St. Lawrence University

College Sustainability Report Card 2008

The Environmental Resolution, approved by the trustees in 2006, commits St. Lawrence University to operate following sustainability principles, and an environmental action plan is being developed. Two staff members work on campus sustainability, one of whom does so full-time. A policy to purchase only Energy Star-certified appliances was recently announced by President Sullivan, who has also signed the Presidents Climate Commitment.

As part of its commitment to climate neutrality, the university has initiated a greenhouse gas inventory. Half of the new science complex will be powered with renewable energy for the next two years and the student government has purchased enough renewable energy to run 50 percent of the student center for the next year. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs are distributed to first-year students and the SLU Green Guide offers suggestions for how to live sustainably.

Dining services makes purchases from 26 local vendors, including maple syrup, honey, milk, eggs, bison burgers, pastries, bagels, sushi, goat cheese, and seasonal produce. Fair-trade coffee and a handful of organic options are available. Dining services will participate in the university-wide recycling and composting programs to be implemented by 2008. The current recycling program diverts a quarter of the waste stream.

Green design standards were implemented during the construction of several buildings on campus, and the president recently announced that all buildings will be built to LEED Silver standards. LEED certification is currently being sought for the new Johnson Hall of Science complex. Any buildings constructed for the Coming Home Initiative, a local redevelopment program, must feature certain green design characteristics.

Green Bikes have been available for loan to the entire university community since 2004. There are three hybrid vehicles in the university fleet and facilities operations has a no-idle policy for their vehicles. While the university offers transportation to major airports during breaks, there is no known campus shuttle.

Information regarding endowment holdings is sent to all members of the school community upon request. The university does not make any proxy voting records available.

The university aims to optimize investment return and has not investigated or invested in renewable energy funds or community development loan funds.

Much of the university’s investments are in mutual funds. Where security holdings are with the university’s manager of managers, they have been given the authority to vote proxies. Where there are separately invested holdings, a member of the university’s administration votes the proxies.