{"id":81890,"date":"2013-08-14T09:01:17","date_gmt":"2013-08-14T13:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=81890"},"modified":"2023-06-27T12:20:55","modified_gmt":"2023-06-27T16:20:55","slug":"uconn-is-sierra-clubs-no-1-coolest-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2013\/08\/uconn-is-sierra-clubs-no-1-coolest-school\/","title":{"rendered":"UConn is Sierra Club’s No. 1 ‘Coolest School’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"sierra2_Cover\"<\/a><\/div>\n

The University of Connecticut has won the top spot as Sierra<\/i> magazine\u2019s \u201cCoolest School<\/a>\u201d nationwide for its efforts to encourage sustainability, green technology, and environmental stewardship.<\/p>\n

The No. 1 ranking, announced today, is the culmination of UConn\u2019s rapid rise on the list every year since its debut in the top 50 in 2010. More than 2,000 colleges and universities in the United States are eligible for ranking by the magazine each year.<\/p>\n

The Sierra Club, the largest environmental grassroots organization in the United States, ranks schools based on sustainability data collected in several subject areas, including energy supply, efficiency, food, academics, purchasing, transportation, waste management, administration, and financial investments.<\/p>\n

\"Students<\/a>
Students grow vegetables at the University’s Spring Valley Farm, which supplies some of the locally sourced food served in the dining halls. (Bret Eckhardt\/UConn Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sierra<\/i> magazine\u2019s editors lauded UConn for a wide variety of initiatives<\/a>, including offering more than 600 classes relating to sustainability; reducing water use by 15 percent since 2005; and serving a large amount of locally sourced food in its dining facilities.<\/p>\n

The new Sierra<\/i> honor comes in the same year that UConn topped 215 universities worldwide to win the No. 1 spot on Universitas Indonesia\u2019s GreenMetric World Ranking<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cUConn\u2019s commitment to environmental sustainability is a core part of fulfilling our mission as a land and sea grant university,\u201d UConn President Susan Herbst says. \u201cWhile we\u2019re immensely honored to be included in these rankings, we know that our work is not done. We continue to seek new opportunities every day to protect the natural world through deliberate, thoughtful policies and curriculum offerings.<\/p>\n

\"Students<\/a>
The annual Spring Fling on Earth Day is a popular event with students. (Sean Flynn\/UConn Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cNo student should leave here, degree in hand, without a deep sense of responsibility for the protection of the planet,\u201d she adds. \u201cIt is part of being a good citizen.\u201d<\/p>\n

UConn, which was ranked No. 5 last year, has been singled out in recent years for advances in on-campus recycling programs, which recycle and reuse everything from food and landscaping waste to consumer goods such as used sneakers, appliances, and electronics.<\/p>\n

Some of UConn\u2019s other high-impact environmental initiatives include:<\/p>\n