The Princeton Review cites Rose-Hulman in the 2025 edition of the Guide to Green Colleges after surveying college administrators and students about their institutions’ programs, policies and practices related to sustainability and the environment.
More than 25 data points were analyzed in the selection of schools for the guide. Infusing sustainability into the institute’s education and culture is a key theme of the “Advancing by Design” strategic plan, said Robert Coons, Rose-Hulman president.
"Sustainability has been a cornerstone of Rose-Hulman's footprint, and it's an even more crucial element of our vision for the future,” Coons said.
The new Innovation Grove complex exemplifies this forward-thinking approach, serving as a hub where cutting-edge sustainable technologies will be practiced, while also providing valuable educational opportunities for students, Coons said.
The strategic plan has programs to implement projects and programs that reduce campus consumption of non-renewable resources, reuse and reclaim resources and waste, produce renewable energy on campus, and enhance learning and training opportunities and experiences in sustainability for students, faculty, and staff.
The Institute’s new Innovation Grove District includes plans for a 5-megawatt solar farm that will provide the campus with a renewable energy source. It will significantly reduce the district’s carbon footprint while promoting clean energy practices on campus.
An Innovation Trails project within the district, connecting to the broader Wabash Valley trail system, will encourage healthy and active lifestyles within the Rose-Hulman and local communities.
The renamed Fowler Academic Building became Indiana’s first building to earn full WELL certification from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) for design and technology that enhances the health, wellness, and human experience.
Rose-Hulman offers a sustainability minor, while an Introduction to Sustainability course has students learning about the basics of ecology, climate change, and systems thinking. There are also opportunities for students to take spring break trips to examine sustainable practices in other areas of the world.
Several student capstone design projects have enhanced community gardens and other services provided by Terre Haute’s reTHink, Inc., a non-profit group of local citizens committed to promoting environmental sustainability within the community. Several faculty members are reTHink volunteers.
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