University sustainability efforts earn a B+

After instituting a myriad of climate plans, councils and environmental petitions, the university received a B+ on the 2010 College of Sustainability Report Card.

This mark, officials and student activists agreed, accurately assesses the university's sustainability strides.

The Sustainable Endowments Institute — a nonprofit organization that attempts to advance university green initiatives — rated 332 schools in the United States and Canada earlier this month. More than 50 percent received a grade of B- or higher. The overall score was calculated from the university's grade in nine sustainability categories, including student involvement, recycling and energy use. This university did not score highly enough to join the 26 schools designated as "overall college sustainability leaders" for receiving at least an A-, based on information accrued from public information and surveys sent to the schools.

The institute gave the university As in six categories, including green buildings, transportation and administration. The university received three B's, including two for the transparency of its endowment and for shareholder involvement, which have both received criticism in the past.

The transparency category grades how accessible information about university investments is, and shareholder involvement rates whether shareholders have a say in what green upgrades the school makes.

Leonard Raley, the president and CEO of the University System of Maryland Foundation, said despite past criticism, the university has no problems in either area. He added the foundation is strongly committed to making the system's campuses greener.

"The USMF endowment is proactively seeking investments in alternative energy and to date has made a number of investments in this area," Raley said. "These investments were made on their own merits, and have the added benefit of furthering the University System of Maryland's sustainability initiative to become green institutions."

The university originally received Fs in endowment transparency and shareholder involvement. The poor grades, Raley said, were due to a "miscommunication," which prompted the university to resubmit its responses to the survey. The Fs were then increased to Bs last week, raising the overall grade from a B to a B+.

Brian Lentz, MaryPIRG's Global Warming Solutions Coordinator, said he thought the original B grade was appropriate.

"It sounds about right because we have blatant contradiction in our system because we called ourselves an arboretum but we are trying to cut down nine acres of trees [near the Comcast Center]," Lentz said. "We can move a lot of our documents online and turn off the lights, too." 

Mark Stewart, the Office of Sustainability's campus sustainability coordinator, agreed the rating was a fair assessment of the university's sustainability record.

"I don't think there's a perfect process to those report cards, because there are many different criteria, but I think it's an accurate benchmark," Stewart said.

cetrone@umdbk.com