Warren Wilson College is one of Sierra magazine's "Cool Schools" for the 10th consecutive year. Photo: Morgan Davis/Warren Wilson College
Press release from Warren Wilson College:
Warren Wilson College is one of Sierra magazine’s “Cool Schools” Asheville campus ranks No. 42 out 202 institutions
Asheville, N.C. – Sept. 6, 2016 – As President Barack Obama announced the United States was officially joining the Paris Agreement to fight climate change Saturday, he said history could paint “this as the moment that we finally decided to save our planet.” While it is a momentous occasion for the country, Warren Wilson College students and employees have championed the cause for generations. For the 10th consecutive year, their effort caught the attention of Sierra magazine.
The publication annually ranks the nation’s “Cool Schools,” which is “a guide for prospective students, current students, administrators and alumni to compare colleges’ commitments to environmentalism,” according to the magazine. When Warren Wilson College made the inaugural list in 2007, a Sierra magazine staffer wrote, “This small Southeast star wears its environmental ethos on its sleeves and backs.” Clocking in at No. 42, up 12 spots from last year, Warren Wilson continues to demonstrate its dedication to the environment.
“Like many of the incredible efforts our campus community members make to improve the world around us, caring for the environment is not built on a desire for recognition,” says Warren Wilson College President Steve Solnick. “We are a ‘cool school’ because protecting the planet is ingrained in this culture. It’s in our mission statement. It’s something we consider with every decision. We live our values, and we appreciate Sierra magazine’s continuous recognition of this fact.”
Photo by Morgan Davis/Warren Wilson College
While many characteristics helped earn a top 50 place among schools like the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and George Washington University, Warren Wilson’s innovations stand out. For example, the College’s recycling center enhanced its capabilities to process compost from cafeterias, residence halls and employee homes through grants to purchase capacity-increasing equipment. With money from the Western North Carolina (WNC) Farmers Market, WNC Communities and the Tennessee Valley Authority Ag & Forestry Fund, a new system now processes up to 65 tons of waste each month. The previous method maxed out at 7.5 tons.
Other factors, such as the work of Warren Wilson students to host speakers and workshops addressing a range of environmental and social justice issues, continue to ensure the College’s place among higher education’s environmental movers and shakers. Along with Director of Institutional Effectiveness Ali Climo, recent graduate Jamie DeMarco led the reporting effort to secure the College’s 2016 recognition.
The rankings are primarily based on each college’s report to the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) managed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. According to Jason Mark, Sierra magazine editor-in-chief, rankings are also affected by institutional decisions to divest endowments from fossil fuels, and more weight is placed on “questions having to do with energy and transportation.”
Max Hunt grew up in South (New) Jersey and graduated from Warren Wilson College in 2011. History nerd; art geek; connoisseur of swimming holes, hot peppers, and plaid clothing. Follow me @J_MaxHunt
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One thought on “Warren Wilson College moves up Sierra magazine’s 2016 list of “cool schools””
Your Bestie
Just saw that our “president” made the following comment about Trump: “At the World Affairs Council meeting on Sept. 6, the president of Warren Wilson College and a former Fulbright Scholar in Russia, Steve Solnick stated that Trump is “narcissistic and dangerously cavalier”.
Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black? Steve Solnick is amazingly narcissistic and dangerous to the college. The school is going to fail under his leadership, from an enrollment and budget perspective. High quality people are leaving in droves because of him. The Board is absent and negligent. And in case you were wondering, the pond shut down because there is no money to fix it. Same with the bus service. Every time something shuts down at WWC, it’s done because there is no money to support it. You heard it here first, people.
Just saw that our “president” made the following comment about Trump: “At the World Affairs Council meeting on Sept. 6, the president of Warren Wilson College and a former Fulbright Scholar in Russia, Steve Solnick stated that Trump is “narcissistic and dangerously cavalier”.
Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black? Steve Solnick is amazingly narcissistic and dangerous to the college. The school is going to fail under his leadership, from an enrollment and budget perspective. High quality people are leaving in droves because of him. The Board is absent and negligent. And in case you were wondering, the pond shut down because there is no money to fix it. Same with the bus service. Every time something shuts down at WWC, it’s done because there is no money to support it. You heard it here first, people.