Some area colleges get top marks for sustainability, some don't

A national report card released today gives three Minnesota colleges top marks for their sustainability efforts, but other area schools only received passing grades.

The University of Minnesota, Northfield's Carleton College, and St. Paul's Macalester College have all received an A- on the College Sustainability Report Card.

All three schools received A's in the categories of food recycling and investment priorities. Both the University of Minnesota and Macalester College got an A in climate change and energy.

But St. Paul's University of St. Thomas and Northfield's St. Olaf College only earned a C+. Both schools earned a C in the student involvement, transportation and climate change and energy categories.

At least one of those colleges disputed the survey's reliability. St. Olaf College spokesman Steve Blodgett said the school questions the methodology used in the survey, and despite refusing to participate in the evaluation, was included in the rankings anyway.

The report card, released by the Sustainable Endowment Institute, evaluates colleges' efforts toward green energy and endowment investments.

The Web site includes profiles from more than 300 schools with the biggest endowments in the United States and Canada.

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