As prominent institutions of higher education, the schools evaluated in the Report Card have resources to become leaders in aligning sustainable campus and endowment practices with their educational missions. Have they made progress in this regard?
For the 191 schools that appear in both the 2008 and 2009 editions of the Report Card, the trend is generally positive:
Two out of three schools (66 percent) evaluated in both years improved their overall grade between 2008 and 2009. More schools are taking action on sustainability measures, in part reflecting increasing concern about climate change and the realities of rising oil and gas prices. Overall, school grades for colleges and universities in the 2008 and 2009 samples improved from a “C” average to a “C+” average. Additionally, 17 percent of schools (33 of the schools evaluated in both 2008 and 2009) improved by at least one full letter grade (e.g., from “C-” to “B-”). See the list later in the executive summary.
More than four in five schools improved their overall grade from 2007 to 2009. Of the 96 schools reviewed in 2007, 2008, and 2009, the average grade improved from a “C” to a “C+” between 2007 and 2008, and then further improved to a “B-” in 2009. Between 2007 and 2009, 30 of the 96 schools (31 percent) improved their overall grade by one full letter grade or more.
Schools with full-time staff devoted to sustainability rose dramatically. The number of schools with full-time sustainability staff positions grew from 37 to 66 percent. For more details, see the Administration overview.
Schools are taking on climate change through aggressive carbon reduction commitments. A significant upward shift continued, with an increase (from 45 to 54 percent) in schools addressing climate change by committing to reductions in carbon emissions. Notably, more than 44 percent of the schools (up from 30 percent in 2008) have committed to achieving carbon neutrality in the long term by signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. For more details, see the Climate Change & Energy overview.
Increasing use of local food is helping to drive significant grade improvement. The number of schools reporting that they buy at least some food from local farms/producers rose from 70 to 91 percent. The “A” grades in the Food & Recycling category continued to grow, moving from 28.5 to 39 percent. For more details, see the Food & Recycling overview.
Schools receiving “A” grades in the Food & Recycling category more than doubled between 2007 and 2009. Of the 96 schools included in the 2007, 2008, and 2009 samples, the number of “A” grades in the Food & Recycling category grew from 25 percent of the schools in 2007 to 38 percent in 2008 to 51 percent in 2009.
Green building policies are becoming more widespread. The percentage of schools with green building policies increased from 59 to 65 percent. For more details, see the Green Building overview.
Alternative-fuel vehicles, as well as car-sharing and bicycle-sharing programs, are becoming more prevalent. The percentage of schools whose vehicle fleets include hybrid, electric, or biodiesel vehicles increased from 42 to 74 percent. The availability of car-sharing programs on campus more than doubled from 17 to 42 percent. Also, bicycle-sharing programs grew from 23 to 36 percent. For more details, see the Transportation overview.
Endowment transparency is making significant gains. The percentage of schools that make a list of endowment investments available at least to the campus community, if not to the public, expanded from 23 to 37 percent. Additionally, the number of schools making shareholder voting records available doubled, from 15 to 30 percent. For more details, see the Endowment Transparency overview.
Endowment investments in renewable energy funds increased dramatically. The percentage of schools with current endowment investments in renewable energy funds, or similar investment opportunities, more than doubled from 19 to 46 percent. Partly because of these investments, the “A” grades in the Investment Priorities category also more than doubled from 21.5 to 50 percent. For more details, see the Investment Priorities overview.
Schools receiving “A” grades in the Investment Priorities category more than quadrupled between 2007 and 2009. Of the 96 schools included in the 2007, 2008, and 2009 samples, the number of “A” grades in the Investment Priorities category grew from 13 percent in 2007 to 37 percent in 2008 to 65 percent in 2009.
Endowment shareholder engagement activity expanded. The percentage of schools with shareholder responsibility committees that advise trustees on sustainable endowment issues increased from 13 to 18 percent. For more details, see the Shareholder Engagement overview.
Some schools have lower grades mainly due to the assessment of one new category and additional indicators. Approximately 5 percent of schools in the 2008 and 2009 samples had a slight decline in their overall grades, but none dropped by a full letter. The reasons for this drop varied, but in many cases reflected the increasing rigor of the evaluation indicators and, in some cases, the addition of the Student Involvement category.
To find out how these trends are reflected in specific schools, refer to the Schools section, which provides a list of all 300 schools along with their overall grades. Arrows indicate whether the grade has improved or declined for schools covered in the 2008 and 2009 editions of the Report Card.