Iowa State University

College Sustainability Report Card 2008

Iowa State University is in the process of adopting a formal sustainability policy. A steering committee of faculty, staff, and students meets monthly to discuss sustainability-related activities on campus and develop plans for educational and outreach programs. The Council on Sustainability, which began meeting in 2003, is in the process of working with the university administration to establish the President’s Office of Sustainability, which will consist of a director and at least one full-time support staff.

The new dairy farm buildings include insulation, energy-efficient windows, better use of daylighting, heat-recovery systems, and sensors on lights. An energy task force has completed recommendations for university administration on energy conservation measures in existing buildings. Facilities planning and management has imposed strict temperature settings for most campus buildings.

Dining services purchases a high percentage of organic and local items. The Farm to ISU program, funded by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, includes a five-year plan, which aims to have 35 percent of food purchases be sustainable, local, and organic, in addition to raising community awareness and establishing connections with Iowa farmers. ISU composts landscape waste at an on-campus compost site, in operation since 1993.

The recently renovated Morrill Hall is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification. The College of Design Foundations Pavilion, not yet under construction, will be a model of sustainability on the ISU campus and is designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification. Two additional buildings in the early stages of design are intended to achieve a LEED Silver rating and various other projects have incorporated elements of green building, including geothermal heating and cooling, and rapidly renewable materials.

The university has provided substantial operating funds to the city of Ames Transit System (CyRide) for approximately 20 years for the purpose of providing free bus service for ISU students. Paved bike paths are present throughout the campus.

Open records law requires that a list of endowment holdings be available to the public. This information is sent to individuals upon request.

The university aims to optimize investment return 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.