Campus Progress: Awards and Ratings

UC Davis' commitment to the environment and sustainability is reflected in a number of national rankings that put us in the top group of green universities. Here are some recent recognitions:

• A- on the College Sustainability Report Card 2011
• Ranked 8th in Sierra magazine's 2011 Cool Schools survey
• Designated a gold-level 'Bicycle Friendly University'
• Fleet ranked 4th 'greenest' in North America
• Among Greenopia's top 10 campuses nationally in 2010
• Most prolific in environmental sciences
• Named one of 10 best colleges for environmental studies

A- on the College Sustainability Report Card 2011

UC Davis has earned an A- on the College Sustainability Report 2011 by Greenreportcard.org. The organization, which describes itself as the "first interactive website to provide in-depth sustainability profiles for hundreds of colleges in all 50 U.S. states and in Canada," also recognized UC Davis as an "Overall College Sustainability Leader." In 2010, UC Davis also earned an A-. 

Of particular importance to this group is the focus on investment policies for university endowments and investments that can affect sustainability. Here are the facts behind UC Davis' high grades this year:

• A: Administration — UC Davis is formally committed to sustainability, which is addressed in master and strategic plans. Three committees, an office and several staff members address campus environmental initiatives. The school has a green purchasing policy and buys Energy Star products regularly. 
• A: Climate change and energy — The university has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 3 percent since 2000 and aims to achieve a 12 percent reduction to roughly 1999 levels by 2014. UC Davis has implemented energy efficiency technologies, such as metering and lighting sensors across campus.
• A: Food and recycling — UC Davis spends more than half of its food budget on local products, purchases organic items such as poultry and grains, and sources olive oil and tomatoes from campus farms. Trayless dining has been implemented, and food waste is composted at all meals.
• A: Green building — All new construction must meet at least LEED Silver standards (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). One building on campus is LEED Platinum certified, and 15 more meet LEED standards. The school has implemented water conservation technologies, such as low-flow faucets around campus, and uses a variety of stormwater management strategies.
• A: Student involvement — Students have the option to live in two sustainable living communities. UC Davis employs several student sustainability interns and “eco-reps.” Student groups, including the California Student Sustainability Coalition and Davis Net Impact, address various environmental issues on campus.
• A: Transportation — UC Davis offers ride-matching services and preferable parking to carpoolers. All campus community members receive discounts on local public transit. The Bike Barn provides rentals and repairs, and a car-sharing program is available.
• B: Endowment transparency — Per regents’ policy and open records law, the University of California makes a list of all holdings available to the general public online. A list of votes cast on proxy resolutions only by category is sent to individuals upon request.
• A: Investment priorities — The university aims to optimize investment returns, and the endowment is currently invested in community development loan funds and renewable energy funds.
• D: Shareholder engagement — The university provides its investment managers with general guidelines that determine its proxy votes.
  

Ranked 8th in Sierra magazine's Cool Schools survey

UC Davis was ranked 8th out of 118 colleges in the 2011 Cool Schools survey, operated by the magazine of the Sierra Club. The campus was ranked 16th in 2010 and 24th in 2009.

In highlighting its top 20 schools, Sierra magazine singled out UC Davis for "nurturing sustainable methods of food production" and LEED Platinum facilities such as the new Brewery, Winery, and Food Science Laboratory.

Complete rankings and survey responses are available from Sierra magazine. Here is a preview of UC Davis' scores:

Categories and scores:

• Energy supply: 5.2 (out of 10)

• Efficiency: 4

• Food: 7.5

• Academics: 9

• Purchasing: 10

• Transportation: 7.5

• Waste Management: 10

• Administration: 8.5
• Financial Investments: 2

• Other Initiatives: 9.5



• Total score: 73.2 (Out of 100, the highest score was 81.2)

Designated a gold-level 'Bicycle Friendly University'

In 2011, UC Davis became one of the first-ever designated "Bicycle Friendly Universities" by the League of American Bicyclists. 

The campus was one of only two to be honored with a gold-level designation, of the 20 campuses to receive recognition. UC Santa Barbara was also recognized on the gold level, and Stanford University was recognized with platinum.

UC Davis was highlighted specifically by the organization for its "great bicycling facilities." Campus bicycle programs and facilities include Bike Barn, goClub incentives and support for bicyclists (goBike), the TAPS Bicycle Program and others. The campus and community provide an extensive network of bike lanes, off-street bike paths and bicycle underpasses for riders.

In the 2009-2010 Campus Travel Survey, 39 percent of UC Davis commuters reported biking on an average day, while 47 percent reported biking as their primary means at least once during the week.

Colleges and universities that applied for this designation were judged in five categories: engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation and planning

In 2005, the community of Davis was the first to be recognized as a platinum-level "Bicycle Friendly Community" by the League of American Bicyclists.

Find out more about campus progress toward transportation goals and commuting options.

Fleet ranked 4th 'greenest' in North America

UC Davis has been ranked 4th in the 2010 “Government Green Fleet Awards” by the 100 Best Fleets program, which recognizes high performing fleets in North America.

In addition to being ranked 4th, UC Davis’ fleet was the only college or university fleet to be included in the top 20. In 2009, UC Davis was ranked 11th.


More than 300 vehicles in the UC Davis fleet are powered by electric, hybrid-electric, compressed natural gas, biodiesel or flexible-fuel engines. Find out more about the UC Davis fleet and sustainability.

Criteria for the Government Green Fleet Award rankings were:

• Fleet composition considers the fleet’s mix of conventional vehicles and its hybrid, electric and alternative-fuel vehicles.
• Fuel and emissions evaluates the fleet’s use of renewable and alternative sources of energy, as well as conventional and non-renewable fuels.
• Policy and planning takes into consideration a fleet’s plans for future sustainability and efforts to budget for continued green upgrades.
• Fleet utilization includes how the fleet is used, the size of vehicles, loan pools and car sharing programs.
• Education evaluates the fleet manager’s efforts to stay informed about new technologies.
• Executive and employee involvement considers how well campus leaders are are educated about the advantages of a green fleet, and how employees are kept informed of the fleet’s green direction.
• Supporting programs includes applying for grants, improving maintenance facilities, using smart purchasing strategies and participating in recycling programs.

Among Greenopia's top 10 campuses nationally

UC Davis is among the top 10 universities nationally as judged by Greenopia, an organization dedicated to providing consumers with high-quality information to help them reduce their impact on the environment through daily purchasing decisions. In 2010, UC Davis earned the organization's highest rating with four out of four leaves. UC Davis scored in the top 25 percent for each of these criteria:

• Environmental reporting
• Green building design
• Waste program
• Renewable energy
• Alternative fuel vehicles
• Water conservation

Most prolific in environmental sciences

UC Davis was ranked first nationally in “U.S. Institutions: Most Prolific in Environment/Ecology, 2005-2009.” 

The ranking, published online in 2010, is from ScienceWatch of Thomson Reuters, which looks at the number of papers published in academic journals over a five-year period.

In the field of environment/ecology from 2005 to 2009, the top five universities are:

1. UC Davis
2. UC Berkeley
3. University of Florida
4. Oregon State University
5. Colorado State University

Named one of 10 best colleges for environmental studies

In the 2011 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges, UC Davis was listed as one of the top 10 environmental studies undergraduate degree programs. This listing was noted by the Daily Green blog and Mother Nature News.

UC Davis was described as a "research-driven campus ... renowned for its innovations in the environmental, agricultural and biological sciences" as well as sustainable transportation and alternative energy.