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Report Card 2010

Indicators

The College Sustainability Report Card 2010 grades are determined through the following process:

Each school evaluated was awarded points representing its level of activity in each indicator within all

nine categories listed in this section. When appropriate, school size and geographic setting were taken

into consideration. The maximum number of points vary by indicator. For some indicators, extra credit

points were awarded to recognize highly innovative efforts.

For each category, point totals were used to determine the grade, with at least 70 percent of credit

needed to earn an A, 50 percent to earn a B, 30 percent to earn a C, and 10 percent to earn a D.

The nine main categories were weighted equally in calculating the school’s GPA on a 4.0 scale

and then converted into the overall letter grade. For a more detailed explanation of the evaluation

process, please refer to Methodology.

The following 48 indicators are based on thorough research of sustainability best practices in higher

education concerning campus operations and endowment policies. While these indicators take a

broad range of policies and programs into consideration, they do not encompass all college and

university sustainability efforts, nor do they include teaching, research, or other academic aspects

concerning sustainability.

ADMINISTRATION	Regular Credit	Extra Credit

Sustainability Policies Demonstrating a commitment to campus sustainability by the president and senior administrators through a formal sustainability policy. Adopting sustainability-related mission statements, strategic plans, master plans, and/or endorsements of local, national, or international agreements (e.g., American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, Talloires Declaration).	30%	5%
Advisory Council Integrating multiple stakeholders into an active advisory council to guide the administration on issues of campus sustainability. Facilitating student participation in institutional decision making on sustainability-related issues.	25%
Sustainability Staff Designating staff to help develop, facilitate, and oversee sustainability programs and policies. Supporting the sustainability staff, as indicated by level of funding and authority of lead sustainability official.	25%	10%
Office or Department Maintaining an office or department focused on achieving campus sustainability goals.	5%
Website Operating an Internet resource for community education on sustainability. Offering a school website to facilitate involvement in campus sustainability initiatives.	5%
Green Purchasing Mandating through a formal policy or informally prioritizing the purchase of reusable or green-certified materials, including, but not limited to, Energy Star products, environmentally preferable paper products, and eco-friendly cleaning products.	10%

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Initiating, completing, and updating campus greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventories.	10%	5%
Commitment to Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Making a formal commitment to reducing GHG emissions by a specific amount.	15%	5%
Realized Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Achieving a reduction in GHG emissions, both on a per-square-foot basis and on a per-student basis.	20%	10%
Energy Efficiency Using energy-efficient technology. Retrocommissioning HVAC systems and/or installing technology such as cogeneration plants and energy-efficient lighting to replace incandescent lightbulbs.	20%
Energy Conservation Facilitating programs that provide incentives for members of the campus community to reduce energy use.	10%	2.5%
Renewable Energy Generation Installing solar, wind, geothermal, or other alternative sources of power on or off campus. Operating solar hot water systems.	15%	10%
Renewable Energy Purchase Purchasing electric power from renewable sources or purchasing renewable energy credits. Purchasing nonelectric energy from renewable sources.	10%	7.5%
On-site Combustion Generating energy for heating and/or cooling from renewable sources.		15%

FOOD & RECYCLING

Locally Grown and Produced Food Geographic location and seasonal availability are taken into consideration. "Local" is defined as within 150 miles of campus. Prioritizing the purchase of food from local farmers and producers. Participating in farm-to-school programs and producing food on campus. Sourcing food from on-campus farms and gardens.	20%	10%
Organic and Sustainably Produced Food Incorporating organic, fair trade, or other sustainably produced foods in the menu. Offering specifically labeled vegan meals on a daily, weekly, or other regularly scheduled basis.	20%	10%
Fair Trade Products Purchasing fair trade-certified coffee and/or other food products.	5%	2.5%
Dishware and Eco-friendly Incentives Decreasing dining hall waste by encouraging the use of reusable dishware. Providing incentives for use of reusable dishware or for bringing a bag. Offering takeout containers made from recycled, biodegradable, or eco-friendly materials.	10%
Food Composting and Waste Diversion Operating a composting program for pre- and postconsumer food waste. Donating excess food to a food bank, soup kitchen, or shelter. Implementing a trayless dining program to reduce food waste and energy and water consumption. Managing additional programs to reduce or reuse waste (e.g., recycling used cooking oil for biodiesel).	15%
Recycling of Traditional Materials Administering a recycling program for dining hall recyclables, such as bottles, cans, and cardboard.	15%	2.5%
Recycling of Electronic Waste Providing recycling for items such as batteries, cell phones, computers, and printer cartridges.	5%	2.5%
Composting (Aside from Dining Facilities) Composting landscaping waste or recycling landscape waste into mulch for use on campus. Providing composting receptacles around campus in locations other than dining halls.	5%
Source Reduction	5%
Operating programs that facilitate the continued use of items in good condition (instead of disposal), instead of disposal, such as end-of-semester furniture or clothing swaps and collections.
GREEN BUILDING

Green Building Policy Committing, through a formal policy, to the use of green building criteria in all construction and renovations.	20%	10%
Green Building Standards Seeking certification by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. Requiring all new buildings to be LEED certified. Incorporating LEED and Energy Star standards into new building projects.	40%	20%
Renovation and Retrofits Renovating existing buildings in accordance with LEED-EB and Energy Star standards. Installing various energy efficiency and water conservation retrofits such as lighting motion sensors or low-flow plumbing equipment. Diverting nonhazardous construction and demolition waste from landfills.	40%	32.5%
STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

Residential Communities Offering sustainability-themed residential housing options.	10%
New Student Orientation Integrating sustainability into new-student orientation.	10%	5%
Internships/Outreach Opportunities Offering sustainability internship opportunities for students on campus. Providing student positions through supported Eco-Rep programs or similar initiatives.	30%	20%
Student Organizations Existence of active student organizations that prioritize campus sustainability efforts. Comprehensiveness of student efforts to advance sustainability on campus.	35%	7.5%
Sustainability Challenges and Competitions Overseeing sustainability challenges or competitions on campus or with other colleges at least once a year.	15%	7.5%

TRANSPORTATION

Campus Motor Fleet Maintaining motor fleets that include vehicles that run on clean-burning fuels or electricity. Minimizing greenhouse gas emissions from campus vehicles on a per-passenger-mile basis.	12.5%	12.5%
Local Transportation Alternatives Offering incentives to campus community members for carpooling or using public transportation. Providing transportation or access to public transportation systems around campus and/or to local destinations.	37.5%	5%
Bicycle Program Encouraging bike use by providing bicycle rental or sharing and offering repair services.	15%	5%
Car-Sharing Program Partnering with a car-sharing program in order to reduce the need for car ownership.	15%	10%
Planning Planning and implementing policies to promote a pedestrian- and bike-friendly campus. Creating parking policies to encourage the use of alternative modes of transportation. Achieving a high percentage of commuters who travel via means other than single-occupancy vehicles.	20%	10%

ENDOWMENT TRANSPARENCY

Investment Holdings Making lists of investment holdings available to the school community or to a wider audience.	40%
Proxy Voting Record Making proxy voting records available to the school community or to a wider audience.	30%
Accessibility Making investment holdings and proxy voting records available based on the following priorities: 1. Providing information via a publicly accessible website. 2. Providing information via a password-protected website. 3. Sending information, upon request, via email or post.	30%

INVESTMENT PRIORITIES

Renewable Energy and Sustainable Investment Using environmental sustainability criteria in selecting all or part of endowment investments. Investing in renewable energy funds or actively investigating the option.	30%
Community Investment Making investments in community development loan funds or other community development financial institutions or actively investigating the option.	30%
On-Campus Sustainability Projects Investing in on-campus energy/water efficiency projects through the endowment (as an investment, not as a payout).		30%
Donor Fund Option Offering donors the opportunity to direct their gift to an investment fund that considers environmental sustainability factors.		20%
Optimizing Investment Return Investing to optimize long-term profit—a vital aspect of maintaining endowment sustainability.	40%

SHAREHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Proxy Vote Decisions Providing ways for the school to exercise its shareholder rights. Advising trustees on proxy voting by a proxy voting advisory committee or similar committee structure.	40%
Stakeholder Involvement Incorporating multiple stakeholders into the investment advisory process. Including faculty, student, and alumni representation on an advisory committee to the trustees.	30%
School Community Input Encouraging members of the school community to provide input via open forums or a website.	10%
Sustainability Voting Record Voting in favor of sustainability-related shareholder proposals (when school proxy voting records are available for review).	20%