University of Virginia
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

The University of Virginia has engaged with local partners in multiple efforts to advance sustainability in the local community. Efforts to date include:
• 2011-13 grant + continuing efforts - The Sustainable Communities Planning Grant was a three‐year federally funded process to advance implementation of sustainability through regional coordination in the Charlottesville/Albemarle metropolitan area. The University of Virginia served as the project’s consulting participant, serving in an advisory role under the auspices of the Planning and Coordination Council (PACC). The efforts and partnerships initiated with this grant continue such as Solarize Charlottesvile detailed in EN-10 - Community Partnerships.
• As part of the largest EPA Chesapeake Bay pollution diet (stormwater total maximum daily load (TMDL)) in the United States, UVA, the City and County installed several recent stormwater management projects to create wildlife habitat, including stream restoration and stream daylighting to create aquatic wildlife habitat. Wildlife-edible plants and other native plant species are utilized, along with minimally-invasive landscaping practices, to create areas of habitat adjacent to riparian features. Several stream restoration projects have implemented strategies to reduce erosion and recreate riffles and pools to create aquatic habitat. Some of the stormwater mitigation projects are joint projects with the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, and the pollution reductions are regionally monitored to contribute to the 7-state TMDL for the Chesapeake Bay.
• The University has a representative on both the City and County Planning Commissions, which continually update their Comprehensive Plans to improve and integrate sustainable practices into the communities’ planning practices.
• UVA won a planning grant in 2010 and an implementation grant in 2012 from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Transportation Enhancement Grant program to develop a bikeshare program on the campus. The bikeshare program - UBike - was implemented in January of 2015 and is now up and running, making UVA an early adopter in owning its bikeshare program; which is also used by our local community, and visitors.
• The University of Virginia has completed major bond issuance and related restructuring of its debt designed to support operations and key elements of UVA.’s strategic plan, including the new Affordable Excellence program adopted by the Board of Visitors. Included in the $291.6 million of refunding bonds is the University’s first issuance of “green bonds,” which support environmentally sustainable projects and help to create innovative strategies to meet the goals of UVA.’s Sustainability Plan. Socially conscious investors bought $97 million in UVA.’s initial offering of green bonds. In advance of the financing, all three major credit rating agencies – Fitch, Moody’s, and Standard & Poor’s – reaffirmed the University’s coveted “triple-A” long-term debt rating, a key to UVA.’s ability to save millions in interest by securing the most favorable terms available to institutions with the top ratings. With this reaffirmation, the University continues to be just one of two public universities in the country to receive “triple-A” ratings from all three major credit rating agencies.

On a state level, the University is committed to supporting campus sustainability and advancing sustainability as it relates to environment, economy and equity. Some examples include:
• Through the UVA’s AccessUVA financial aid program, we are committed to meeting 100% of the demonstrated need of students admitted to the University. This important program allows us to operate with a “need-blind” admission policy that bolsters our efforts to attract the best students to the University while achieving socioeconomic diversity in the student population. The University of Virginia is one a few public universities in the nation to meet full need for both in-state and out-of-state students
• The University’s recently adopted Affordable Excellence model that ensures that our students will benefit from the University’s residential culture, the advancement of knowledge and service, superior educational experiences, and a new generation of distinguished faculty. At its essence, Affordable Excellence is the University’s commitment that a UVA education will remain among the best while guaranteeing that Virginia families will be offered minimum levels of need-based student indebtedness.
• UVA is committed to be a leader in supplier diversity by developing sustainable relationships with qualified, reliable, small, women, and minority owned businesses. We actively seek out the best firms which will enable us to deliver high-quality education, research, public service and healthcare. We offer and participate in multiple diversity training events throughout the year including, but not limited to SWaMFEST, MBE Day, conferences, open houses, etc. to advance and enhance supplier diversity at the University.
• The University also closely monitors legislation, executive orders, and other regulations that are applicable to the University. We engage multiple stakeholders across the University to assess and analyze the impact of legislation, and our Office of State Governmental Relations engages in advocacy efforts on a myriad of issues that will have an impact on the University, either positively or negatively. Issues specific to sustainability include, but are not limited to, energy conservation and reduction initiatives, LEED certification requirements, and stormwater management, and affect all state, and sometimes local, agencies and institutions. Given the breadth of these issues, we often work collaboratively with other institutions of higher education and other state agencies as appropriate in our advocacy efforts.
• A commission at the UVA’s Miller Center of Public Affairs will examine new ways to fund higher education. The National Commission on Financing 21st Century Higher Education is tasked with searching for new financial models that can sustain colleges and universities while making cost of attendance affordable for all students. The commission also will look at the funding outlook for public institutions before releasing a final report with policy recommendations. The 14-member commission includes two former governors, business executives, state legislators, the Chancellor of the University of Kansas and the president of Michigan State University. Formal policy recommendations were released in 2016.
•In October 2017 Governor Terry McAuliffe formed the Environmental Justice Advisory Council, which is facilitated by UVA’s Institute for Environmental Negotiation. UVA will play a lead role in advising Virginia on decision-making related to equity and the environment. https://governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/newsarticle?articleId=21646

•In 2007, UVA committed to LEED certification as a minimum for all new buildings and major renovations. As an early adopter, we been selected for several pilot programs influencing the development of green buildings in the US by the USGBC, such as the Campus Portfolio program, and have developed one of the most significant green building portfolios in the US of LEED certified buildings - currently 49 buildings. The portfolio includes certified, silver, gold and platinum buildings. UVA currently serves in the USGBC Higher Ed User Group, which is being piloted to better serve Higher Ed institutions.
•UVA’s Batten School of Public Policy and UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center have faculty who have actively been involved in advocating Virginia’s participation in the national RGGI cap and trade program. A draft proposed rule is now open for public comment.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15112017/virginia-carbon-market-cap-trade-rggi-greenhouse-gas-coal-emissions-climate-change

• UVA has a program that links students with international education and research opportunities:Education Abroad in Global Environments and Sustainability. The students are involved with research efforts to advance sustainability practices on an international scale: https://educationabroad.virginia.edu/sites/educationabroad.virginia.edu/files/Global%20Environments%20and%20Sustainability%20MAS%20Fall%202016.pdf
• UVA's Office of VP for Research supports multiple international efforts for research in sustainability, and most recently began establishing an Institute a year to address global issues. The first three institutes established are: the UVA Brain Institute; the Global Infectious Diseases Institute; and the Environmental Resilience Institute.
http://www.virginia.edu/vpr/
• Students and faculty often participate in international climate talks. For example, UVA students have participated as youth delegates in the United Nations Climate Change Conferences.
https://news.virginia.edu/content/virginia-paris-two-hoos-take-climate-change
https://news.virginia.edu/content/student-spotlight-passion-leads-student-un-conference-climate-change

On a state level, the University is committed to supporting campus sustainability and advancing sustainability as it relates to environment, economy and equity. Some examples include:
• Through the UVA’s AccessUVA financial aid program, we are committed to meeting 100% of the demonstrated need of students admitted to the University. This important program allows us to operate with a “need-blind” admission policy that bolsters our efforts to attract the best students to the University while achieving socioeconomic diversity in the student population. The University of Virginia is one a few public universities in the nation to meet full need for both in-state and out-of-state students
• The University’s recently adopted Affordable Excellence model that ensures that our students will benefit from the University’s residential culture, the advancement of knowledge and service, superior educational experiences, and a new generation of distinguished faculty. At its essence, Affordable Excellence is the University’s commitment that a UVA education will remain among the best while guaranteeing that Virginia families will be offered minimum levels of need-based student indebtedness.
• UVA is committed to be a leader in supplier diversity by developing sustainable relationships with qualified, reliable, small, women, and minority owned businesses. We actively seek out the best firms which will enable us to deliver high-quality education, research, public service and healthcare. We offer and participate in multiple diversity training events throughout the year including, but not limited to SWaMFEST, MBE Day, conferences, open houses, etc. to advance and enhance supplier diversity at the University.
• The University also closely monitors legislation, executive orders, and other regulations that are applicable to the University. We engage multiple stakeholders across the University to assess and analyze the impact of legislation, and our Office of State Governmental Relations engages in advocacy efforts on a myriad of issues that will have an impact on the University, either positively or negatively. Issues specific to sustainability include, but are not limited to, energy conservation and reduction initiatives, LEED certification requirements, and stormwater management, and affect all state, and sometimes local, agencies and institutions. Given the breadth of these issues, we often work collaboratively with other institutions of higher education and other state agencies as appropriate in our advocacy efforts.
• A commission at the UVA’s Miller Center of Public Affairs will examine new ways to fund higher education. The National Commission on Financing 21st Century Higher Education is tasked with searching for new financial models that can sustain colleges and universities while making cost of attendance affordable for all students. The commission also will look at the funding outlook for public institutions before releasing a final report with policy recommendations. The 14-member commission includes two former governors, business executives, state legislators, the Chancellor of the University of Kansas and the president of Michigan State University. Formal policy recommendations were released in 2016.

The University does not make political contributions/donations (e.g., PACCs, candidates for office, etc.). Per an opinion from the former Attorney General, the state constitution prohibits the use of state funds for private charitable organizations.

The State Governmental Relations’ website, http://www.virginia.edu/governmentalrelations/, serves as a resource for information relating to state and legislative activities and provides details about the office and staff. Reports posted to the website include legislative reports, analyses of the state budget, and summaries of applicable executive orders. The website also includes information about the legislative process, a list of the University’s local legislators, and links to websites related to state relations activities.