Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 74.69
Liaison Tess Esposito
Submission Date Feb. 9, 2022

STARS v2.2

University of Dayton
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.33 / 2.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Local advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level:
• 2021: the university monetarily supported the Human Services Levy Campaign.

• 2017: Institution supported the Montgomery County Human Resources tax levy.
• Ongoing: UD works with the Miami Conservancy District, the regional river management agency, engaging policy advocacy.
• 2015: Institution supported student opposition to the City of Dayton’s well-field standards revision.
• Ongoing: UD works with Dayton Regional Green/Partners for the Environment to advocate municipal engagement in energy efficiency policies.

Regional advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
No

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level:
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National advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level:
2021
-Scholar at Risk signatory: https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/2021/08/urgent-appeal-for-afghanistans-scholars-students-practitioners-civil-society-leaders-and-activists/
- Expansion of University Sponsorship of Refugees: https://www.presidentsalliance.org/letter-university-sponsorship/
- American Business Immigration Coalition calling for immediate action on DACA: https://abic.us/dream-letter/

2020-2021
- Advocating with our federal legislators on the higher ed community's "Double Pell" initiative to increase accessibility by providing additional grant aid.


2017
President Spina signed "We are Still In" in support of the Paris Climate Accord. "We share the goals of the Paris Agreement to fight climate change with science, innovation and leadership," Spina said. "Furthermore, in alignment with Pope Francis and our Catholic, Marianist commitment to the common good, we recognize that environmental stewardship is a social justice issue, and that failure to act on climate change disproportionately affects the poor and disadvantaged throughout the world." By signing "We are Still In", UD advocates nationally and acknowledges its continued commitment to national climate leadership to hold warming to under 2 degrees C, despite the federal government's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.

https://udayton.edu/news/articles/2017/06/university_of_dayton_pledges_to_support_paris_accord_through_we_are_still_in.php

Similarly, in 2018 UD joined close to 600 Catholic institutions that signed the Catholic Climate Declaration, which renews Catholic support for continuing U.S. actions to address climate change despite backpedaling by the Trump administration. It is in solidarity with the U.S. bishops’ position and consistent with calls for climate action from Pope Francis and his predecessors, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Saint John Paul II. [https://udayton.edu/news/articles/2018/06/catholic_climate_declaration.php]

Catholic Climate Covenant signatory: In November 2017, University of Dayton President Eric F. Spina is among more than 150 leaders of Catholic universities, organizations and religious orders who have signed a letter urging U.S. President Donald Trump and Congress to reassert U.S. leadership in the global effort to address climate change. The letter from the Catholic Climate Covenant asks for funding the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; that U.S. commitments to the Green Climate Fund be honored; and for meaningful participation of the U.S. in the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. [https://udayton.edu/news/articles/2017/11/catholic_climate_covenant_letter.php]

International advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
No

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level:
2017
President Spina signed "We are Still In" in support of the Paris Climate Accord. "We share the goals of the Paris Agreement to fight climate change with science, innovation and leadership," Spina said. "Furthermore, in alignment with Pope Francis and our Catholic, Marianist commitment to the common good, we recognize that environmental stewardship is a social justice issue, and that failure to act on climate change disproportionately affects the poor and disadvantaged throughout the world." By signing "We are Still In", UD advocates internationally by acknowledging that we will engage with the international community in climate leadership to hold warming to under 2 degrees C.


https://udayton.edu/news/articles/2017/06/university_of_dayton_pledges_to_support_paris_accord_through_we_are_still_in.php

Optional Fields 

A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
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None
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
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Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability advocacy efforts is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.