Oregon State University

College Sustainability Report Card 2008

According to its strategic plan, Oregon State University will prioritize academic resources and investments based on an understanding of sustainability. President Ray has signed the Presidents Climate Commitment and the provost has established the Provost’s Sustainability Council, comprised of students, faculty, and staff, which makes recommendations for future sustainability initiatives. OSU employs a full-time sustainability coordinator and maintains a campus sustainability website.

OSU has completed a draft greenhouse gas inventory, over a year ahead of schedule, for the Presidents Climate Commitment. A highly efficient cogeneration plant is being designed that will reduce campus carbon emissions by 38 percent. OSU will purchase 100 percent renewable electricity starting this fall, reducing current greenhouse gas emissions by about 60 percent.

Dining services estimates that roughly a quarter of its budget is spent on food from numerous local producers each year. The university is a member of the Oregon Food Alliance, through which it buys locally grown, organic produce whenever possible. Dining services also purchases beef from local ranchers who practice sustainable farming. Food waste from kitchen waste is composted in an Earth Tub and rice oil is recycled into biodiesel for use in catering vans. The university’s recycling program includes shoes and computers.

All future capital construction at OSU will be LEED Silver equivalent or higher. The university is home to the Kelley Engineering Center, one of the “greenest” academic engineering buildings in the country, which has achieved LEED Gold certification. The university has an active program to upgrade lighting systems in all buildings.

OSU has been designated as one the EPA’s Best Workplaces for Commuters for its efforts in offering alternative transportation options. The university’s vehicle fleet has 12 hybrid and 6 electric vehicles. A free campus shuttle moves the campus community around the immediate campus area. Corvallis, Oregon, has been awarded the Gold designation for bicycle friendliness by the League of American Bicyclists, one of only four communities nationwide to receive such designation.

Information on endowment holdings is made available to trustees and senior administrators only. Proxy voting records are not made available.

Oregon State aims to optimize investment return and is not currently invested in or exploring investment options in renewable energy funds or similar investment vehicles. The university is considering a policy to review socially responsible investments.

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