Linfield College was included in the prestigious Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges, which highlights the most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S. and Canada. The guide includes the nation’s top 322 “green” schools, including public and private, and undergraduate and graduate institutions.
• Linfield College is noted for its commitment to sustainability and the environment. Students participate in sustainability research and have chosen to focus volunteer efforts on sustainability initiatives, including community gardens and restoration projects. On campus, they founded the environmental group, Greenfield, along with a bike co-op and garden.
• On Earth Day in 2008, Linfield President Thomas L. Hellie signed the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment in an effort to reduce contributions to global warming, and the school has completed a Green House Gas Inventory and Climate Action Plan.
• All major capital projects pursue LEED Silver certification, and the college was awarded LEED Gold recognition for restoration of a historic campus library, now T.J. Day Hall. Energy conservation projects have been implemented across campus, and improved operations during the past 10 years have saved an amount of natural gas equivalent to the electricity used in almost 700 homes each year. Almost 80 percent of campus buildings use natural gas for heating and hot water.
• As an outgrowth of its new Strategic Plan, the small college recently hired a sustainability assistant, who engages students in sustainability initiatives, supports faculty who seek to incorporate sustainability principles, and works with facilities personnel to ensure that campus operations are aligned with sustainability practices.
• A President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment and Sustainability oversees many campus initiatives.
According to a recent Princeton Review survey, students are particularly interested in attending green colleges, with 62 percent saying a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to enroll.
