Indiana State University Newsroom

For the second consecutive year, Indiana State University has been selected by the Princeton Review as one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S. and Canada.

The education services company chose the schools for its fifth annual edition of "The Princeton Review's Guide to 332 Green Colleges" based on a survey it conducted last year. College administrators at hundreds of four-year institutions were polled about their schools' course offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.

In the guide's profile on Indiana State, the Princeton Review writes: "Several exciting new campus initiatives include seeking designation as a Bicycle Friendly University, the university's first annual residence hall energy reduction competition and the implementation of many major projects at the campus community garden. Indiana State University understands that a commitment to sustainability extends beyond the campus grounds."

Appropriately, news of the recognition arrived as the campus was winding down from its observation of Earth Day last week.

"Truly, sustainability is what it means to be a Sycamore! We not only have a wind turbine on campus and an award-winning Recycle Center, but we also have research solutions for economic sustainability and advocate for social justice," said Caroline Savage, interim executive director of the Institute for Community Sustainability at Indiana State.

Annual surveys indicate significant -and continued - interest among most college applicants in attending sustainably minded campuses.

"Among 10,116 college applicants who participated in our 2014 ‘College Hopes & Worries Survey,' 61 percent said having information about a school's commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school," said Rob Franek, senior vice president and publisher of the Princeton Review.

This designation puts Indiana State at the forefront of that college discussion between students and parents, Savage said.

"We offer a wide variety of courses, community engagement opportunities, experiential learning and internship opportunities and events that make ISU nationally competitive among sustainable campuses," she said.

The 216-page guide can be downloaded for free at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide and www.centerforgreenschools.org/greenguide.

"We are pleased to recommend Indiana State to the many students seeking colleges that practice and promote environmentally-responsible choices and practices," Franek said.

The Princeton Review created its "Guide to 332 Green Colleges" in partnership with the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council.

"In collaborating with the Princeton Review on this annual guide, we have seen that sustainability on campuses continues to be an important deciding factor for today's four-year college bound students," said Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools. "We are excited to once again provide prospective students and their parents with a resource to help them navigate this often daunting decision-making process."

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Photos: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/Events/Events-by-Year/2014/Earth-Day-2014/i-DF2pFSQ/0/X2/04_16_14_earth_day-4404-X2.jpg - Caroline Savage, interim executive director of the Institute for Community Sustainability at Indiana State, speaks at the university's Earth Day celebration on Wednesday, April 16, 2014.

http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/Events/Events-by-Year/2014/Earth-Day-2014/i-Pb5GzQL/0/X2/04_16_14_earth_day-4273-X2.jpg - The White Violet Center for Eco-Justice brought a pair of alpacas to Indiana State's Earth Day celebration on Wednesday, April 16, 2014.

http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/Events/Events-by-Year/2014/Earth-Day-2014/i-gWPFzvq/0/X2/04_16_14_earth_day-4315-X2.jpg - Students play corn hole on the quadrangle during Indiana State's Earth Day celebration on Wednesday, April 16, 2014.

Contact: Caroline Savage, interim executive director of the Institute for Community Sustainability at Indiana State, 812-232-8502 or Caroline.Savage@indstate.edu

Libby Roerig, media relations assistant director, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3790 or libby.roerig@indstate.edu

The Princeton Review: Jeanne Krier, 212-539-1350, pressoffice@review.com, or Kristen O'Toole, 888-347-7737 ext. 1405, kotoole@review.com