Villanova University

College Sustainability Report Card 2010

Villanova University adopted a formal sustainability policy in 2004 and conducted its first greenhouse gas emissions inventory in 2007 with the help of the University President’s Climate Commitment Core Team. The university’s green purchasing policy mandates the purchase of Energy Star appliances and ensures that suppliers minimize their impact on the environment.

Villanova has committed to carbon neutrality and has recently purchased renewable energy credits to offset the energy use of its two newest buildings; the purchase accounts for 3 percent of the university’s overall energy use. The university also generates a small amount of electricity on campus through solar photovoltaic panels. Thermally efficient roof installations and heat recovery systems improve energy efficiency on campus.

The university spends 27 percent of its annual food budget on local items. All milk served on campus is hormone- and antibiotic-free; most eggs are cage-free; and seafood is purchased in accordance with sustainability guidelines. Fair trade coffee, teas, rice, and chocolate are served. Dining locations provide filtered water in order to reduce the use of disposable water bottles. Resident dining locations are trayless, and most of Villanova’s dining halls have been composting postconsumer waste for over 50 years.

Two buildings on campus are LEED-certified, and one building meets LEED criteria. The university has installed water conservation technologies in some buildings. Approximately 90 percent of all construction waste is recycled.

Every student receives a sustainability pamphlet upon arrival at Villanova. The 2008-2009 academic year was “The Year of Sustainability,” a student-led effort focused on campus-wide and community education about environmental issues. Students also compete in an energy conservation challenge and participate in RecycleMania.

The university provides free shuttle service on campus and to points of interest in the surrounding community. Faculty and staff are able to purchase public transportation passes with pretax dollars. The university’s master plan commits to making the campus more pedestrian-friendly.

The university makes a list of external managers and all holdings available to trustees, senior administrators, and select members of the campus community. A list of votes cast on proxy resolutions on a company-specific level is available on a password-protected website to trustees, senior administrators, and select members of the campus community.

The university aims to optimize investment return and is currently invested in, and further exploring, renewable energy funds.

Students, faculty, and administrators serve on an advisory committee, which makes proxy voting recommendations to the board of trustees.