About

Virginia Commonwealth University is the second largest university in Virginia and ranks among the top universities in the country in sponsored research. Located on two downtown campuses in Richmond, VCU enrolls more than 32,000 students in 208 certificate and degree programs in the arts, sciences and humanities. Sixty-five of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the disciplines of VCU’s 15 schools and one college. MCV Hospitals and the health sciences schools of Virginia Commonwealth University compose the VCU Medical Center, one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers.

The university takes its founding date of 1838 from the year the Medical College of Virginia was created as the medical department of Hampden-Sydney College. MCV became independent in 1854 and state-affiliated in 1860. VCU’s Monroe Park Campus began in 1917 as the Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health. In 1925, it became the Richmond division of the College of William and Mary; and in 1939, its name was changed to Richmond Professional Institute. It separated from William and Mary in 1962 to become an independent state institution. In 1968, MCV and RPI merged to become Virginia Commonwealth University, the most comprehensive urban university in the state and one of the top research universities in the nation.

In April 2008, VCU President Emeritus Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D., signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, joining more than 500 college and university presidents in addressing global warming by committing to initiatives that neutralize greenhouse gases emitted on their campuses. The commitment calls for universities to complete a comprehensive inventory of all GHG emissions on their campuses as a precursor to developing an institutional climate action plan for becoming climate-neutral and having no net GHG emissions.

VCU Statement of Sustainability

Sustainability is the goal of maintaining a good quality of life for those who presently experience it, while expanding that quality of life to those who lack it; understanding and respecting the needs of future generations and the limits of natural systems within which quality human lives are necessarily embedded and dependent.

Sustainability includes, but is not limited to:

•   The recognition of threats to the climate system inherent within the continued introduction of carbon into the atmosphere by human activity, especially through carbon-based energy production and consumption, necessitating action to reduce human carbon footprints, both at the individual, community and institutional levels.
•   The identification and reduction of negative impacts from human activity upon human health (e.g., air and water pollution, other exposures to hazardous substances — both long-term and immediate, stress impacts, etc.).
•   The identification and reduction of negative impacts from human activity upon ecosystem health (e.g., lost habitat, biodiversity, ecosystem function, etc.).
•   The recognition of the finite nature of our resource base; necessitating the reduction, reuse and recycling of materials, the identification and development of renewable resources, and increased efficiency in our use of all resources.
•   On-going dialogue among experts, lay-people, leaders and citizens for the purpose of learning more about the nature of these challenges, both from a technical and a human value-based perspective.

Adopted by VCU Sustainability Committee, July 22, 2009

Since signing the commitment, VCU has begun to pursue a carbon-neutral campus through the following initiatives:

•   Hiring the first VCU director of sustainability
•   Installing max-R sustainable exterior recycling bins throughout both campuses
•   Partnering with housekeeping to improve interior recycling
•   Working with construction contractors to recycle construction materials
•   Adding more bicycle racks and new scooter/moped racks
•   Placing a BigBelly solar-operated trash compactor on each campus
•   Purchasing two electric trucks for use in grounds maintenance
•   Committing to design and construct all new buildings and renovations to LEED silver standards
•   Implementing energy-saving projects
•   Instituting a sustainability committee to develop the VCU Sustainability Master Plan

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Strategy

VCU has completed four of the seven tangible actions. 

• Establish a policy that all new campus construction to be built to at least a USGBC LEED
  Silver standard or equivalent. VCU currently designs and constructs all new building to
  LEED-Silver standards.
• Adopt an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy requiring purchase of ENERGY STAR
  certified products where rating exists. VCU purchases ENERGY STAR products when
  available.
• Establish a policy of offsetting all greenhouse gas emissions generated by air travel paid for
  by the institution.
• Encourage use and provide access to public transportation for all faculty, students, and
  visitors at the institution. VCU operates a free inter campus and intra-campus shuttle bus
  service and partners with the local transit authority of offer free bus passes to full-time
  students.
• Within a year of signing the Commitment, begin purchasing or producing at least 15 percent
  of the institution’s electricity consumption from renewable sources.
• Establish a policy or committee that supports climate and shareholder proposals at
  companies where the institution’s endowments are invested.
• Participate in the Waste Minimization component of the national RecycleMania competition,and adopt three or more associated measures to reduce waste. VCU participated in the Recycle Mania and initiated a variety of new measures to reduce waste.

Review of Recent VCU Sustainability Initiatives

• Energy Reduction – 20 projects in just the last year
• Exterior Recycling Stations (45 gal)
  • Purchased 25 containers
  • The need for exterior recycling containers was first identified last year by VCU students (SGA).
• BigBelly Solar Trash Compactor
  • Purchased two, one for each campus to review their performance
  • Saves on number of trash pick ups, labor, and fuel
• Siegel Center’s Solar Trash Compactor
  • Solar panels charge the batteries that operate the compactor.
  • VCU is exploring the feasibility of installing the same solar photovoltaic panel at the Shafer Court Dining Facility
• Vanguard International Electric Truck
  • VCU invested in two electric trucks
  • Currently VCU uses diesel-powered Toolkat vehicles manufactured by BobCat for grounds
  • keeping and other light duties on campus. Operating the Toolkat results in roughly 8.7 tons of
  • carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year.
  • The Electric Trucks run on batteries that are recharged daily, and produce .07 tons of carbon
  • dioxide equivalent emissions per year – a 99% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
• Custom Scooter/Moped Racks
  • Custom-fabricated four racks, two on each campus.
• Bicycle Racks
  • Purchased 38 additional bike racks
• LEED Construction Practices
  • Currently VCU design and constructs to the LEED – Silver standard. Some buildings are LEED
  • Certified because they predated the LEED-Silver requirement.
  • It was suggested that a future VCU Sustainability Committee meeting be held at the VCU Rice Center.
• VCU Business Services - VCU Dining Services and VCU Parking and Transportation – 12 projects
  • Future VCU Sustainability Initiatives
  • Sustainability Splash Page (precursor to fully operational website) – online in a couple of weeks
  • Partnership with VA Dept of Corrections

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