Photo by Manny Horsford '13

Denison University’s pledge to environmental sustainability has been recognized by the Sustainable Endowments Institute (SEI). This week the SEI released its College Sustainability Report Card for 2011, which examines the sustainable practices of the top 300 sustainable colleges across the United States and in eight Canadian provinces.

For the third year in a row, Denison has raised its grade. This year the grade is a B+, up from last year’s B-, and Denison’s mark places it second highest among Ohio’s 17 most sustainable campuses.

The report noted areas of most improvement in energy use and transportation. Denison has installed energy management systems in 81 percent of its buildings. And sustainable transportation options for students include the walkable campus plan, free bike rental and no-cost shuttles to Columbus.

Building on a long history of environmental awareness at the college, Denison’s recent initiatives to improve sustainability include establishing a Campus Sustainability Committee; completing the “green” renovation of Cleveland Hall, now the Bryant Arts Center, which has been awarded LEED Gold from the U.S. Green Building Council; creating a functional state-of-the-art composting system; conducting a Campus Environmental Audit; and adding a full-time campus sustainability coordinator position.

The college is currently undertaking extensive renovations of the Mitchell Recreation and Athletics Center and the Ebaugh Chemistry Laboratories, with both projects being built according to LEED standards, a national benchmark for sustainable design and construction.

Denison University will continue its dedication to environmentally aware initiatives on campus and to developing sound strategies for funding and executing them. The college’s sustainability efforts not only help to maintain the campus and the local ecosystems, but they also enrich the liberal arts education through hands-on, experiential learning.

To view the full report, visit The College Sustainbility Report Card.