As it does every year, the US World and News Report’s rankings of America’s best colleges has shaken up the academic world in 2008. But one of America’s oldest institutions, the College of William and Mary, is eschewing the rankings to become an environmental standout.

While there are plenty of institutions of higher learning seeking to give themselves some sustainability credentials, either through specific “green” undergraduate facilities, or advanced research into sustainable technologies, William and Mary is taking a much broader approach to reducing its environmental impact.

Students at the 315-year-old institution, have voted to impose a $30 “green fee” per student, the proceeds of which, totaling over $200,000, are placed into a collective fund for projects and research. The allocation of this funding is overseen by a unique combination of students, faculty and administrators.

This move can only reflect well on William and Mary. The drive to sustainability has pervaded popular culture to the point that a simple nod to the subject—a row of solar panels at in the admissions building, for example—simply isn’t going to cut it. A student-funded and student-driven initiative like this one, however, will attract more applicants while making the college a leader in a rapidly expanding field.

Image courtesy College of William and Mary