University of Illinois

College Sustainability Report Card 2007

The president of the University of Illinois has made sustainability a priority for the institution and its three campuses, each of which has its own goals for sustainability. The University’s Blue Illinois campaign is a comprehensive effort in partnership with The Environmental Council to educate university employees about sustainability best-practices and to promote sustainability initiatives on campus. The president appointed an Energy Task Force to make recommendations to minimize energy consumption. Highlights include an expected LED Gold-certified facility and the recent announcement of plans to construct a wind farm on campus that will supply 2.7 percent of the University’s needs.

The University is pursuing the purchase of three utility-scale wind turbines to install on one of the first University-owned, multi-turbine, on-campus wind farms in the nation. The $5.7 million project will provide roughly 2.7 percent of the University's energy needs. In addition, the new Business Instructional Facility will have solar panels, triple-paned windows, and a green roof. Also, students at the Urbana campus pay a $2 per semester energy fee to support energy-saving initiatives.

The Urbana campus will begin a pilot project to incorporate local food into the menu of one dining facility. Also at Urbana, a pilot program to compost all organic waste is being investigated. Recycling efforts have increased in recent years and residence hall cooking oil is recycled into fuel.

The University’s facilities and services staff is implementing the president’s call for increased sustainability on the campuses. All new construction and major renovation projects greater than $1 million will use the LEED rating system as a guideline for integrated sustainable design. All projects will be considered for pursuing LEED certification. LEED-accredited professionals are on staff with facilities and services. The Springfield campus is requiring that all new building meet LEED Silver certification and the University’s Business Instructional Facility at the Urbana campus is on track to be the first major Urbana building to be LEED-certified, setting an ambitious precedent with an expected Gold certification.

The University has no known policy of disclosure of endowment holdings or its shareholder voting record.

The University has not made any public statements about active ownership or a proxy voting policy.

The University asks that its investment managers handle the details of proxy voting.