SRU earns Sierra Club’s “Cool School” designation
A greenhouse on the property of Slippery Rock University's Macoskey Center. The center is the University’s home for hands-on sustainability education and is situated on 83 acres. It provides education about sustainability through events, workshops and programs.
Aug. 22, 2017
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Green isn't just a school color, it's also a way of life at Slippery Rock University. The Sierra Club recently acknowledged the University's efforts and again named SRU to the club's "Cool Schools" list.
The Sierra Club, considered the oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organizations in the nation, ranks schools each year based on their dedication to greening at every level of their operation, measuring 11 categories on a 1,000-point scale.
In its second consecutive year on the list, SRU is ranked 133th out of 227 institutions and is one of only two schools from Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education to be recognized.
"As a public institution, we are committed to making the world a better place and helping future generations meet profound environmental challenges," said Philip Way, SRU interim president. "Recognition from the Sierra Club puts SRU in good company and is a huge honor. Our efforts to be a green institution is a welcomed responsibility shared by all our students, faculty and staff."
SRU was among 75 schools to collect the highest point total for the co-curricular category, while also ranking in the top 25 for energy, top 75 for water and capturing 90 percent of the available points in the planning category.
The results are based on schools' responses from surveys that Sierra researchers developed to emphasize the organization's environmental priorities. The rankings' aim is to act as a guide for prospective students who seek a way to compare colleges based on the schools' commitment to environmentalism and sustainability. It also serves to spur competition, raise eco-standards on campus and publicly reward the institutions that work hard to protect the planet.
SRU is widely recognized for its commitment to the environment and being at the forefront of meeting sustainability goals. The University has a Climate Action Plan to achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2037. SRU has been recognized in The Princeton Review's Guide to Green Colleges; as a top 100 school in the University of Indonesia's International Green Metric Survey; as the first four-year college in Pennsylvania to be named a Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education; and with a Silver Rating by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
MEDIA CONTACT: Justin Zackal | 724.738.4854 | justin.zackal@sru.edu