University of Virginia

College Sustainability Report Card 2007

The University of Virginia has an Energy Program Manager whose explicit task is to reduce energy use on campus through management and retrofits of existing energy systems. The Energy Steering Committee, comprised of faculty, staff, and students, oversees the implementation of those measures.

The University of Virginia won the 2001 Energy Star Partner of the Year award and has made a concerted effort towards energy conservation in its buildings. Ninety percent of the campus has been retrofitted with more efficient lighting and 600 motion sensors are installed annually. All purchasing is done through the Energy Star program. The University is integrating solar panel acceptability in all new buildings, but mostly for emergency uses. The University is also looking into geothermal heating and cooling.

Recently, a class of University of Virginia undergraduate and graduate students began investigating the Charlottesville Regional Food System for possibilities of a sustainable, local supply of food for local schools, stores, and restaurants. Dining services was part of the focus of the project and research is expected to continue into 2007. Yet, the only actions currently being taken by the University are efforts to compost groundskeeping waste and run a standard recycling program.

While the University has not formally adopted the LEED building guidelines into its master plan, the Office of the Architect has made its own sustainability guidelines. These guidelines incorporate an array of sustainability initiatives in all aspects of campus planning. In addition, the University is implementing a major construction project that will be its first LEED-certified facility.

The University has made no public statements about making endowment holdings or shareholder voting records available. Therefore, there is no known ability to access this information.

The University prioritizes investing to maximize profit and has not made any public statements about investigating or investing in renewable energy funds or community development loan funds.

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