Data collection for the report took place from June through September 2007. For the five sections related to campus management (Administration, Climate Change & Energy, Food & Recycling, Green Building, and Transportation), information was gathered first from publicly available documentation. Then, three surveys were sent to each school: 1) A Campus Survey covering the Administration, Climate Change & Energy, Green Building, and Transportation categories; 2) A Dining Services Survey covering the Food & Recycling category; and 3) An Endowment Survey covering the Endowment Transparency, Investment Priorities, and Shareholder Engagement categories.
The response rate to the Campus Survey was 75 percent, whereas 65 percent completed the Dining Services Survey and 45 percent responded to the Endowment Survey. In all, 88 percent of schools participated in at least one of the three surveys.
All 39 indicators used for grading are described in the Methodology section of this report. Each school earned numerical points in proportion to its policies and practices for each indicator. A predetermined scale, based on points earned for the indicators, was then used to determine letter grades for each of the eight categories. To simplify grading, only full letter grades (i.e., no plus or minus) of A, B, C, D, and F were given in the five campus management categories and the three endowment-related categories. The eight equally weighted category grades were totaled to calculate a grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale. The GPA was then translated into an overall sustainability grade, ranging from "A" to "F," using a standard grading scale. See page 228 for further information about methods.