Hamilton College

College Sustainability Report Card 2008

President Stewart has signed the Presidents Climate Commitment. Student groups and the administration have been working toward sustainability in areas such as LEED certification, green energy and local food. Graduates for a Greener Hamilton is an alumni organization dedicated to environmental responsibility within the Hamilton College community.

The college purchases enough renewable energy to power the entire renovated Skenendoa Hall, which earned the college partner status with the U.S. EPA’s Green Power Leadership Club. Other retrofitting efforts have reduced greenhouse gas emissions, such as green roofs and improved insulation, along with smart energy management that allows the college to have more control over utilities.

Dining services has joined the Farm to College program, bringing local and organic foods to the dining halls through local farmers and cooperative markets. Sustainably raised fish, certified cage-free whole eggs, and fair-trade organic coffees are also offered. Only seafood that is sustainable, as recommended by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, is served. A comprehensive recycling program reduces the campus’s waste stream.

The college’s renovation of the Skenandoa House residence hall earned LEED Silver certification and is the first historic building in New York State to be LEED-certified. The college’s ongoing utility analysis shows that the Skenandoa building uses 60 percent less energy per square foot than a comparable building renovated in 2000. Geothermal technology is used to heat and cool Skenandoa and the Science Center atrium. The Kirner-Johnson social science center that is under construction is being built to LEED specifications.

The bicycle guild maintains bikes that are available to students free of charge, and the bicycle co-op offers maintenance. The college has a housing program that allows faculty to buy houses on college land that is within walking distance of the campus. Ninety-eight percent of Hamilton students live on the central campus, which is designated a pedestrian zone and designed and built as an arboretum. Public bus service is offered on campus.

The college makes its proxy voting records and a list of endowment holdings available to trustees, senior administrators, and other select members of the school community. This information is available at the investment office or similar office on campus.

The college aims to optimize investment return and is also exploring renewable energy investment funds or similar investment vehicles.

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