The University of Vermont has been named one of the nation's "Top 25 Environmentally Responsible Schools" by the Kaplan College Guide 2009 for its wide range of environmentally significant initiatives and commitment to long-term sustainability.

The inaugural publication features two-page sections on 25 "cutting-edge green campuses" designed to provide students interested in sustainability and conservation with a look inside the classroom, around campus and at student life. Editors selected schools, which are not in ranked order, based on a number of factors including environmentally responsible campus projects; initiatives and courses offered; organizations and student groups on campus; and achievements noted in the Sustainable Endowments Institute's "College Sustainability Report Card 2008."

In addition to its wide range of 'green' course offerings, UVM was cited for its environmentally-related initiatives among students, faculty and the administration. Student-driven programs included Student Environmental Educators (SEEDS); Consortium for Ecological Living; and the Vermont Student Environmental Program (VSTEP). The following courses were cited for their 'green' content: Environmental Law; Environmental Ethics; Global Environmental Assessment; Introduction to Landscape Restoration; Environmental History of North America; and Ecological Landscape Design.

Jason Palmer, contributing editor to the Kaplan College Guide, said the purpose of the publication, which also profiles "10 hot green careers," is to "offer objective information to students who want to be better global citizens — not just today, but throughout their lives." To that end, the guide listed specific offerings and achievements for students to consider. UVM's list included the Dudley H. Davis Center, the first student union in the country to receive the LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council; a top 20 finish in RecycleMania, a 10-week competition among 100-plus colleges and universities to see which ones collect the largest amount of recyclables per capita; and the use of biodiesel busses on a campus the publication called "gorgeous."

The recognition is the latest in a growing number of environmentally-related awards for the university. Forbes.com named UVM one of "America's 10 Greenest Colleges and Universities" in May based on data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Sustainable Endowments Institute, which ranked UVM among the top six schools nationally for green practices and policies, giving it an overall grade of A- in its College Sustainability Report Card. University Business magazine named UVM one of 10 "Higher Education Sustainability Stars" for its "efforts to respect the environment and the communities that surround them in economically feasible ways." UVM was also listed among the nation's top five institutions as a leader in the field of environmental sustainability by a Cornell University survey of 28 leading institutions.

Other New England institutions listed by Kaplan, one of the nation's leading publishers of academic and professional development resources, included Middlebury, Yale, Bates, Bowdoin, College of the Atlantic, Dartmouth, Tufts and the University of New Hampshire.