Data collection for the Report Card took place from June through September 2008. For the six 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, Student Involvement, 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 91 percent, whereas 83 percent completed the Dining Services Survey and 71 percent responded to the Endowment Survey. All three response rates represent a dramatic increase relative to the response rates last year of 75 percent, 65 percent, and 45 percent, respectively. In all, 97 percent of schools participated in at least one of the three surveys while just ten schools declined participation in all three surveys. See the sidebar for the list.
All 43 indicators used for grading are described in the Indicators section. 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 nine 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 six campus management categories and the three endowment-related categories. The nine 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. Please see the Methodology section for further information.