Lees-McRae College earns recognitions for sustainability efforts on campus
As one of the Core Strategies outlined in the college’s strategic plan, INEXPRO 2030, Responsible Community is one of four tenets that Lees-McRae College relies on to guide all operations. That commitment to fostering responsible community includes taking steps to be make campus more sustainable.
Two recent recognitions, the Gold-level Bicycle Friendly University Award and the placement on the 2025 Guide to Green Colleges, exemplify the college’s commitment to sustainability, and highlight some of the ways that goal is achieved.
The Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) Award is given by the League of American Bicyclists, and every four years institutions must reapply for the award to ensure that bicycle-friendly initiatives remain consistent. After earning the gold designation for 2020–2024, the college reapplied for the next cycle and was able to exhibit the same level of commitment to the five primary areas the League of American Bicyclists evaluates when determining an institution’s award: engineering, encouragement, education, enforcement, and evaluation/planning.
According to the League of American Bicyclists website, Gold-level higher education institutions are those where, “bicycle projects, policies, and programs connect transportation and recreation throughout the community.”
The college achieves this standard through myriad initiatives, including on-campus mountain bike trails that are accessible to students and the public; car-alternative transportation methods including a bike-friendly connector trail between North and South Campus; and a trail-building academic course that is focused on maintaining and expanding the network of bike trails on campus.
“We are proud to again be recognized as a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly University. This recognition speaks to the college's dedication to providing distinctive on-campus offerings,” Outdoor Recreation Management Coordinator AJ Czarnecki-Atwell said. “We look forward to continuing our efforts to make bicycling more accessible on campus and within our community.”
Lees-McRae is one of only 209 certified BFUs across the country, and one of only 30 certified at the gold level, making it one of the premier institutions for students who are invested in bicycle culture and have an interest in expanding that culture here on campus.
In addition to the BFU Award, the college was also recognized for more general sustainability efforts with a placement on the 2025 Guide to Green Colleges, which is assembled each year by The Princeton Review. The Guide assesses sustainability initiatives and eco-friendly efforts at colleges and universities around the world, highlighting the institutions that perform well across more than 25 survey data points.
While most schools on this year’s list are in the United States, Lees-McRae has been ranked alongside colleges and universities in Canada, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Regardless of where they are in the world, higher education institutions that make the Guide to Green Colleges earn their spot by exhibiting their commitment to sustainability through exceptional programs, policies, and practices.
Learn more about sustainability at Lees-McRae
Learn more about this year’s Guide to Green Colleges
From The Princeton Review. Used with permission. ©2024 TPR Education IP Holding, LLC. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.
