University Business - January 2011 - (Page 22)

BEHIND the NEWS Bright Idea EASTERN MENNONITE UNIVERSITY HAS DEDIcated the largest solar photovoltaic project built so far in the state of Virginia. The installation on the roof of EMU’s library includes 328 high-efficiency photovoltaic panels made by SunPower Corporation. The project will cut EMU’s dependence on local utilities, helping reduce reliance on energy from coal and other fossil fuels. It will eliminate more than 6,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the projected 35-year life of the solar panels. In addition, EMU will adopt today’s electrical rates over the 20-year term of its agreement with Secure Futures, protecting the university from electricity rate increases. —T.G. U STATS WATCH Grading Green: College Sustainability Report Card PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT through sustainability initiatives is an ongoing effort on most college and university campuses. Although a driving reason is because it’s the right thing to do, no one will argue that it is popular with students, and can even save money in the long run. Since 2006, the College Sustainability Report Card (www.greenreportcard.org) has been recognizing these efforts and providing a collection of best practices. “We hope that institutions are able to use the [latest] Report Card to help determine where to allocate their resources and efforts to improve the sustainability of their operations and endowments,” says Rob Foley, senior research fellow with Sustainable Endowments Institute, which administers the report card. The Report Card is based on responses from 322 schools that responded to questions about campus operations, dining services, endowment investment practices, and student activities. An increased focus on green efforts in recent years resulted in over half the respondents receiving an overall grade of “B.” Of course overarching programs on campus are more successful with administrative support, so it’s no surprise that 49 percent of respondents received an “A” in the administrative category, which focuses on demonstrations of commitment through policies and committees devoted to sustainability, among other standards. “We were excited to see such growth in sustainability programs, especially looking back to our initial data from 2006,” says Foley. “The growth in administrative support for sustainability is especially promising, with a 55 percent improvement in sustainability committees since 2006 and 41 percent improvement in commitments to carbon emissions reduction.” Sustainability committees are far more prevalent, with 95 percent of schools reporting their existence in 2011 compared to 40 percent in 2006. “Many institutions have seen how effective a multistakeholder sustainability committee can be at improving the sustainability of an institution’s operations,” Foley says. Committees can oversee programs and improve the culture of sustainability on campus. “A campus-wide committee also resonates with the value of many institutions to approach complex problems with an interdisciplinary perspective.” —A.M. Institutions’ Administrative Commitment to Green D 5% F 2% C 12% A 49% B* 32% * B+ is the average grade 20 | January 2011 universitybusiness.com http://www.greenreportcard.org http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - January 2011

University Business - January 2011
Contents
Editor’s Note
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Behind the News
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Money Matters
Guide to Financial Services
Human Resources
Community Colleges
Take Ii Tablets
Pilots Taking Off
Today’s Admission Office Budget
What’s New
End Note

University Business - January 2011