University of Richmond

College Sustainability Report Card 2007

In 2003, The University of Richmond became a signatory to the Talloires Agreement, pledging to incorporate sustainability in all aspects of operations and teaching. The Environmental Awareness Group, run by students, faculty, and staff, reports to the campus community and the provost, and recommends steps that the University should take to promote sustainability on campus. However, a full-time position for a sustainability coordinator has not been developed.

The University has made some effort towards energy conservation on campus, but has not yet pursued renewable energy. Most recently, the University has begun a comprehensive retrofit of its Central Power Plant which will employ technology to reduce overall emissions from the plant by 25 percent. Particulate emissions in particular will be reduced by more than 90 percent. Lighting and temperature control upgrades also continue and feature the recent conversion of all classroom lighting to occupancy-sensor activation.

The University’s dining services department has made a commitment to sustainability in its practices, specifically with relation to resource use, by encouraging more dining in, purchasing environmentally friendly products, purchasing food through a primary vendor to reduce transportation, and recycling cooking oil. Waste has been reduced with the recent purchase of two large waste pulpers and annual waste studies are implemented in cooperation with the Volunteer Action Council to promote waste reduction. In addition, dining services also donates used equipment, outdated supplies, and food products to the Virginia Food Bank.

On October 4, 2004, Weinstein Hall became the first building in Richmond and the second building of higher education in Virginia to receive LEED certification. This was the University's first attempt at green building, and, while the next building constructed by the University did not seek LEED certification, it did use LEED as a guide and incorporated many sustainable design strategies. The next three buildings undertaken by the University are all registered with the U.S. Green Building Council as projects that are seeking LEED certification.

The University makes neither its proxy voting record nor a list of endowment holdings public. This information is only available to trustees and senior administrators.

The University prioritizes investing to maximize profit and is also exploring renewable energy investment funds or similar investment vehicles.

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