The University has boosted its environmental grade through many policies enacted friendly since 2007.
The College Sustainability Report Card of 2011 has given the University a B+. The report card is a part of The Sustainable Endowments Institute, which is a nonprofit organization involved in the research and education to advance sustainability in campus operations and endowment practices, according to a press release.
The website, GreenReportCard.com, is the first in providing over 300 colleges with in-depth sustainability reports, according to the site.
The director of communications for the Institute, Susan Paykin, said “sustainability” is meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability to meet the needs of the future generations.”
The University’s grade has risen since 2007, according to Nancy Whittaker, associate vice president for administration.
“The first year the survey was completed in 2007, the University received a D,” Whittaker said. “The continued improvement is very impressive and demonstrates The University of Alabama’s commitment to sustainability.”
Out of 322 schools, the 300 chosen have the largest endowments in the United States and Canada, Paykin said.
Surveys are sent to the appropriate student groups and officials, assessing the school’s performance across nine categories: administration, climate change & energy, food & recycling, green building, transportation, student involvement, endowment transparency, investment priorities and shareholder engagement, according to a press release.
“For each category, point totals were used to determine the grade, with at least 70 percent of credit needed to earn an A, 50 percent to earn a B, 30 percent to earn a C, and 10 percent to earn a D,” Paykin said.
According to Whittaker, the University spends more than 20 percent of it’s food budget on products grown or processed locally, as well as participating in a “trayless program,” reducing hot water use, within Bama Dining. The Office of Sustainability and the Enviromental Stewardship Committee has also been put into effect.
“The University of Alabama has achieved a two percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2007 despite a 13 percent increase in building space,” she added.
Departments all across the University’s campus were involved in improving the grade. Whittaker said Housing, Bama Dining, Construction Administration and Transportation were just a few departments that helped the University improve.
“Four residence halls are Energy Star labeled,” Whittaker said. “The University has installed building water metering, water-efficient laundry technology and leak detection and reduction systems throughout campus. Porous pavement, retention ponds and vegetated swales are utilized to manage stormwater.”
Students are invited to become a part of making their campus expand sustainability efforts. Paykin said getting involved with larger networks such as the Energy Action Coalition, organizing events to discuss various ways to improve college sustainability on their campus, and living in a “green” residence hall are just a few ways students can become involved in improving sustainability.
