| Smith
Gets High Marks on Sustainability
Smith College was recently recognized
as one of North America's leading
colleges in the area of sustainability, earning one of the
few top grades on
a report card released by a non-profit research organization.
 The
graded 100 colleges by looking at
campus greening practices and endowment policies. While more
than half of the schools received an overall grade of "C,"
Smith earned a "B." Just four schools studied received
a higher grade of "A-," the highest grade awarded.
Among the factors considered
by the Massachusetts-based Sustainable Endowments Institute
were an administration's commitment to sustainability; sustainability
programs related to food and recycling, green buildings, climate
change, and energy; and a number of measures related to endowments.
Those include whether students, faculty members, and alumnae
help governing
boards decide how to vote on shareholder proxies related to
sustainability
efforts at various corporations that the endowment invests
in.
"When it comes to sustainability,"
said Mark Orlowski, executive director of
the Sustainable Endowments Institute, "the key questions
about these
institutions are: How do sustainability factors shape the
way they use their
resources? How can schools learn from each other and adapt
sustainability
policies that work?"
In the specific categories, Smith
received an "A" in administration, climate change
& energy, and shareholder engagement, a "B"
in food & recycling and green building, and lower grades
in other categories.
The work of the Institute is
guided by an 11-member Board of Advisors that
includes student leaders, the founder of Institutional Shareholder
Services,
the president of a leading financial services research organization,
heads
of college and university institutes in economics, education
and corporate
ethics as well as former college and foundation presidents,
a college
treasurer and university trustee.
To check out Smith's report card,
then click on Smith College.
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