News

Portland State University has been recognized in the Sierra Club's annual "Cool Schools" list as one of America's 100 greenest colleges. The list appears in the September/October 2010 issue of Sierra Magazine.

The Sierra Club assessed schools' commitments to sustainability across ten areas: energy supply, efficiency, food, academics, purchasing, transportation, waste management, administration, financial investments, and a catch-all section for "other initiatives."

Scores (0-10) were awarded for each category. Portland State earned a perfect 10 for its transportation initiatives—one of only four schools to do so, and scored a 9 or better for sustainability in curriculum, purchasing, and other initiatives.

Portland State's overall score of 77.7 ranked 26th, followed by UCLA, Yale, Princeton, Smith College, and Berkeley. [NOTE: Reflects corrected scores, as of August 25, 2010.]

Green Mountain College topped this year's list with an overall score of 88.6. Methodology included an 11-page survey and follow-up interviews conducted by the Sierra Club.

A complete list of schools and scores is available online:
http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201009/coolschools/allrankings.aspx

Portland State University faculty engage in leading-edge research and teaching on issues critical to the Pacific Northwest and beyond, including sustainable urban communities, climate change, ecosystem services and renewable energy. PSU’s 49-acre campus creates a vibrant and urban living laboratory for best practices in green building and conservation, right in the heart of the nation’s most sustainable city. In 2008, PSU received a ten-year, $25 million challenge grant from the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, in support of research, teaching and partnerships in sustainability.