University of Arizona

College Sustainability Report Card 2009

President Shelton signed the Presidents Climate Commitment, and the 2003 Campus Comprehensive Plan incorporates many sustainability guidelines. UA employs both a residence life and a campus sustainability coordinator. The UA Campus Sustainability Committee advises the university on environmental issues and is composed of faculty, staff, administration, students, and community leaders.

Both the Campus Agricultural Center and Visitor's Center have photovoltaic arrays and the university is considering more renewable energy projects. Some efficiency upgrades have been performed on buildings and plant equipment. Facilities management is switching to a four-day workweek, as will the rest of the university in summer 2009.

The university offers fair trade coffee and cage-free eggs and hosts an on-campus farmers market. UA's recycling program accepts traditional materials and some electronics, and has a 14 percent diversion rate. Landscaping waste is composted.

According to the 2003 Campus Comprehensive Plan, all future buildings are to be constructed to LEED-Silver standards and the new Student Recreation Center is expected to receive certification. Campus landscaping uses innovative water harvesting and conservation techniques, including a rain garden in the architecture building.

The university has four environmental student groups. ECOalition helped transform the Visitor's Center into a green building, and PARASOL has constructed two water harvesting devices and is currently installing a photovoltaic array. Facilities management and students have worked together over the past three summers to implement water harvesting projects across campus.

UA offers municipal bus passes to students at a 50 percent discount and operates a free shuttle from remote parking lots to campus. Parking and transportation services maintain over 11,000 bicycle parking spaces and lease secure bicycle lockers.

As per open records laws, information about the university's investment holdings is available via the school's website, and proxy voting records are sent to individuals upon request. The University of Arizona Foundation makes information on their investment holdings available online in an annual report.

The university's investment committee discusses environmental and sustainability issues with regard to investment opportunities on a quarterly basis. The foundation aims to optimize investment return and is currently invested in renewable energy funds.

The university asks that its investment managers handle the details of proxy voting. The foundation does not have the ability to vote proxies, as the entire endowment is invested in mutual funds or limited partnerships.