Iowa State earned a B this year for its college sustainability report card, a slight improvement from last year’s B-minus.

“The way that we determine our grades is using about 120 questions spread over 52 indicators, so the indicators are different things that we’re specifically looking for when we determine the grades,” said Sarah Levy, communications fellow for the Sustainable Endowments Institute, the organization that assigned the grade. “We try to focus on what universities are doing as opposed to what they’re not doing. It’s less about what they’re not doing than what they are doing.”

The university has taken good initiative toward a green campus for the most part, including categories such as food, recycling and student involvement.

“It’s always exciting when your grade improves; what’s equally as more exciting for me is just that from a national evaluation from third-party organizations — that the diligent efforts, enthusiasm and creativity that everyone in ISU has been putting towards sustainability initiatives,” said Merry Rankin, program manager for the ISU Office of Sustainability.

Despite Iowa State heading in the right direction, one category in particular is holding the university back with an F.

Shareholder engagement consists of a committee compiled of different community members in Iowa State that make financial decisions.

“Endowment investment decisions are an expression of the university’s financial values and priorities, so schools that owns stocks and corporations have shareholder rights and responsibilities, including the right to engage in constructive dialogue with the corporate executive and to vote on shareholder resolutions,” Levy said.

“Shareholders can request an energy audit of all the companies holding,” she said. “The way universities can take an active role is to request action be taken by the company to be more sustainable or to take a more socially responsible role.”

Rankin stressed this is something that all state institutions as a whole score low in.

“What we’re looking for is ISU communities to just have more of an active role in determining Iowa State’s endowment, which is a lot of its financial resources,” Levy said. “Just because someone has an A overall or in any one of the categories definitely doesn’t mean there’s not more work to be done.”

The university strives to focus on a green campus, but more importantly, what will most benefit the school.

“First and foremost, we’re doing what makes sense for the university, and having recognition is great, but that’s not first on the radar,” Rankin said.

Detailed evaluations and surveys on the university’s progress this year are available online at www.greenreportcard.org.