Institutes of higher education have historically been on the forefront of many social issues. Sustainability and environmental stewardship are no exception, even when it comes to architecture, interior design and facilities management.

Besides the standard protests against big oil and environment sit-ins, students at colleges and universities nationwide are encouraging their faculty and administration to adopt green practices. From replacing incandescents with CFLs to getting LEED certified, school staff is heeding their students’ calls.

But sustainable practices are also coming from the top down. For example, the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment was recently formed by the leaders of 284 higher educational institutions, with the ultimate goal of achieving carbon neutrality ASAP.

There’s also organizations to track sustainability in colleges and universities because it’s become such a hot topic. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education provides lists of degree programs related to sustainability in categories such as architecture, business, urban planning and environmental studies. They also compile the various sustainability measures taken by these institutions, right down to class syllabi, allowing environmentally-minded prospective students to evaluate schools on a whole new level.

Any way you look at it, higher education facilities are embracing sustainability issues as part of their overall mission. As facility executives help schools go green, they’re helping create the next generation of green developers, owners and executives.