FSU Ranked Seventh in List of Most Ecofriendly Schools

Frostburg State University has been ranked seven out of 50 colleges for the best ecofriendly schools. FSU has earned green ratings from major agencies and listed as an affordable school under the net price of $25,000.

To be one of the best ecofriendly colleges, FSU provides opportunities such as the opportunity for students to minor in Sustainability to learn about sustainability, human biology and the environment, geography and more. In addition to classes, FSU provides facilities such as a green roof on top of the Center for Communications and Technology building, and a new Sustainable Research Facility. Even for community members there are days such as Focus Frostburg that is a day dedicated towards sustainability.

At the Fall Convocation on Tuesday, September 23, President Gilbrater discussed one of his environment goals was enhancing the campus and student environment in order to reinforce student learning.  FSU has made many strides towards that goal. Learning Green Living Green’s mission at FSU is to “engage students, faculty, staff and community members to develop and coordinate. The group envisions its members reducing environment impact and creating solutions which students have reached the goal of doing.

Each year there is a day called Focus Frostburg which involves the Frostburg Grow Project. According to FSU, The Frostburg Grows Project involves conversion of unused mined land to an innovative 5-acre greenhouse and shade house complex designed to train community members for high quality jobs while producing local food and tree seedlings.

The environmental, social and economic goals of this reclamation project are to: reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce Potomac basin flooding, reduce acid mine drainage (AMD) generation, reestablish natural forested habitat on strip mined lands, create two permanent, sustainable jobs and a training facility that will help create additional job opportunities, reduce food insecurity, provide local healthy food to the residents of western Maryland and serve as a model for Appalachia.

In addition there are presentations during Focus Frostburg about various topics like reducing energy costs at home and work, green restroom, women’s experience in social and environment activism, our sisters the trees and more.

The Center for Communication and Technology building creates sustainability as well by housing a green roof planted with vegetation designed to reduce FSU’s carbon foot print.

In addition, students participate in recycling and days like beautify the burg and Arbor Day. Beautify the burg involves cleaning up the space around the community to make it a cleaner space and arbor day is about taking care of the plants and helping to make them grow.

Schools that were above FSU were University of Alaska-Fairbanks, University of Wisconsin- Steven’s Point, New Mexico Highlands University, University of Northern Iowa, and Lincoln University. Ranked first was Berea College in Kentucky that provides a college farm and produced much of the food offered on campus.

Students can help continue to help FSU being ranked by participating in sustainability events, take a class on sustainability, or just visiting the facilities on campus. FSU in the past was known for only being a party school but now it is known that students and faculty care about the place where they live.