University of Arizona

College Sustainability Report Card 2010

The 2003 campus comprehensive plan incorporates many sustainability guidelines. UA employs both a residence life and a campus sustainability coordinator. The UA Campus Sustainability Committee coordinates research, curriculum, operations, planning, and building design across campus and is composed of faculty, staff, administration, students, and community leaders. Custodial services uses green cleaning products.

Both the Campus Agricultural Center and the Visitor Center have photovoltaic arrays, and the university is considering more renewable energy projects. Some efficiency upgrades have been performed on buildings and plant equipment. The university is switching to a four-day work week in 2009, which will help it to reduce energy use.

The University of Arizona offers fair trade coffee, and students receive a discount on beverages when they bring a reusable mug. Aluminum, cardboard, paper, and some plastic can be recycled, along with office hazardous waste.

The university aims to have all new construction projects certified at the LEED Silver level. Construction began in 2008 on the Campus Recreation Center, which will cover more than 55,000 square feet and will be the university's first LEED Silver building. Environmentally sustainable features of the project will include the use of recycled materials, natural light, and a drainage area that will recover excess water to irrigate nearby plant life.

The university has four environmental student groups. ECOalition helped transform the Visitor Center into a green building, and PARASOL has constructed two water harvesting devices and installed a photovoltaic array. Facilities management and students have worked together during the summers to implement water harvesting projects across campus.

Approximately one-third of the university's vehicles run on E85, and traditional vehicles continue to be replaced by additional flex-fuel vehicles. Carpool vehicles park at premier parking locations, and employees may participate in a state subsidized vanpool program. Students, faculty, and staff receive up to a 50 percent discount on passes for the public bus system, and the CatTran shuttle provides free transportation around campus and to park-and-ride lots.

As per open record law, information about the university's investment holdings is available via the school's website, and proxy voting records are made available upon request.

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

The university asks that its investment managers handle the details of proxy voting. The foundation does not have the ability to vote proxies, as the entire endowment is invested in mutual funds or limited partnerships.