University of St. Thomas

College Sustainability Report Card 2009

President Dease signed the Presidents Climate Commitment. The director of the Office for Mission recommended to the administration adding sustainability to the university’s strategic goals. The proposal is awaiting approval by the board of trustees. The university plans to launch a sustainability website in fall 2008.

The university purchases 5 percent of its electricity from wind power. Thirteen residence halls and seven academic buildings have been retrofitted with energy-efficient lighting and ventilator units. High-efficiency boilers were retrofitted into the science buildings. St. Thomas joined 15 other Minnesota colleges to participate in Campus Wars, a month-long program to reduce energy and heat consumption.

Some local food is served, including local dairy products. The university is looking to expand its offerings of organic food beyond rice and coffee. Leftover food is given to a local food shelter and a local farmer. Refillable mugs are distributed to incoming freshmen. The university diverts 27.5 percent of its waste to recycling and holds annual, end-of-the-year clothing and book drives.

An eco-planning meeting was held to determine that the new Anderson Student Union would aim for LEED Silver certification, at a minimum. The recently completed McNeely Hall is furnished completely with green furniture. The university purchases 90 percent of its furniture from a manufacturer that prioritizes sustainability in its operations and products.

Students, faculty, and staff competed for cash prizes by making short videos on sustainability issues. The undergraduate student government has been active in advancing sustainability on campus, planning convocations and activities during Earth Week, as well as adding its own standing sustainability committee.

The student club BEAST (Bicycle Enthusiasts at St. Thomas) has been collecting discarded and donated bikes, repairing them, and giving them away or storing them for a campus bike program. Subsidized metro bus passes are available for faculty, staff, and full-time students who are willing to forgo parking permits.

The university makes a list endowment holdings and shareholder voting records primarily available to the school community, but also to the public. This information is sent to individuals upon request.

The university aims to optimize investment return at prudent levels of risk, and within the standards of the university’s social responsibility policy, and is currently invested in renewable energy funds.

The university provides its investment managers with guidelines that determine its proxy votes.