Sierra magazine has ranked Chatham University as the country’s 24th greenest university in its seventh annual ranking of the nation’s “Coolest Schools.”  Chatham is one of only two Pennsylvania institutions to make the top 25.  Dickinson College in Carlisle was ranked number 2.

The rankings, published in the magazine’s September/October issue, salute the higher education institutions across the United States that are taking dramatic steps to help protect the planet and its resources.

“Chatham University is proud to be recognized as one of the country’s top 25 greenest universities by Sierra magazine for our commitment to excellence in our sustainability efforts,” says Mary Whitney, sustainability coordinator at Chatham.

Sierra examined the academic institutions making a difference for the planet, seeking out campuses that are creating tangible change in all categories of greenness – from what’s served in dining halls to what’s taught in lecture halls to what’s powering the dorms.

“For the past seven years, Sierra magazine has ranked colleges and universities on their commitment to fighting climate disruption and making sure the future their students will inhabit has safe water, clean air, and beautiful landscapes,” said Bob Sipchen, Sierra magazine’s editor-in-chief.  “By showing such strong leadership on so many fronts—from energy use and transportation to the courses they offer—the best of these schools are pointing the way for other institutions.”

Chatham’s commitment to sustainability and the environment earned it an AASHE STARS Gold Rating and recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the League of American Bicyclists, among others.

In addition, Chatham was the only North American institution to receive a Sustainable Campus Excellence Award from the International Sustainable Campus Network at their conference in Singapore earlier this year.  The award recognizes universities for exceptional sustainability efforts in campus planning, integration with academics, student leadership, and exemplary building projects.

As a charter signatory of the President’s Climate Commitment, Chatham is committed to becoming carbon-neutral by 2025. Since signing in 2007, Chatham’s square footage and enrollment have increased by 36 percent and 45 percent, respectively, yet has reduced its greenhouse gas net emissions by 68 percent. The Chatham University Climate Committee (students, staff, and faculty) supports sustainability and climate action goals through research, reduction projects, and outreach initiatives.

Chatham’s sustainability efforts to-date are leading to the opening of the new, Eden Hall Campus in the North Hills of Pittsburgh this fall. Eden Hall Campus is the first academic community in the world built from the ground up for the study of sustainable living, learning, and development.

Using the latest in environmentally responsible technology, design, and innovation, Eden Hall will be self-sustaining in every way by emitting zero carbon emissions, managing all waste and stormwater on-site, and producing more energy than it consumes. It is designed to one day serve more than 1,500 students (online and on-campus) in the fields of sustainability, health sciences, business, and more. 

By protecting valuable watersheds, incorporating surrounding land and agricultural resources, and rehabilitating existing farm structures alongside developing new, green buildings, Eden Hall will be a one-of-a-kind venue for education, conferences, community outreach, and ecotourism.

Sierra magazine’s complete “Cool School” rankings, along with this year’s coverage of higher education’s environmental efforts.

9/9/2013