Bridgewater College named one of 353 Green Colleges by Princeton Review

Bridgewater College’s ongoing mission to achieve environmental sustainability has earned it a place in the 2015 Princeton Review Guide to 353 Green Colleges.

The guide profiles colleges with the most exceptional commitments to sustainability based on their academic offerings and career preparation for students, campus policies, initiatives and activities.

The Princeton Review, which operates in 41 states and 22 countries, is a standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. It is not affiliated with Princeton University or the Educational Testing Service.

The New York City-based education services company selected Bridgewater based on data from a 2014 survey of college administrators that asked about the college’s sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. Assessing more than 25 data points, The Princeton Review tallied Green Rating scores for nearly 900 institutions, and admitted only 353 to the guide.

Bridgewater’s Green Rating is 84. The highest possible score is 99.

Environmental achievements at Bridgewater that were considered by The Princeton Review include the integration of sustainability into the academic curriculum; creation of the Center for Sustainability; earning national recognition for completing the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating Systems program; installing an electric-vehicle charging station; and completing a comprehensive energy audit of campus buildings.

“This recognition by The Princeton Review is due to the collaborative nature of our community, and its commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability initiatives,” said Teshome Molalenge, director of the college’s Center for Sustainability. “Sustainability is steadily growing in importance and is being integrated into the mainstream of higher education strategy—so we are doing the right thing.”

Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to approximately 1,800 undergraduate students.