For the third consecutive year, Rose-Hulman has been bestowed Tree Campus USA designation by the Arbor Day Foundation for the college’s commitment to effective urban forest management.

The Tree Campus USA program honors higher education institutions for engaging staff and students in conservation goals, along with meeting five standards: maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, observing Arbor Day, and conducting a student service-learning project.

Last fall, Rose-Hulman was among a select group of North American environmentally responsible colleges and universities featured in The Princeton Review’s 2019 Guide to Green Colleges.

Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons states, “Trees help make our campus a beautiful place to enjoy, whether working, studying or taking part in extracurricular events. We place a high value on sustainability, through campus programs and best building practices. Through our curriculum and service learning programs, we also strive to teach our students to use their engineering and science skills to leave the world a better place.”

 Thirteen new trees were planted at Rose-Hulman in 2019, increasing the count to 1,090 trees within the 1,300-acre campus, excluding wooded areas, according to Justin Perry, senior manager of grounds services in the Office of Facilities Operations.  

Also, several Rose-Hulman student groups volunteer annually to help the local Trees Inc. organization plant several trees throughout Terre Haute.

"Tree Campuses and their students set examples for not only their student bodies but the surrounding communities showcasing how trees create a healthier environment,” stated Arbor Day Foundation President Dan Lambe in a foundation news release. “Because of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's participation, air will be purer, water cleaner, and your students and faculty will be surrounded by the shade and beauty the trees provide.”

Rose-Hulman is among 385 campuses across the United States and 10 in Indiana to receive the Tree Campus USA recognition in 2019.