Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 55.91
Liaison Allie McAllister
Submission Date Nov. 25, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Villanova University
EN-12: Community Service

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.39 / 5.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Number of students engaged in community service:
9,749

Total number of students :
10,544

Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (community service hours)?:
Yes

Total number of student community service hours contributed during a one-year period:
170,464

Does the institution include community service achievements on student transcripts?:
Yes

A brief description of the practice of including community service on transcripts, if applicable:

The Division of Student Life, in partnership with CollegiateLink, introduced VU Groups, an online portal to track undergraduate student involvement and attendance. At the conclusion of their time at Villanova, students may print a co-curricular transcript capturing their extracurricular and co-curricular involvement on campus, including involvement in community service. However, this is not an official part of their University transcript and the data are not verified.


Does the institution provide incentives for employees to participate in community service (on- or off-campus)?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s employee community service initiatives:

At Villanova, service to others is part of our very identity as an institution. As a University founded and guided by the Order of St. Augustine, we are committed to pursuing the Augustinian ideals of veritas, unitas, caritas – truth, unity, love. These ideals are not pursued independently, but rather are brought together inside and outside of the classroom to create a truly transformational educational experience for our students.

The University’s patron, St. Thomas of Villanova, committed his life to serving the poor and each fall we dedicate a Day of Service in his name. The St. Thomas of Villanova Day of service started as part of my inauguration as president of Villanova in 2006. It attracted roughly 1,000 students, faculty and staff who worked at 35 sites throughout Greater Philadelphia. That one day has grown into an annual event that engages upwards of 4,500 members of our community working in partnership with 150 sites throughout Greater Philadelphia. The success of this event isn’t measured in the hours served or volunteers engaged, but in the relationships made and the lives transformed. For many of our freshmen students, it is their first opportunity to see Villanova’s mission and ideals put into action – and inspires them to continue seeking similar opportunities.

The purpose of the Above and Beyond Award (V+) is to recognize individuals and groups who go above and beyond the routine call of duty. This award differs from the Distinguished Service and Work Process Improvement Award in that it commends individual events, activities and projects. The recipients of this award will have performed a significant action or service that: Surpasses the requirements of their job description; Is voluntary; Is unexpectant of compensation in time off or payment; and Is either within or outside of their scheduled work hours. For example, the nurses of the Student Health Center were the first recipients of this award. They were recognized for working extra hours, bringing in homemade food, doing extra laundry, etc. in support of the students during a flu epidemic on campus.

Employee participation in community service totals over 1,000 faculty and staff per the 2014 Community Service Project Inventory.


The website URL where information about the institution’s community service initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Student population is for undergraduates and graduates both full and part time. Community service numbers are based on a 2010 survey. Number of students participating in community service includes duplicate student involvement for those students who participated in more than one community service activity. Community service hours include hours contributed by faculty and staff. Unfortunately the survey does not separate out student and employee hours.


Student population is for undergraduates and graduates both full and part time. Community service numbers are based on a 2010 survey. Number of students participating in community service includes duplicate student involvement for those students who participated in more than one community service activity. Community service hours include hours contributed by faculty and staff. Unfortunately the survey does not separate out student and employee hours.

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.