CONWAY, Ark. (Oct. 12, 2009) – Hendrix College’s sustainability efforts received high grades in several categories in a report released today by the Sustainable Endowments Institute. More than 300 colleges and universities throughout the U.S. were surveyed and graded, with the results released as the “2010 College Sustainability Report Card.”
Specifically, Hendrix received an “A” grade for its commitment to sustainable transportation, an increase from a “C” grade last year. The higher grade came after the college replaced two gas-powered campus vehicles with electric cars, enhanced its student-initiated bicycle sharing program, and opened The Village at Hendrix, a New Urbanist development that involves walkable neighborhoods. Hendrix also received an “A” grade for its investment priorities, which includes investing in community development loan funds.
In addition to those categories, Hendrix was ranked above-average for:
- Green Building, due to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver-certified status of the college’s new Student Life and Technology Center.
- Student Involvement, due to the activity of the college’s student-based Environmental Concerns Committee and the college’s Eco-House.
- Administration, due to President J. Timothy Cloyd’s formation of the college’s Sustainability Committee, which involves a group of faculty, staff, students and administrators to develop and implement new Green efforts on campus.
- Food and Recycling, due to the purchase of locally produced and processed foods, vegan entrees offered at each meal in the cafeteria, and innovative programs that allow students to receive discounts on fountain drinks if they utilize reusable cups.
Grading the schools entailed researching publicly available information, conducting surveys of appropriate school officials, and assessing performance with 120 questions across 48 indicators in the following nine categories: Administration, Climate Change & Energy, Food & Recycling, Green Building, Transportation, Student Involvement, Endowment Transparency, Shareholder Engagement and Investment Priorities. Overall, Hendrix received a “C+” from the group, which is a significant increase from the “D” score it received last year. The University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, the only other Arkansas college surveyed, also received a C+. No college in America earned a perfect “A” overall, the highest grade being an “A-minus.”
“Our campus has always been vibrant and progressive, and it has been exciting to see the Green-friendly improvements that continue to take place at Hendrix,” said Dr. Joyce Hardin, a Biology professor at Hendrix and the co-chair of the college’s Sustainability Committee. “Through the Sustainability Committee, we are continuing to identify, discuss and implement new ideas.”
The Sustainable Endowments Institute is a Cambridge-based nonprofit organization engaged in research and education to advance sustainability in campus operations and endowment practices. Founded in 2005, the Institute is a special project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and receives funding from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, United Nations Foundation, V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation, Kendall Foundation, Surdna Foundation, and the Nathan Cummings Foundation, among others.
Overall, the institute found that despite budget-breaking investment losses and widely fluctuating energy costs, many schools became greener during the last year, earning higher grades on the College Sustainability Report Card 2010. Released today on the new GreenReportCard.org Web site, the annual publication provides school profiles and grades along with insights about sustainability in higher education.
“Surprising the skeptics, most schools we surveyed did not let financial reversals undermine their green commitments,” said Mark Orlowski, executive director of the Sustainable Endowments Institute. “New financial realities encouraged saving money by adopting environmentally friendly innovations. Colleges are now taking pride in greener campuses and sustainability-savvy investments—increasingly important concerns for parents and students in choosing a school.”
Hendrix, founded in 1876, is a selective, residential, undergraduate liberal arts college emphasizing experiential learning in a demanding yet supportive environment. The college is among 165 colleges featured in the 2010 edition of the Princeton Review America’s Best Value Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.