Purdue University

College Sustainability Report Card 2010

Created in 2009, Purdue's Office of Sustainability employs three full-time staff members. The university purchases Energy Star appliances and paper products made from recycled materials, and aims to purchase exclusively biorenewable cleaning products by the end of 2009. Purdue also uses horticulture oil instead of insecticides when possible.

In spring 2007, a class calculated Purdue's carbon emissions; a student group is currently working to provide updated information about Purdue's carbon footprint. Three campus buildings have been retrofitted for energy efficiency, and three more are currently undergoing upgrades. The university controls its HVAC system with timers and an energy management system. Fifty percent of Purdue's electricity is supplied by a cogeneration system.

Dining services serves locally grown and processed food. Postconsumer food waste is sent to a local waste water treatment facility to be added to their anaerobic digester, and the methane byproduct is captured and used for electricity. Composting bins are located in several academic buildings.

All new building proposals are reviewed and evaluated according to LEED criteria. New construction includes low-flow plumbing fixtures, and occupancy sensors have been installed in some areas of the campus.

Last year, Boiler Green Initiative, a student group, designed and funded Purdue's first green roof and rain garden. The group also organized a new recycling program for athletic events. The Purdue Energy Club worked on retrofitting campus light fixtures with LED lights and formed an energy consulting group to work with families, businesses, and government.

The campus motor fleet includes Smart Cars and hybrid, biodiesel, and flex-fuel vehicles. The university fully subsidizes city bus transportation for all members of the campus community. The BoilerRide program aims to facilitate carpooling among community members.

With the exception of information exempt from public open record law by Indiana statute, a list of all holdings and a list of votes cast on proxy resolutions on a company-specific level, including the number of shares, are made available to the public and sent to individuals per a public record request.

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

The university provides its custodian bank with guidelines that determine its proxy votes.