University of Akron

College Sustainability Report Card 2009

The Blue, Gold, and Green Initiative organizes most sustainability initiatives and programs at the university. Composed of faculty, staff, and students, the group has been instrumental in recent energy conservation campaigns and helped host Earth Day 2008.

The university continually installs and upgrades to high-efficiency equipment for various systems, including HVAC, lighting, chillers, and motors. Building temperatures are kept cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer to decrease energy usage, reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 300 tons per year. The university planted 2,800 trees throughout campus, absorbing 14 tons of carbon per year.

The university runs a standard recycling program, accepting mixed paper, plastic, light metal, and printer cartridges. Increasing recycling is a stated goal of the Blue, Gold, and Green Initiative. Dining services does not serve any notable amount of local food, but is in the beginning stages of offering organic products.

Recent changes to university building standards include integration of some green building practices. Two new student housing facilities feature energy saving equipment, recycled materials, and increased green space. Some building retrofits have included efficiency upgrades, including a new "smart" HVAC system for Guzetta Hall with motion sensing technology.

In conjunction with community businesses and schools, the university offers paid internships for students to present sustainability education activities in local K–12 schools. Environmental Akron hosted a large Earth Day celebration and manages a variety of conservation campaigns, including Lights out Akron and the Energy Star Change a Light campaign.

A campus shuttle has four stops along its route through campus, with a planned expansion in fall 2008. Through a partnership with the University Park Alliance, there is a planned improvement of campus infrastructure to encourage bicycling.

The university has no known policy of disclosure of endowment holdings or shareholder voting records.

The university aims to optimize investment return and has not made any public statements about investigating or investing in renewable energy funds or community development loan funds.

The university has not made any public statements about active ownership or a proxy voting policy