College of Wooster

College Sustainability Report Card 2011

The College of Wooster has recently secured funding for an environmental studies program. The college's purchasing policy mandates that all computers be Energy Star qualified and EPEAT compliant. Additionally, all office paper used on campus is made from recycled material.

Wooster is working on completing its first greenhouse gas emissions inventory. Campaigns are run to raise awareness about reducing energy use, and power-saving measures have been enabled on computers. The college is undertaking a performance contracting project to upgrade its buildings for greater energy efficiency.

One-third of the food budget is spent on local products, including vegetables and spices grown in the on-campus garden. All milk served in the dining halls is hormone and antibiotic free, and 70 percent of chicken is vegetarian fed. Fair trade coffee is available across campus. To reduce food waste, nearly all meals are trayless. Pre- and postconsumer food waste is composted at all meals, and 80 percent of dining hall waste is diverted from traditional disposal. All of the landscaping waste on campus is composted and mulched, and the campus has a single-stream recycling program in place for all facilities.

The Scot Center, currently under construction, will be LEED Silver certified or better. The college has installed energy-efficient washing machines in all campus buildings to save water. Stormwater runoff is stored in a retention pond, and 35 percent of non-hazardous construction waste is diverted from traditional disposal.

Students who live in the Green House are working with the administration to establish a revolving loan fund. They have organized speaker series, sent a group to a statewide climate action conference, and they prepare a weekly vegan meal with produce from a farmers market. They are also developing an online ride-sharing board. Residents in a new sustainable living program will work on ways to reduce their environmental impact. Two volunteer eco-reps educate their peers about sustainability, and students also work on the organic farm and in the community bike program.

The campus bike-sharing program lends bikes to students for free and also offers free bike repair services. The campus fleet features two electric vehicles and a truck that runs on recycled cooking oil from the dining halls. A free shuttle runs to a nearby shopping mall and other destinations. To encourage a bike- and pedestrian-friendly campus, the streets through the center of campus have been removed.

The college makes a list of all holdings available to trustees, senior administrators, and other select members of the school community. The college does not make its shareholder voting record public.

The college aims to optimize investment returns and does not invest the endowment in on-campus sustainability projects, renewable energy funds, or community development loan funds.

The college asks that its investment managers handle the details of proxy voting.