Northland College is one of the 361 environmentally responsible colleges according to The Princeton Review. The education services company known for its test prep and tutoring services, books, and college rankings features Northland College in the 2016 edition of The Princeton Review Guide to 361 Green Colleges.
“Northland College isn’t just meeting sustainability standards, it’s setting them,” reported The Princeton Review.
They noted the following:
• Northland recently became a member of the Founding Circle for the Billion Dollar Green Challenge, which encourages the college and university community to invest a total of $1 billion in self-managed revolving funds that finance energy efficiency improvements
• In 1971, the college built a commitment to green into the curriculum when it added an environmental focus to its liberal arts mission.
• Students can take classes in subjects ranging from sustainable business to sustainable agriculture.
• The faculty emphasizes experiential learning opportunities through student-organized conferences on organic farming and initiatives to promote locally grown food in the dining halls.
• Northland has taken aggressive steps to reduce energy consumption on campus. The college has a wind tower, geothermal heat in the campus center and library, and furniture made from recycled materials. Solar panels are visible around campus, including a student-installed panel at the presidents’ house.
• The college’s student-run bike shop is housed in a straw bale building, powered by a solar photovoltaic array, and heated mostly by the sun.
• Revamped bike-sharing services, along with free student bus passes, have helped mitigate the high vehicle emissions most rural universities emit.
• Northland’s dining services is a model of green eating. It offers sustainably harvested seafood, organic and fair-trade options, free range meat, and plenty of non-meat options for hungry vegetarians and vegans. Dining services also purchases produce from Northland’s on-campus garden and greenhouse. Work-study students compost food scraps for use in the campus garden.