The Brown University Community Council heard the latest update on the 2011 Sustainability Progress Report in a nearly empty Kasper Multipurpose Room Tuesday afternoon. Approximately 10 community members were in attendance for the meeting, which also featured a recap of the Corporation's affirmations of President Ruth Simmons' recommendations on athletics and the Reserve Officers' Training Corps released last week.
Stephen Maiorisi, vice president for facilities management, presented this year's Sustainability Progress Report, which was released Oct. 18. He underscored the progress the University has made in recent years toward its sustainability goals. On Jan. 24, 2008, Simmons set greenhouse gas reduction goals for the University. She called for a cut in greenhouse gas emissions of between 15 and 30 percent in acquired buildings and a reduction to 42 percent below 2007 levels by 2020 in existing buildings. She also recommended new buildings operate at levels between 25 and 50 percent below the energy code and attain a minimum silver rating from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification system, which evaluates buildings on a variety of sustainability factors.
The University has reduced its greenhouse gas emission by 26 percent since 2007 and bottled waters purchased by 83 percent since 2008, according to the report. It has also identified $27 million worth of conservation projects which will eventually allow the University to save $4 million each year. Currently, eight buildings have either obtained or are on track to receive LEED certification, Maiorisi said. The University was presented with the Sustainable Campus Excellence Award from the International Sustainable Campus Network in 2011 and was among only eight institutions to receive an A grade from the Sustainable Endowments Institute in its most recent assessment.
Earlier in the meeting, Simmons spoke about the Corporation's response to her recommendations regarding the athletics program. The Corporation approved her suggestions against cutting the men's and women's fencing, women's ski and men's wrestling programs this year. But in response to the "rather serious gaps" in funding, the Corporation determined the teams must present a budget to allow the University to make "sensible" decisions on which teams would be able to meet their goals, Simmons said.
The Corporation also determined administrators will be responsible for setting academic standards for athletes and ensuring athletes are "at least being representative of the student body," Simmons said. Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron will work with Jim Miller '73, dean of admission, and Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services, to determine the appropriate academic standards and admissions policy to "keep in spirit with the Ivy League," said Provost Mark Schlissel P'15.
Twenty admission slots for athletes will eventually be cut, Simmons said, and the University will monitor the effects of this change on the competitiveness of the athletics program. Klawunn and Michael Goldberger, director of athletics, are developing a three-year plan to reach the goal of 205 spots for athlete recruits, reduced from 225, Schlissel said.
Simmons also discussed the Corporation's response to her recommendations on ROTC, highlighting the various opinions on the issue.
She said Corporation members agreed that ROTC programs discriminate against transgender individuals. But members questioned how to balance the University's role in educating leaders, including those for the military, with its commitment to the anti-discrimination policy, she said. While some supported the establishment of a ROTC program on campus, others were willing to back student participation through other means. "The bottom line is we ought to expand the opportunities," Simmons said.
The University is seeking to broaden the options available to students by looking into naval and air force ROTC programs at nearby campuses, and the Corporation called on the University to open an office on campus to assist veterans and students participating in ROTC programs.
