University of Memphis

College Sustainability Report Card 2010

The Green Campus Initiative at the University of Memphis offers sustainability education and online resources to faculty, staff, and students. The university is in the final stages of finalizing a sustainability strategic plan. A committee comprised of students, administrators, faculty, staff, and community members plans sustainability projects.

The university is finalizing targets and benchmarks for reducing carbon emissions. A student-initiated sustainability fee is used to purchase renewable energy. Funded by a grant from the state, a biodiesel production plant converts used cooking oil from dining services to fuel for campus vehicles and buildings.

All dairy products are purchased through a local provider. Dining services purchases exclusively fair trade coffee and offers a discount on drinks when using a reusable cup. In the summer of 2009, the university hosted a state-wide electronic waste recycling event that collected 155 tons of waste.

As a public institution, the University of Memphis adheres to Tennessee's building policies of satisfying LEED Silver standards on all new construction. The recently completed TERRA house is LEED Platinum-certified. One dormitory meets LEED Silver standards, but is not certified.

The Environmental Action Club partnered with a local organization to plan a community garden on campus. There is a sustainability committee within the student government that is involved in allocating funds from the student green fee.

The university's fleet includes an electric truck and several electric golf carts. A ride-share program is available for students and employees looking to carpool, and transportation to various shopping locations is available for students who live on campus. The addition of multiple pedestrian malls has made the campus more pedestrian-friendly.

The university makes neither a list of endowment holdings nor the shareholder voting record of its mutual funds/commingled funds public.

The university aims to optimize investment return and does not invest in renewable energy funds or community development loan funds.

The university does not have the ability to vote proxies, as the entire endowment is invested in mutual funds.