Framingham State University is among the most environmentally responsible colleges in the country, according to The Princeton Review’s latest guide to green colleges.

This marks the 7th time FSU has been included in the guide, which this year recognizes 375 colleges throughout the United States.

“The FSU community takes a lot of pride in our efforts to be a more sustainable and environmentally-responsible university,” says FSU President F. Javier Cevallos. “We appreciate our continued national recognition from The Princeton Review. I’m especially grateful to members of our Facilities Department, our student Green Team, and University Sustainability Coordinator Carl Hakansson for their leadership in making Framingham State a model of environmental stewardship in the Commonwealth.”

Framingham State has completed three major construction projects in recent years that have earned LEED (Leadership in Environmental Engineering and Design) Gold or Silver certification, including North and West residence halls and the Hemenway Laboratories science addition.

"We strongly recommend Framingham State University and the other fine colleges in this guide to the many environmentally-minded students who seek to study and live at green colleges," said The Princeton Review's Robert Franek, Senior VP-Publisher.

Franek noted the growing interest the company has seen among college-bound students in green colleges. "Among more than 10,000 teens and parents who participated in our 2017 College Hopes & Worries Survey, 64% told us that having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the college."

The University has taken a comprehensive approach to environmental sustainability, guided by a Climate Action Plan, which was written in 2010 and is updated every year. Major efforts include a comprehensive energy project that converted heating fuel from oil to natural gas, a project that has reduced emissions by 33 percent and will save the University $15 million over the 20-year life of the system. The University also has solar PV arrays on three campus facilities, including the campus center and athletic building.

Other steps the University has taken to reduce energy consumption include eliminating lunch trays in the dining hall to conserve water; installing water-saving dishwashers; altering class schedules to reduce the number of days commuter students have to drive to campus; and installing a university vegetable garden. FSU has received considerable support from food service provider Sodexo, which has also implemented a composting program.