Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 60.78
Liaison Jessica Bowen
Submission Date March 4, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Aquinas College
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.50 / 3.00 Jessica Eimer Bowen
Director of Sustainability
Center for Sustainability
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Does the institution have written policies, guidelines or directives that seek to support sustainable purchasing across commodity categories institution-wide?:
No

A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
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The policies, guidelines or directives:
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Does the institution employ Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) when evaluating energy- and water-using products and systems?:
Yes

Which of the following best describes the institution’s use of LCCA?:
Institution employs LCCA as a matter of policy and standard practice when evaluating all energy- and water-using products, systems and building components

A brief description of the LCCA policy and/or practices:
Aquinas' Physical Plant Department works with product suppliers such as Voss Lighting and energy management companies (i.e. Control Solutions) to investigate and provide life cycle information on energy and water products. Purchases are made based off this information.

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating chemically intensive products and services (e.g. building and facilities maintenance, cleaning and sanitizing, landscaping and grounds maintenance)?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
Included in Aquinas' Green Housekeeping Policy is a list of cleaning chemicals and products determined by the college to be safe and therefore, are currently being utilized on campus. There are certain characteristics of cleaning products we consider to be of utmost importance. Green housekeeping for Aquinas College will include products that meet Green Seal (GS-37) guidelines. All products purchased will be biodegradable, non-toxic, concentrated, and work efficiently in cold water. A proportioning system for accurate product dilution assures accurate mixing of the cleaning concentrate in water. They will not contain bleach or high concentrations of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s). Products will not contain petroleum based solvents, glycol ethers, phenolic compounds and surfactants. Purchasing will favor neutral PH products and consider smarter containers and packaging.

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating construction and renovation products (e.g. furnishings and building materials)?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for construction and renovation products:
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Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating Information technology (IT) products and services (e.g. computers, imaging equipment, mobile phones, data centers and cloud services)?:
Yes

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for IT products and services:
To help minimize energy use from equipment, Aquinas College has an electronics purchasing commitment in place. All new electronic equipment that is purchased must be Energy Star certified. This commitment ensures that the most efficient appliances available on the market are purchased, helping Aquinas save energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating food services (i.e. franchises, vending services, concessions, convenience stores)?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food services:
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Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating garments and linens?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for garments and linens:
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Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating professional services (e.g. architectural, engineering, public relations, financial)?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional services:
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Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating transportation and fuels (e.g. travel, vehicles, delivery services, long haul transport, generator fuels, steam plants)?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
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Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating wood and paper products?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for wood and paper products:
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Does the institution have published sustainability criteria to be applied when evaluating products and services in other commodity categories that the institution has determined to have significant sustainability impacts?:
No

A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for other commodity categories:
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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