| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 55.86 |
| Liaison | Allie McAllister |
| Submission Date | Sept. 16, 2021 |
Villanova University
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 3.00 |
Is the institution currently a member of a national or international higher education sustainability network?:
The name of the national or international sustainability network(s):
Villanova is an active member of AASHE
Does the institution actively participate in a regional, state/provincial, or local higher education sustainability network?:
The name of the regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network(s):
Villanova's Sustainability Manager manages an informal regional group of campus sustainability professionals that includes representation from Philly to Lehigh out to Harrisburg. Membership is not required, anyone who wants to be included is welcome so long as they work on higher edu sustainability initiatives in and around the SE PA region. we do have representation in Delaware. Members are added to a google group where we share events, ideas, and challenges. The Villanova Sustainability Manager also helps to organize yearly tours of participating campuses sustainability initiatives. This normally includes 3-4 tours each summer. Since the lock down we have focused on themed conference calls, sharing our insight and questions with the group.
The group has fairly high participation, typically turning out at least a dozen people for both in person and virtual events.
Has the institution presented at a higher education sustainability conference during the previous year?:
A list or brief description of the conference(s) and presentation(s):
Has the institution submitted a case study during the previous year to an external higher education sustainability resource center or awards program?:
A list or brief description of the sustainability resource center or awards program and submission(s):
Has the institution had employees or students serving on a board or committee of a sustainability network or conference during the previous three years?:
A list or brief description of the board or committee appointment(s):
The sustainability manager has served on the creation board for a new committee focused on sustainability education partnerships. Originating run out of Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND) the idea is to connect higher education and k-12 schools in the philly area to promote sustainability education and collaboration. The group is working on an application for the Regional Center of Expertise program. This application has helped us organize our ideas and will provide our group with a network of others who are doing similar work.
The sustainability manager also runs the regional higher education sustainability group discussed above.
Does the institution have an ongoing mentoring relationship with another institution through which it assists the institution with its sustainability reporting and/or the development of its sustainability program?:
A brief description of the mentoring relationship and activities:
The Peru Global Sustainability Initiative
Villanova University has established an International initiative in Sustainability with partners in Trujillo, Peru. Trujillo is a coastal city in the north of Peru and is home to Universidad Catolica de Trujillo (UCT, Catholic University of Trujillo). UCT is led by President John Lydon, an Augustinian friar with close Villanova ties. The first element of the initiative is in capacity building. Five UCT faculty members have begun formal studies in Sustainable Engineering, leading to a Master’s degree, under Villanova sponsorship. The faculty members have different engineering backgrounds but all share a common interest in using their knowledge and platform to advance the ethos of sustainability in their teaching, research and in their work with local communities in Peru as well as with other South American partner universities and organizations. This unique program is made possible because of the involvement of Mr. Hector Cuadros, a Peruvian engineer who received his M.S. in Sustainable Engineering from Villanova. Mr. Cuadros serves as the course leader and mentor for the five students who take their classes via Villanova’s on-line graduate program. In addition, Villanova faculty have contributed modules for UCT courses and provide talks at virtual symposia hosted by UCT on sustainability topics. Mr. Cuadros himself is now enrolled in the Sustainable Engineering Ph.D. program where he will be working on research in the use of local materials such as earthen clay for building mechanically and thermally resilient structures (schools, homes) in remote Andes highland villages. Mr. Cuadros’ research will help to establish a model for the research component of the initiative. Another Sustainable Engineering Master’s student completed her M.S. thesis on an assessment and mapping of wind availability in Peru as a resource for energy generation. The student worked with WindAid, a U.S. based NGO with the mission of designing, fabricating, and installing micro wind turbines to provide electricity to remote and underserved Peruvian communities. This has led to another branch of the Peru Initiative which is the development of Service-Learning projects involving three-way partnerships between Villanova, UCT and NGO’s in Peru. Villanova’s College of Engineering Service Learning Program (now the new Center for Humanitarian Engineering) has sponsored Villanova and UCT undergraduate students in fall 2019 and spring 2020 spring break service trips to work as student volunteers with WindAid in the fabrication and installation of the latest wind turbines. In addition, the students presented STEM workshops to both primary and secondary school students from local Trujillo schools with introductions to renewable wind and solar energy. The Peru Initiative will expand the network to other NGO’s working in areas such as water and sanitation, providing many opportunities for international collaboration in education, research, and service in sustainability. For more information: Al Ortega (aortega@villanova.edu); Iain Hunt (ian.hunt@villanova.edu) .
Has the institution had employees or students serving as peer reviewers of another institution’s sustainability data and/or STARS submission during the previous three years?:
A brief description of the peer review activities:
A brief description of other inter-campus collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year :
Website URL where information about the institution’s inter-campus collaborations is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.