2013 USD Fact Book

Sustainability At USD, sustainability is more than just a practice: it’s a way of life. Student-led initiatives help provide sustainable solutions to the issues that define our times. Faculty members play an active role by incorporating sustainability both in and out of the classroom, and by serving on the USD Sustainability Task Force. Collaborative research projects between faculty and students are paying immediate dividends for the university community and society at large, including a $5 million grant by the National Science Foundation to educate community leaders about the impact of climate change. As an efficiency leader, USD has worked to foster an ethic of conservation and innovation. Over the past two years, the university has reduced its energy consumption by over 20 percent, reduced its water consumption by over 33 percent, and installed over 5,000 photovoltaic panels. These panels currently generate 14 percent of the university’s peak energy needs, making USD one of the largest solar energy producers among all private colleges in the United States. The first of its kind on a college campus, the USD Electronic Waste Collection Center is a living example of the university’s Ashoka designation, and its commitment to social entrepreneurship. Since opening in April 2011, the center has actively diverted over 195,000 pounds of e-waste from landfills. Heralded as a safe, secure and sustainable means of waste diversion, the E-Waste Collection Center has become an important resource for USD and the entire San Diego community. As a result of its commitment to sustainable practices, USD was named Outstanding Sustainable Organization of the Year by the California Center for Sustainable Energy in 2012.

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