Baylor University

College Sustainability Report Card 2011

Baylor University has a formal sustainability policy and includes sustainability components in the campus master plan. The university’s three sustainability committees, the University Sustainability Committee, Classroom Utilization Task Force, and Energy Committee, have worked on green purchasing guidelines and implementing an environmental control policy for temperature guidelines. The Office of Sustainability employs a full-time coordinator to oversee environmental initiatives on campus.

The university has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions 10 percent from 2006 levels by 2011. To decrease energy use, Baylor has installed lighting sensors, LED lighting, and energy-efficient lighting on campus. In 2009, the university contracted to purchase renewable energy credits for two years that represent 7 percent of the campus’s electricity needs.

Baylor spends 20 percent of its food budget on local products, including produce, dairy, meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood. Nearly all seafood purchases conform to sustainability guidelines. Only fair trade coffee and cage-free shell eggs are offered on campus. To reduce waste, all meals are trayless, and a reusable to-go container program is available. A recycling program is in place for traditional items and some electronics.

All new buildings at Baylor are built to obtain LEED certification. The campus includes three LEED-certified buildings, and five additional buildings meet LEED-EB criteria. The university meters water use in 95 percent of buildings, has installed low-flow faucets and showerheads, and uses non-automated, weather-informed irrigation. The campus features porous pavement, retention ponds, and vegetated swales to manage stormwater.

New students at Baylor learn about recycling and energy conservation during new student orientation. The university offers two sustainability internships, one paid and one unpaid, to students each year. The school has three environmentally focused student groups through the business school, science school, and for the general student body. Students volunteer at athletic events to raise environmental awareness.

Baylor's campus fleet includes 30 electric vehicles, and the school's master plan aims to create a pedestrian-friendly environment by moving vehicles to the periphery of the campus. The center road on campus is closed to vehicular traffic, and the university runs a campus-wide shuttle system that includes a route downtown.

The university makes a list of all holdings and a list of votes cast on proxy resolutions on a company-specific level, including the number of shares, available to trustees, senior administrators, and other select members of the school community.

The university aims to optimize investment returns, and the endowment is currently invested in renewable energy funds.

The investment office's executive committee, which includes three administrators, makes proxy voting recommendations to the vice president of finance and facilities.