University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

College Sustainability Report Card 2010

The University of Michigan issues an annual report on the state of environmental affairs at the university. Several full-time employees, including an environmental stewardship coordinator, work on sustainability initiatives. The procurement department has committed to purchasing environmentally friendly products and has identified green options in supplier catalogs.

The Planet Blue program engages facilities representatives, who work with individual buildings and their inhabitants, to find ways to reduce energy use. The campus completed an Energy Star upgrade, and has installed efficient lighting and temperature controls. A 146,000-BTU per hour solar hot water system is located on the roof of a cogeneration plant.

The university's Fresh Michigan program incorporates local and organic meat, dairy, and cereals into dining menus. A preconsumer composting program is run in a portion of dining facilities. The Take It Or Leave It program reduces waste and allows students to donate unwanted items for others to use.

Buildings over $5 million are subject to LEED certification review. The Dana Building has earned LEED Gold certification and the Ross School of Business meets LEED Silver criteria. The university has installed water-saving technology including dual-flush toilets, compost toilets, waterless urinals, and low-flow faucets. Motion sensor lighting is also present in some buildings.

The student government's Environmental Issues Commission promotes environmental awareness on campus. The Student Sustainability Initiative is a collaborative forum for over 30 student groups dedicated to sustainability issues. Students contribute to the campus's annual environmental assessment report. Freshman orientation includes information on recycling, alternative transportation, and energy reduction efforts.

The university's fleet includes 5 hybrid and 98 biodiesel vehicles. Carpoolers are able to share the cost of one parking permit, and any group of three or more may request a reserved parking space. A bike cooperative collects, fixes, and donates used bicycles, and a car-sharing program is available to all community members.

The university makes a list of external managers, mutual funds, equity holdings, and fixed-income holdings available to the public and sends the information upon request. Votes cast on proxy resolutions on a company-specific level, including the number of shares, are sent upon request to the public as per open record law.

The university aims to optimize investment return and is currently invested in renewable energy funds. The university uses investment managers who consider environmental and sustainability factors.

The university provides its investment managers with guidelines that determine its proxy votes. Currently, the university abstains from voting on any political or social issues.