2008 Woodie Awards
RSSCampus gets D+ in sustainability report
By Matt Brichta
Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: News
Lehigh received a D plus in the College Sustainability Report Card 2008, issued on Oct. 24.
The report, developed by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, based in Cambridge, Mass., measures on-campus and endowment-related sustainability activities of North American colleges and universities.
The D plus is a drop from last year's C minus.
Mark Orlowski, executive director of the Sustainable Endowments Institute, said the drop is not necessarily the result of a change in school policy. He said the institute changed its grading criteria and began to use a more rigorous rating procedure this year.
The report consists of eight categories, each with its own grade. Lehigh received its highest grade, a B, in food and recycling, but got Fs in transportation, endowment transparency and shareholder engagement.
Other categories include: administration, climate change and energy, green building and investment priorities.
Orlowski said the report is based on independent research and three surveys sent to the school. He said the institute sends a general campus survey to the president and a dining services and endowment survey to their respective departments.
Orlowski said 88 percent of schools contacted answered at least one of the three surveys, but Lehigh did not respond to any this year. He said this year's grade was based upon last year's survey and independent research.
"The Endowment Institute puts a huge emphasis on money," said Alice Kodama, president of Green Action. "Even though it doesn't necessarily give weight to the most important factors of green progress on campus, it still accurately represents where Lehigh is in terms of sustainability on campus. We are very behind, and this report reflects that."
Dork Sahagian, director of the Environmental Initiative and professor of earth and environmental sciences, said he does not believe the report is accurate because the institute failed to contact anyone in the Environmental Initiative.
The report, developed by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, based in Cambridge, Mass., measures on-campus and endowment-related sustainability activities of North American colleges and universities.
The D plus is a drop from last year's C minus.
Mark Orlowski, executive director of the Sustainable Endowments Institute, said the drop is not necessarily the result of a change in school policy. He said the institute changed its grading criteria and began to use a more rigorous rating procedure this year.
The report consists of eight categories, each with its own grade. Lehigh received its highest grade, a B, in food and recycling, but got Fs in transportation, endowment transparency and shareholder engagement.
Other categories include: administration, climate change and energy, green building and investment priorities.
Orlowski said the report is based on independent research and three surveys sent to the school. He said the institute sends a general campus survey to the president and a dining services and endowment survey to their respective departments.
Orlowski said 88 percent of schools contacted answered at least one of the three surveys, but Lehigh did not respond to any this year. He said this year's grade was based upon last year's survey and independent research.
"The Endowment Institute puts a huge emphasis on money," said Alice Kodama, president of Green Action. "Even though it doesn't necessarily give weight to the most important factors of green progress on campus, it still accurately represents where Lehigh is in terms of sustainability on campus. We are very behind, and this report reflects that."
Dork Sahagian, director of the Environmental Initiative and professor of earth and environmental sciences, said he does not believe the report is accurate because the institute failed to contact anyone in the Environmental Initiative.
