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9/29/08

St. Lawrence University's 'Green Grade' Improves

CANTON - St. Lawrence University has improved its already high grade for its "green" practices, as evaluated by an independent organization's "report card" on sustainability.

Now in its third year, the College Sustainability Report Card covers the colleges and universities with the 300 largest endowments in the United States and Canada, representing more than $380 billion in endowment assets, or more than 90 percent of all university endowments. It increases the number of schools included by 50 percent relative to the 2008 edition of the Report Card and provides insights into recent trends.

St. Lawrence earned an overall grade of B, up from a B- in 2008, and placing in the top third of all schools evaluated. The cumulative grade distribution for the 300 schools was A, 5 percent; B, 33 percent; C, 44 percent; D, 17 percent; and F, 1 percent. Grades were determined by reviewing publicly available information, conducting surveys of appropriate school officials and then assessing performance across 39 indicators in nine main categories.

Among St. Lawrence initiatives contributing to its high evaluation:
- Joining other American colleges and universities in committing to "carbon neutrality" in its campus operations, with President Daniel F. Sullivan signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment.
- Approved funding for a total campus energy audit and feasibility studies regarding biomass boiler capacity.
- The purchase of energy from renewable sources for the Student Center and Johnson Hall of Science.
- Reduction of mowed acreage by 40 acres.
- The purchase of locally produced and grown food products.
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification was awarded to Johnson Hall of Science, and all new construction will be built to at least LEED Silver standards.
- A "no idling" effort for University vehicles on campus, plus the addition of hybrid vehicles to the University fleet.
- The Green Bikes bicycle-loan program, run through the University's libraries.

Each school's full-page profile can be found on the GreenReportCard.org Web site and includes A to F letter grades in nine categories: Administration, Climate Change & Energy, Food & Recycling, Green Building, Student Involvement, Transportation, Endowment Transparency, Investment Priorities and Shareholder Engagement.

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.

The College Sustainability Report Card 2009 is published as part of the Institute's broader effort to encourage discussion on sustainability in higher education. The Sustainable Endowments Institute is a Cambridge-based nonprofit organization engaged in research and education to advance sustainability in campus operations and endowment practices. Founded in 2005, the Institute is a special project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and receives funding from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation, Kendall Foundation, Surdna Foundation and the Nathan Cummings Foundation, among others.

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More: St. Lawrence's Green Press Kit

St. Lawrence University Green Pages