Quinnipiac University

College Sustainability Report Card 2010

Quinnipiac has plans to appoint a sustainability coordinator. The newly formed Sustainability Interest Group is composed of faculty and students and works to implement sustainability initiatives on campus. The group organized the university's first Earth Week celebration in spring 2009.

The university has committed $4 million to sustainability initiatives at its new York Hill campus. The area will feature a wind garden that generates 84,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity annually, as well as solar panels that produce 250,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. The campus will also include a gas-fired microturbine whose waste steam will be used to heat buildings on site. In existing buildings, the university has retrofitted light fixtures to reduce energy consumption.

Quinnipiac's dining services aims to purchase as much local food as possible. The university purchases exclusively cage-free eggs, hormone- and antibiotic-free milk and pork, and seafood that meets Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guidelines. Quinnipiac is working to partner with a local farm to launch a composting program. Customers are also given a discount for bringing a reusable mug. The university recycles both traditional materials and electronics, a program that has been in place for more than ten years.

The new York Hill campus will incorporate several green building techniques, including the use of environmentally friendly building materials, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and a green roof. The area will also feature a biodetention pond that cleanses storm water runoff in order to minimize erosion on site.

The student group Roots and Shoots promotes environmental awareness on campus. Students are active in the newly formed Environmental Interest Group and helped to organize the first Earth Week celebration at Quinnipiac in spring 2009.

Through Quinnipiac's van program, student organizations and academic programs can arrange for free transportation to locations between Boston and New York City. The university also offers a free shuttle to nearby off-campus destinations.

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

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.