A continued commitment to sustaining the environment has Rose-Hulman being named one of America’s top “Green” colleges for the second straight year.

The Princeton Review cites Rose-Hulman in the 2024 edition of the Guide to Green Colleges after surveying college administrators and students about their institutions’ sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. More than 25 data points were analyzed in the selection of schools for the guide.

Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons points out the college has infused sustainability into its education, campus culture, and strategic plan for the next decade, and those efforts will continue.

“Our sustainability initiatives align with Rose-Hulman's overall mission to provide our students with an education that prepares them to become engineers, scientists, and leaders able to address complex global problems like climate change,” Coons said.

A new student-led recycling effort is striving to collect plastic waste products for Terre Haute’s reTHink, Inc., a non-profit group of local citizens committed to promoting environmental sustainability within the community. The Student Government Association supported the project by providing students with reusable cups as part of the campus’ 2023 Earth Week activities.

Meanwhile, 14 students spent the spring 2023 academic quarter learning sustainability challenges, concepts, and problems on campus in an Introduction to Sustainability course before spending spring break examining sustainable practices in Belgium and the Netherlands. The course taught students about the basics of ecology, climate change, life-cycle analysis, and systems thinking. It was taught by Professor of English Mark Minster, PhD, while Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Jenny Mueller, PhD, helped organize the European trip. 

There’s also a sustainability minor to compliment students’ interests in science, engineering, and mathematics. 

The New 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. Other campus academic and residence life buildings have been designed or redesigned with an emphasis on sustainability and energy efficiency.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry became Indiana’s first higher education institution to adopt a Green Chemistry Commitment that’s incorporating green chemistry theory and practice into classes, continuously improving green chemistry accessibility, and educating students that will develop a sustainable future. 

And Rose-Hulman has been consistently recognized with the Tree Campus Higher Education designation by the Arbor Day Foundation for its continued commitment to effective urban forest management and engaging students, faculty and staff members in conservation goals. Nearly 250,000 trees spread throughout the institute’s 1,300-acre campus.