Despite accolades for three other University of Wisconsin campuses, UW-Madison was not included in a list of the country’s top green college campuses according to a Princeton Review report released Tuesday.
Although the list included Wisconsin institutions such as UW-Oshkosh, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Stevens Point, UW was not among the top 286 chosen for the guide to display.
“The Princeton Review’s Guide to 286 Green Colleges,” created in collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council, was made to recognize higher education institutions that have displayed remarkable sustainability, high level infrastructure and solid education systems devoted to green education.
The guide contains detailed profiles of the top colleges that participated in its recent survey.
The colleges were put through a report card-like test to determine which would be given high marks.
In a separate study conducted by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, UW received a “B” for its efforts in the green movement in 2010. This study graded institutions on their levels of green administration, energy conservation, sustainability and student involvement in the movement.
UW Director for WE Conserve Faramarz Vakili was skeptical of the guide. He said UW had not been surveyed in any form for the guide The Princeton Review released.
UW spokesperson John Lucas also said he was not aware if UW had been contacted to participate in the study.
“I consider UW to have one of the most aggressive environmental movements in the nation,” Vakili said. “Last year we were given a mark of ’60’ by the same review, but it was noted that was because there was not sufficient information to make an accurate judgment. We certainly have not been questioned this year either.”
Vakili said though Wisconsin schools have been strong advocates for the green movement, UW has been the front-runner for at least four years. He said UW has lessened its energy consumption by up to 20 percent as of 2010 by using less water and energy and by building more sustainably.
Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group Director Scott Thompson said though UW has made great strides in energy efficiency, he thinks the Charter Street Coal Plant might have been a factor that kept UW off the list, even though UW has plans to convert the plant to bio-fuel.
While it remains unclear whether UW was evaluated in the actual Princeton Review survey, other schools in the UW System are proud of where they are at in the guide of top green schools.
Although UW did not find a place in the rankings, UW-Oshkosh Director of Sustainability Mike Lizotte praised the campus for its efforts.
“Besides installing the country’s first bio-digester, we’ve been working hard on also becoming the first U.S. school to use completely green electricity,” Lizotte said.
However, Lizotte said the guide is slightly dated.
He said the UW-Oshkosh campus was evaluated for the guide before the biodigestor was even on campus.
Lizotte said UW System institutions have a high potential in the green movement and praised UW for its outstanding efforts.
