Strengthen University Management and Resources

In the wake of the University’s two-year, $170 million budget reduction launched in spring 2009, the Committee to Strengthen University Management and Resources (SUMAR) was established to keep finding and supporting efficiencies in academic and central administration that enable the release of resources toward teaching, research, and the student experience. 

We encourage you to offer Suggestions & Feedback. This site will be updated periodically to highlight new initiatives and success stories as they unfold across the institution.

• Approved agreement for a 5.3 megawatt solar collector field comprising 16,500 photovoltaic panels to eventually reduce the University's carbon footprint by decreasing its dependency on fossil fuels and trim approximately 8 percent per year from its electric costs. The collector field should generate 8 million kilowatt-hours per year, which is enough to power the equivalent of 700 homes or, at Princeton, enough to meet 5.5 percent of the total annual campus electrical needs.
• Installed a heat recovery system on the stack of the University's cogeneration plant that lowers the exhaust discharge temperature and transfers the heat into the boiler feed water. The system saves $700,000 per year in fuel costs and lowers campus carbon dioxide emissions by 4,500 metric tons per year.
• Formalized the timing of undergraduates returning to campus for the start of the fall semester. Delaying the arrival of students who do not participate in approved campus activities enhanced campus security and safety, and resulted in an annual cost savings of $290,000 in FY10.
• Moved and consolidated departmental postage meters into University Print & Mail Services, resulting in a combined annual savings of $75,000.
• Reduced paper and costs by asking departments to use the Web and e-mail to distribute invitations, announcements, and general publications. The Communications Office alone anticipates $150,000 in savings from reduced printing.