princeton Review profiles colleges with the most exceptional commitments to sustainability based on their academic offerings and career preparation for students, campus policies, initiatives, and activities. UMW was selected based on a 2017-2018 survey of more than 2,000 schools.
UMW also was recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation in February as a Tree Campus USA for its commitment to effective urban forest management for the third consecutive year.
University efforts include:
- The President’s Council on Sustainability
- Four LEED-certified buildings, and the promise that all new construction and major renovations will meet or exceed LEED silver standards
- Campus Dining, which was named a green restaurant as part of the Virginia Green initiative
- Water conservation efforts, such as replacing more than 1,000 toilet fixtures plus sink faucets and shower heads to use significantly less water
- An extensive recycling program
- A revised policy to limit discretionary fossil fuel investments to below 4 percent