<< Back to Report Card
With the publication of the College Sustainability Report Card 2010, more than 1,100 school survey responses from over 300 institutions are now available online. In total, these surveys offer more than 10,000 pages of data collected from colleges and universities during the summer of 2009. To access surveys from other schools, go to the surveys section of the website. To see grades, or to access additional surveys submitted by this school, please click the "Back to Report Card" link at the beginning or end of the survey.
Name: Bethanie Anderson
Title: Senior Communications Associate
Member, President’s Core Team on Climate Commitment
Chair, Climate Communications Subcommittee
Date survey submitted: July 22, 2009
1) How does your school handle proxy voting on environmental, social, and governance issues?
(a) We do not have the ability to vote proxies as the entire equity holdings of the endowment are invested in mutual funds (e.g. CommonFund, Fidelity, Vanguard, etc.).
(b) We ask that our investment managers handle the details of proxy voting.
(c) We provide our investment managers with general guidelines that determine our proxy votes.
(d) We provide our investment managers with specific corporate governance guidelines that determine our proxy votes.*
(e) We provide our investment managers with specific environmental and social guidelines that determine our proxy votes.*
(f) A member of our school administration determines our proxy votes.
(g) A committee of administrators and/or trustees deliberates and makes decisions on proxy votes.
(h) A committee that includes student representatives deliberates and makes recommendations or decisions on proxy votes.
(i) School community feedback is incorporated into proxy voting decisions through town hall meetings or a website.
Your answers:
Proxy voting on corporate governance matters: (h)
Proxy voting on environmental and social resolutions: (h)
Description: Villanova University handles proxy voting in accordance with its Social Responsibility Investment Policy and Procedure (attached). Specifically, this policy provides guidance to the Committee on Social Responsibility Proxy Votes by endorsing the principles espoused in the investment guidelines issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (attached). These principles advocate the protection of human life, promotion of human dignity, reduction of arms production, pursuit of economic justice, protection of the environment and encouragement of corporate responsibility.
The Charter for the Committee on Social Responsibility Proxy Votes (attached) notes that Villanova University’s investment policies call for the university to exercise its rights as a shareholder to vote proxies in a socially responsible manner. To that end, the Committee on Social Responsibility Proxy Votes was established. The committee is appointed by the Villanova University President and is chaired by Vice President for Administration and Finance Kenneth Valosky. The committee is comprised of up to nine members, including one student nominee from the Student Government Association; one faculty member nominated by the Faculty Congress; one member from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Business, Engineering, Law, and Nursing (nominated by each respective dean); and one other individual at large, designated by the president. The controller will serve as an ex officio member.
The committee meets as needed. The Controller’s Office is responsible for distributing the proxies of a socially responsible nature to the committee for voting. Each vote will be determined by a majority of committee members. The Vice President for Administration and Finance has final authority, as assigned by the Villanova University President, on each vote. The committee prepares annually a report on its proxy votes for submission to the president.
*Please provide URL or attach guidelines (optional).
Three (3) Attachments Included in this Submission:
1) Social Responsibility Investment Policy and Procedure
2) Investment guidelines issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3) Charter for the Committee on Social Responsibility Proxy Votes
2) If you answered “g” or “h” to question 1, please provide the following information about the committee:
Name of committee: Committee on Social Responsibility Proxy Votes
Number of meetings held since August 2008: Approximately 10
Name of chair(s): Kenneth Valosky
Position of chair (e.g., administrator, faculty, staff, student): VP for Administration and Finance
To whom does the committee report (e.g., Trustee Committee, President, Vice President): The President of Villanova University, Father Peter M. Donohue, OSA
Number of administrators on committee: 2
Number of alumni on committee: 0
Number of faculty on committee: 6
Number of staff on committee: 0
Number of students on committee: 1
Number of trustees on committee: 0
Total number of committee members: 9
3) Please indicate what information about proxy voting records is made available to each of the groups listed under “Your answers” (select all that apply):
(a) No information is made available
(b) Votes cast on proxy resolutions only by category (and not company specific)
(c) Votes cast on proxy resolutions on a company-specific level
(d) Votes cast on proxy resolutions on a company-specific level, including the number of shares
Your answers:
Trustees and senior administrators: (c)
Trustees, senior administrators and other select members of the school community: (c)
All members of the school community including faculty, staff, students and alumni: (c)
The public per open records law: (a)
The public: (a)
4) Where is information about proxy voting records made available?
(a) Information is not made available.
(b) Information is available at the investment office or similar office on campus.
(c) Information is sent to individuals upon request.
(d) Information is on the school website with password protection.
(e) Information is on the school website and is accessible to the public.
Your answers:
To the school community. (d)
Proxy voting records on environmental and social resolutions: (d)
Proxy voting records on corporate governance matters: (d)
To the public. (a)
Proxy voting records on environmental and social resolutions: (a)
Proxy voting records on corporate governance matters: (a)
5) Please indicate what information about endowment holdings is made available to each of the groups listed under “Your answers” (select all that apply):
(a) No information is made available
(b) Asset allocation
(c) List of external managers
(d) List of mutual funds
(e) Equity holdings
(f) Fixed income holdings
(g) Real estate holdings
(h) Hedge fund holdings
(i) Private equity holdings
(j) Venture capital holdings
(k) Natural resource holdings
(l) Cash
(m) Other holdings (please specify)
(n) All holdings
Your answers:
Available to trustees and senior administrators: (b),(c),(n)
Available to trustees, senior administrators, and other select members of the school community: (b),(c),(n)
Available to all members of the school community, including faculty, staff, students, and alumni: (b)
Available to the public per open records law: (b)
Available to the public: (b)
6) Please indicate where information about endowment holdings is made available to the school community and to the public:
(a) Information is not made available.
(b) Information is available at the investment office or similar office on campus.
(c) Information is sent to individuals upon request.
(d) Information is on the school website with password protection.
(e) Information is on the school website and is accessible to the public.
Your answers:
To the school community: (e) (asset allocation information)
To the public: (e) (asset allocation information)
7) Is your school currently invested in any of the following areas? (Please list all that apply.)
(a) Renewable energy funds or similar investment vehicles
(b) Community development financial institutions or community development loan funds
(c) On-campus energy and/or water efficiency projects through the endowment (as an investment and not a payout)
(d) None of the above
Your answer: (a)
8) Is your school currently exploring investment in any of the following areas? (Please list all that apply.)
(a) Renewable energy funds or similar investment vehicles
(b) Community development financial institutions or community development loan funds
(c) On-campus energy and/or water efficiency projects through the endowment (as an investment and not as a payout)
(d) None of the above
Your answer: (a) (exploring further investment)
9) Does your school have any investment policy provisions, or use any investment managers, that consider environmental/sustainability factors?
(a) No
(b) Yes (please describe) Investment policy provisions at Villanova University are guided by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (guidelines attached).
(c) Currently under consideration (please describe)
Your answer:
10) Does your school offer donors the option of directing gifts to an investment fund that considers environmental/sustainability factors?
(a) No
(b) Yes (please describe)
(c) Currently under consideration (please describe)
Your answer:
Question 11 is for informational purposes only; responses will NOT be included in the Report Card evaluation process.
11) Please provide total endowment value as of the following dates:
6/30/2009: $266,000,000
<< Back to Report Card