Correction appended
Despite regarding the University of Oregon as an “environmental leader” among colleges, the Sustainable Endowments Institute has given it no more than a “B” on its College Sustainability Report Card.
The culprit? According to the Institute’s data, the lack of transparency concerning the University’s investments.
The Sustainability Endowment gave the University an “A” in six categories: “Administration,” “Climate Change and Energy,” “Food & Recycling,” “Student
Involvement,” “Transportation,” and “Investment Priorities.” It gave the school a “B” on “Green Building.”
But the endowment also gave the University a “D” for “Endowment Transparency” and an “F” for “Shareholder Engagement.”
To compile its survey data, the Endowment sent questionnaires to University Director of Sustainability Steve Mital, Director of Food Services Tom Driscoll, Chief Investment Officer Jay Namyet and student environmental advocate Daniel Rottenberg.
It was Namyet’s information, which related to the University’s endowment, that pushed down the University’s score, leading the Institute to conclude, “The University of Oregon Foundation does not make its endowment holdings public.”
Sustainable Endowments Institute spokesperson Chryslyn Pais said despite its ranking, she still viewed the University as an “environmental leader.”
However, she said endowment transparency is an important aspect of campus
sustainability because it allows environmental stakeholders a say in the process of allocating funds. A statement on the Institute’s Web site read: “Access to endowment information is needed within a college community to foster constructive dialogue about opportunities for clean energy investment, as well as shareholder voting priorities.”
University spokesperson Julie Brown said the score was little cause for concern.
“My understanding is that … getting low marks is something that’s rather common among many universities,” she said.
Nearly 50 percent of schools received a “D” or “F” for that part of the ranking.
University’s Sustainability Report Card

• Administration: A
• Climate Change & Energy: A
•  Food & Recycling: A
• Green Building: B
• Student Involvement: A
• Transportation: A
• Endowment Transparency: D
• Investment Priorities: A
• Shareholder Engagement: F

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Due to a reporter’s error, the original version of this article misnamed the organization that published the ranking. That organization is called the Sustainable Endowment Institution.