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SCU named Campus Sustainability Leader

The Sustainable Endowments Institute named Santa Clara University one of twenty-five Campus Sustainability Leaders in the 2008 Campus Sustainability Report Card. The Report Card is the only independent sustainability evaluation of campus operations and endowment investments. Published by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, it assesses the 200 public and private universities with the largest endowments, ranging from $230 million to nearly $35 billion.

The cumulative grade distribution for the 200 schools was “A,” 3 percent; “B,” 28 percent; “C,” 42 percent; “D,” 25 percent; and “F,” 2 percent. Grades were determined by reviewing publicly available information, conducting surveys of appropriate school officials, and then assessing performance across 39 indicators in eight main categories.

Other key findings of the latest Report Card include:
  • Carleton College, Northeastern University, University of Notre Dame, University of Southern California and University of Virginia demonstrated the greatest improvements – as much as one and a half grades.
  • Twenty-five schools achieved Campus Sustainability Leader status by scoring high marks in all five campus categories (at least an “A-” average).
  • Only Carleton, Dartmouth and Williams were recognized as Endowment Sustainability Leaders, with an “A-” or better across the three endowment categories.
  • Schools performed best in the Food & Recycling category, with 29 percent earning “As.”
  • More than one-third of schools have full-time sustainability staff, and more than two-thirds have a Web site dedicated to campus sustainability.
The College Sustainability Report Card 2008 is the second such report from The Sustainable Endowments Institute, and is published as part of the Institute’s broader effort to encourage discussion on sustainability in higher education. The Institute, a special project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, receives funding from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation and the Nathan Cummings Foundation, among others. The full College Sustainability Report Card 2008 is available at http://www.endowmentinstitute.org/sustainability.

 
Santa Clara University's Sustainability Report Card
The following information has been taken directly from the College Sustainability Report Card 2008. View the entire Report Card.
  • iconAdministration. Grade: A
    President Locatelli has signed the Presidents Climate Commitment. The university has a sustainability policy, a task force, and a sustainability coordinator. There is a monthly e-newsletter that highlights the campus’s achievements in sustainability. Campus Sustainability Day is celebrated yearly, showcasing campus projects and research. Additionally, a workshop titled “Green Practices in the Workplace” educates staff about sustainability. There are several active student groups and programs, including the Sustainable Living Undergraduate Research Project.
  • iconClimate Change & Energy. Grade: A
    The university has pledged to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions to 20 percent below 1990 levels by the end of 2010. In July 2007, the university amplified its commitment to renewable energy by increasing its annual wind power purchase to 8,040 megawatt-hours. The university recently dedicated a 50-kilowatt solar array.
  • iconFood & Recycling. Grade: A
    Eighty percent of the produce served in the dining halls comes from local farms. Fair-trade coffee, cage-free eggs, and hormone-free milk are served. Students can use their meal points to buy locally grown produce at the campus farmers market. The university is in the process of developing an in-house food waste composting program. There is a comprehensive, universitywide recycling program, including green waste and the majority of construction materials. 
  • iconGreen Building. Grade: B
    All new projects and major renovations follow LEED standards, including the new business school and library. The newly opened Commons at Kennedy Mall is a sustainable design demonstration building. Older buildings are being retrofitted to improve energy efficiency.
  • iconTransportation. Grade: B
    The university has replaced SUVs once used by campus gardeners with electric golf carts. Campus safety uses gas and electric vehicles. Altogether, more than 30 electric vehicles are used by various departments on campus. Carpools receive free parking. Public transportation passes are available at a 25 percent discount. The campus is designed to be pedestrian- and bike-friendly.  
  • iconEndowment Transparancy. Grade: D
    The university makes its proxy voting records and a list of endowment holdings available to trustees, senior administrators, and other select members of the school community. 
  • iconInvestment Priorities. Grade: B
    The university aims to optimize investment return and is currently exploring renewable energy investment funds or similar investment vehicles. Environmental factors are included in the socially responsible investment guidelines. 
  • iconShareholder Engagement. Grade: F
    The university asks that its investment managers handle the details of proxy voting.
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