The College of William and Mary 7,500 students; Williamsburg, Virginia
Despite student protests, William and Mary interim president W. Taylor Reveley III refuses to sign the presidents' pledge and has no climate plan. Administrator Anna Martin told the campus newspaper, "Signing it would be making promises we aren't sure we can keep."
George Washington University 20,000 students; Washington, D.C.
The most expensive school in the nation has yet to invest in fighting climate change. GW doesn't offer its students incentives to use the D.C. Metro and lacks a green building policy. While GW president Steven Knapp signed the presidents' pledge earlier this year, the school has not taken any steps to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions as the agreement requires.
Howard University 10,500 students; Washington, D.C.
Howard does not recycle and has no green design or procurement policies. Although one manager has launched an environmental-awareness campaign on campus, university officials say they're waiting for students to press for change before implementing new policies.
Texas Tech University 28,000 students; Lubbock, Texas
Texas Tech's Masked Rider mascot is probably hiding his identity because he's embarrassed by the university's lack of eco-initiatives. Texas Tech has no campus-wide sustainability policies or unified water-conservation plans for its fields and grounds, despite having published studies on water-saving techniques for the Texas plains. Simply watering the grounds at night instead of during the day could slash water needs by up to 25 percent.
Valdosta State University 11,000 students; Valdosta, Georgia
Want to protest your school's less-than-green projects? If you attend VSU, schedule an appointment with the administration first. Campus protests can occur only with administrative approval in a "free-expression area" during two nonconsecutive hours each day.
—Lea Hartog and Michael Fox
This article has been corrected subsequent to publication.
