Washington and Lee University

College Sustainability Report Card 2010

The university's sustainability committee works to advance environmental stewardship on campus. One full-time staff position is dedicated to the university's sustainability efforts. Washington & Lee purchases exclusively Energy Star appliances as well as some environmentally preferable paper products.

Washington & Lee recently completed energy efficiency projects, including heating plant upgrades and lighting retrofits. A temperature regulation policy has also been adopted, and signage on campus encourages the community to conserve energy. The university has also completed a greenhouse gas emissions inventory.

The university spends more than 12 percent of its annual food budget on products from 50 local farms and vendors. Some herbs and vegetables are sourced from an on-campus garden. Dining services also purchases cage-free eggs and hormone- and antibiotic-free meat and dairy. A trayless dining program has been implemented on campus.

Washington & Lee is committed to seeking LEED certification for all major construction and renovation projects. The renovation of a historic building will be the university's first project to receive LEED certification. Motion sensors for lighting, as well as low-flow faucets, showerheads, and toilets, have been installed on campus.

Three student interns are employed to work on sustainability initiatives. The Student Environmental Action League actively promotes sustainability on campus. The university participates in RecycleMania.

The new Blue Bike program makes five bicycles available for student use at no charge. The university uses biodiesel to fuel all diesel-powered mobile equipment.

The university makes a list of external managers available to trustees, senior administrators, and other select members of the school community. The university makes neither a list of endowment holdings nor its shareholder voting record public.

The university aims to optimize investment return and is currently invested in renewable energy funds. The school is exploring investment in community development loan funds and on-campus sustainability projects.

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