Indiana University–Bloomington

College Sustainability Report Card 2010

The university created the Office of Sustainability and hired a director of sustainability in early 2009. The Campus Sustainability Advisory Board is working to develop priority initiatives and identify indicators of success. The university's 2001 Old Growth Forest policy addresses wood and paper purchasing.

The university has completed an emissions inventory, and the campus sustainability and master plans recommend emissions reduction timelines. The university has recently upgraded two HVAC systems and implemented direct digital controls in several buildings. The central heating plant is undergoing renovations for increased efficiency, and the university purchases some renewable energy.

The university serves local meats, produce, baked goods, and dairy products. Fair trade coffee is offered, and some produce is purchased in accordance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guidelines. Several dining facilities are trayless, and cooking oil is regularly recycled. The university holds an annual end-of-year move-out collection for food and reusable items.

All new buildings must be designed to achieve LEED Silver certification when possible and practical. Engineering services has evaluated recent LEED projects to create more detailed guidelines for future projects. LEED Silver certification is expected for three new buildings. Most of the campus features low-flow fixtures, and the university has performed some lighting retrofits.

Students have the option of living on the Green Thematic Community floor in one of the residence halls. The university offers sustainability internships to students during the academic year and the summer, and volunteer Eco-Reps work in each of the 11 residence centers. The student association's sustainability department is creating a proposal for an optional student green energy fee. The IU Volunteers in Sustainability group works with landscaping staff to plant native species on campus.

The university offers carpoolers a reserved parking space and subsidizes public transportation completely for faculty and staff. The campus bus service is free to the community, and the university plans to implement a car-sharing program. The sustainability department of the student government is working to create a bike rental program.

A list of all holdings and a list of votes cast on proxy solutions on a company-specific level is made available to trustees, senior administrators, and other select members of the school community. The Indiana University Foundation makes a list of external managers available to the public online.

The foundation aims to optimize investment return and is currently invested in renewable energy funds.

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