Wellesley College

College Sustainability Report Card 2007

Wellesley College has begun tackling sustainability issues by forming a multi-constituency Sustainability Advisory Committee that is charged with making recommendations to the president in regards to incorporating concepts of sustainability into the planning and budgeting process. The Committee also works to increase community awareness about these issues with events such as Sustainability Month. These initiatives had previously been promoted only by the student-run Energy and Environmental Defense, which is still advocating that the College administration adopt a formal environmental policy.

Wellesley has pursued a wide variety of more traditional mechanisms to improve energy efficiency, including lighting and HVAC system upgrades, as well as on-site electricity generation The student group Energy and Environmental Defense has been working to change lightbulbs to compact fluorescents and students have recently become engaged in energy reduction competitions. At this time, there is no commitment to installation or procurement of renewable energy technologies or credits.

An increasing amount of local produce is offered seasonally and, through the Meet the Farmer program, farmers are brought to campus to discuss the importance of local food. All coffee offered on campus is certified fair trade and organic. The College recycles the standard fare and efforts by Wellesley Energy and Environmental Defense have led to expanded recycling services. Biodegradable plasticware and corn cups are being used in the campus center and some food scraps are composted for the science department greenhouse.

Wellesley has renovation and new construction practices in place that emphasize energy efficiency and efficient land and water use. The College is open to exploring innovative technologies for green design, however there are currently no LEED-certified facilities on campus and Wellesley has yet to adopt a formal green building policy.

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

The College prioritizes investing to maximize profit and is exploring investing in renewable energy funds.

A college committee deliberates on and makes recommendations or decisions on proxy votes. The Proxy Voting Subcommittee is composed of four trustees, two faculty members, several students and the president of the College.