The grades are in, and according to the 2009 College Sustainability Report Card, UF's eco-friendly efforts are above average, though its score in endowment transparency remains low.
UF upgraded from its score last year of a B-minus to a B-plus, receiving higher marks than other Florida institutions that were assessed.
In the study, which was released Wednesday by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, UF received A's in categories such as food and recycling, administration, student involvement and investment priorities.
Anna Prizzia, outreach coordinator of UF's Office of Sustainability, said it is difficult to know what standards make the grade.
"There aren't a whole lot of robust criteria for those report cards," Prizzia said. "In some cases, it's really a matter of the people involved in the organization making their own judgment."
UF received its lowest marks in the areas of endowment transparency and shareholder engagement, which were nevertheless higher than the previous year, rising from F's to D's.
"We consider transparency to be an important issue in all realms of the university, but we don't foray into the university's investment decisions," Prizzia said.
UF's endowment is overseen by the UF Investment Corporation.
Steve Orlando, UF spokesman, said the boost in the financial categories likely resulted from administrative actions following spring protests by Students for a Democratic Society, or SDS, which urged UF to make its investments transparent.
"The president took those concerns to heart," Orlando said, adding that UF's investments from its endowment cannot be completely transparent because the goal is to get maximum returns.
Skeet Surrency, an SDS member, said the overall grade did not seem legitimate because the information taken to determine UF's grade was self-reported.
"It's UF trying to make themselves look good, and that's just ridiculous," Surrency said. "Let's focus on things besides just optimizing profits."
Surrency called for the creation of an advisory committee to ensure socially responsible investments.
