Examining our Progress: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Prototype Sustainability Report

Abstract

Founded in 1817, the University of Michigan (U-M) is an internationally renowned research and undergraduate, graduate, and professional educational institution with a broad curriculum in the liberal arts. Spanning three campuses in Ann Arbor, Flint and Dearborn, the U-M's mission is:

-"to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future."

The primary goal of the U-M is to fulfill this mission. Increasingly, however, it has recognized as a priority the need to do so in a way that is sustainable. Developed with the invaluable assistance of over 30 departments within the U-M and the peer review of a diverse group of external stakeholders, this report introduces a framework and indicators for assessing the "triple bottom line" sustainability of the U-M, and presents a first assessment of the U-M's historical and current performance.