Virginia Commonwealth University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Academic Goals and strategies published in VCU Sustainability Plan adopted 2024:

Ourselves: Embed sustainability into the One VCU culture

Strategy: Incorporate a wide range of sustainability topics throughout the academic curriculum

• Develop a modular general education interdisciplinary sustainability 101 course.

• Develop discipline-specific sustainability course modules that can be incorporated at the college/school/department level.

• Develop a system to track courses that incorporate sustainability content, prioritizing ease of use for faculty and students. 

• Further develop partnerships between VCU Sustainability and academic departments to increase experiential learning and independent study opportunities for student-led projects. 

• Increase opportunities for employees to partner with faculty and students to participate in experiential learning opportunities and student-led projects.

Our world: Inspire sustainability innovation in research, education and healthcare to advance environmental health, human health, health equity and economic vitality 

Strategy: Increase cross-disciplinary sustainability research

In alignment with the One VCU Research Strategic Priorities Plan, strengthen research infrastructure to support cooperation and encourage researchers to develop joint sustainability projects.

Engagement Goals and strategies published in VCU Sustainability Plan adopted 2024:

Our community: Enhance student, patient, workforce and community health and well-being by restoring the natural environment and minimizing VCU's environmental impact 

Strategy: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and work to achieve carbon neutrality.

• Launch an outreach campaign designed to encourage behavior changes to reduce energy consumption and encourage alternative transportation.

Strategy: Expand engagement with local communities to address economic, environmental and social sustainability challenges.

• Develop a public lecture series focused on issues of local relevance. 

• Increase the number of collaborative projects between VCU and the local community.

• Continue to collaborate with our colleagues at the City of Richmond; identify synergies between RVA Green 2050 and the One VCU Sustainability Plan.

• Partner VCU and VCU Health with local organizations and members of the community to promote participation in well-being programs.

• Initiate partnerships with external institutions to build a network of collaboration and information sharing.

Our world: Inspire sustainability innovation in research, education and healthcare to advance environmental health, human health, health equity and economic vitality 

Strategy: Broadly share VCU’s sustainability impact

• Develop and execute a strategic communications plan.

Operations Goals and strategies published in VCU Sustainability Plan adopted 2024:

Ourselves: Embed sustainability into the One VCU culture

Strategy: Optimize VCU’s physical infrastructure

• Continue to employ green building standards (e.g., LEED, VEES) for new construction and renovation projects.

• Update VCU design and construction standards to reflect sustainable building standards for projects of all sizes and scopes.

• Engage outside experts to assess options for building decarbonization.

• Utilize Practice Greenhealth resources to develop “green operating room” processes and procedures. 

• Establish “green labs” processes and procedures.

• Downsize fleet and transition new vehicle purchases to electric.

• Expand infrastructure to support electric vehicles on campus. 

• Invest in additional campus bike and pedestrian safety infrastructure. 

• Increase the biodiversity of our campus footprint by expanding usage of native plantings in landscape design. 

• Establish a schedule for building recommissioning so existing facilities continue to function according to the original design intent. 

• Expand the use of environmentally-friendly products in grounds, housekeeping and other maintenance services. Transition from gas-powered to electric equipment. 

• Update facilities and technological infrastructure to support online and hybrid classes, meetings and events.

• Increase use of locally-sourced food in dining facilities.

Our community: Enhance student, patient, workforce and community health and well-being by restoring the natural environment and minimizing VCU's environmental impact 

Strategy: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and work to achieve carbon neutrality.

• Establish a project team with representatives from VCU and VCU Health charged with identifying and modeling viable options, including interim targets, to achieve carbon neutrality in line with the university’s 2050 goal. 

• Engage outside experts as needed to institute effective methods for reducing energy consumption.

Strategy: Transform VCU into a zero-waste campus.

• Establish waste reduction and diversion targets, focusing on single-use plastics and other disposables in athletics, dining, housing and laboratories.

• Update procurement policies to significantly reduce the use of single-use plastics.

• Increase diversion of food waste through large-scale composting. 

• Reduce hazardous waste. 

• Increase reuse of durable goods through continued support of the VCU Free Store, partner with local organizations that specialize in reuse, and develop enduring collaborations between administrative, operational and academic units.

• Launch an outreach campaign designed to encourage behavior changes to reduce waste and increase recycling. 

Strategy: Reduce stormwater runoff and potable water consumption to protect the James River

• Expand submetering and other use-reduction measures in areas of high water use.

• Launch an outreach campaign designed to encourage reduction of potable water consumption. 

• Employ stormwater strategies to reduce runoff from buildings and grounds.

Strategy: Enhance biophilic connection

• Utilize signage and outreach campaigns to educate the public on campus ecology.

• Grow and improve campus green space.

• Achieve Bee Campus USA certification through the Xerces Society.

• Reestablish Tree Campus Higher Education recognition through the Arbor Day Foundation.

Measurable sustainability objectives that address diversity, equity, and inclusion; sustainable investment/finance; or wellbeing published in VCU Quest 2028 Master Plan: 

Diversity Driving Excellence: Champion diversity, equity and inclusion in all that we do and advance a conscientious drive to support a climate where excellence and success for all people are valued and differences are celebrated

DDE 1: Nurture an institutional culture and climate that is diverse, inclusive, equitable and engaged. 

● Assess the continuous improvement in culture and climate indices for all units across the enterprise 

● Administer biennial organizational culture and climate survey across academic and medical enterprises

● Implement a progressively phased approach to DEI education, training and remediation 

● Fully integrate DEI leadership competencies in management and performance systems for all employees across the enterprise 

DDE 2: Implement an organizational infrastructure to support, sustain and scale DEI initiatives that infuses them into clinical care, curriculum, scholarship and practice. 

● Incorporate National Association for Diversity Officers in Higher Education standards into senior leadership performance goals

 ● Employ federal, state and institutional data to set faculty and staff hiring benchmarks that are responsive to shortfalls in placement goals for women and minorities 

● Set utilization goals for employee hiring that exceed recommendations for persons with disabilities and protected veterans 

● Utilize internal expertise to guide accrediting bodies and national organizations in developing compliance standards and best practices for engaging diverse students and patients 

DDE 3: Demonstrate national and international DEI thought leadership. 

● Engage in developmental, transitional and transformational change management processes to build enterprise-wide teams that focus on DEI goal attainment 

● Institutionalization of faculty and student pipeline programs, in particular the STEM and health professions that address deficits in expertise and representation 

● Promote, develop and scale curricular initiatives related to inclusive pedagogy and experiential learning 

● Create opportunities that increase underrepresented minority and minority faculty and students engaged in transdisciplinary research 

Measurable sustainability objectives that address diversity, equity, and inclusion; sustainable investment/finance; or wellbeing published in VCU Sustainability Plan adopted 2024:

Ourselves: Embed sustainability into the One VCU culture

Strategy: Embed sustainability into VCU and VCU Health operations

• Communicate and promote available resources; share information about the One VCU Sustainability Plan and expand sustainability as a component of student and employee orientation.

• Align procurement processes and solicitations with the goals of the One VCU Sustainability Plan. Review and update sustainable sourcing guidelines.

• Develop outreach campaigns around high-impact and high-visibility areas such as waste and recycling, alternative transportation, energy conservation, and workforce and student well-being. 

• Develop an online course module for current students and employees to learn about the One VCU Sustainability Plan and how sustainable behaviors can be incorporated into their daily lives.

• Expand VCU Sustainability’s existing volunteer program and increase volunteer opportunities for students and employees. Encourage university employees to use their enhanced community service leave in order to participate in these opportunities. 

• Embed sustainable principles in large-scale events such as graduation, commencement, employee service awards, etc.

• Develop new well-being resources that encourage healthy lifestyles and support the needs of the VCU community.

Our world: Inspire sustainability innovation in research, education and healthcare to advance environmental health, human health, health equity and economic vitality 

Strategy: Foster sustainability-focused partnerships at VCU, in our community and around the world

• Support research that directly contributes to positive economic, environmental and health outcomes in local communities. 

• Build a network of VCU employees and community experts who are engaged in sustainability-related research, education and healthcare.

• Foster collaborative, local, national and global partnerships benefitting VCU and local communities (in particular minority and indigenous communities).