University of Rochester

College Sustainability Report Card 2009

A council on sustainability, composed of students, faculty, staff, and trustees, coordinates activities, reviews sustainability progress, and provides advice on sustainability matters. Twenty-five separate initiatives have been agreed upon, prioritized, and are underway. A comprehensive vision for sustainability, drafted by the council, will become fully articulated through a series of campus-wide conversations.

Compact fluorescent bulbs are distributed to new students, and there has been a campus-wide lighting and occupancy sensor retrofit. The central utility plant is converting to more efficient cogeneration technologies. The university has a contract to purchase wind power for the electricity used in residential halls.

Dining services purchases 17 percent of its food from 20 local vendors. Organic produce, cage-free eggs, and fair trade coffee are available. Biodegradable utensils, plates, and cups are used in three locations on campus. Dining services recycles 100 percent of its recyclable kitchen waste. There is a pilot program to send compostable waste to a farm. Electronic equipment is recycled and reused.

Rochester incorporates sustainable guidelines into its design and construction standards, pursuing LEED certification, at a minimum, but aiming for LEED Silver certification. The new biomedical engineering building was designed with sustainability in mind, and two other new buildings were designed to exceed LEED Silver standards.

The university established three undergraduate student internships focused solely on sustainability for summer 2008. Interns are working on sustainability in curriculum, research, residential living, community outreach, and strategic planning. There are also several student groups and a student sustainability wiki website.

The university owns 5 hybrid and 12 electric vehicles and has a contract with a private transportation company to provide free shuttle service. Incentives to carpool include reduced parking rates and a car-sharing program for students. The student-run City Cycles lends bicycles to students for free.

The university makes its proxy voting records and a list of endowment holdings available to all members of the school community, including faculty, staff, students, and alumni. This information is available at the investment office.

The university aims to optimize investment return and is currently invested in renewable energy funds.

A committee of trustees and administrators deliberates and makes decisions on proxy votes.