Virginia Tech
PAE-2: Strategic Plan

Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger has made sustainability a university priority. The Virginia Tech Climate Action Commitment Resolution #2 states: "The university will represent the Virginia Tech Climate Action Commitment and Sustainability Plan (VTCAC&SP) in the Virginia Tech Strategic Plan." The 2012-2018 University Strategic Plan, "A Plan for a New Horizon," includes many references to the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability. Excerpts from the Strategic Plan that specifically reference the university’s sustainability goals and commitments are as follows: Environmental Sustainability: “With this plan, Virginia Tech is positioning itself to further develop a distinctive profile as a progressive and internationally recognized research university. We are poised to grow our undergraduate enrollment when appropriate and will pursue significant and strategic growth in graduate enrollment. Focusing on growth in graduate enrollment in science, technology, engineering, computational sciences, health sciences, and business- and policy-oriented subjects will provide additional teaching resources, sustain and expand our research portfolio, and provide a broad range of student research experiences. This growth will also facilitate the pursuit of our mission to address significant science, technology, economic, and social issues.” “In the spirit of our mission, we will contribute to business-, industry-, and policy-relevant research with a focus on multiple dimensions of security, resilience, health, and sustainability. These themes will also underpin much of our outreach activities and service learning. Much of our research will continue to focus on various dimensions of national and local security; the resiliency of systems, organizations, communities, and ecosystems; the evolving health and medical enterprise; and local, regional, and global sustainability.” “Virginia Tech will leverage existing and emerging strengths in the following areas: energy, materials, and technology; water science, policy, and management; transportation and communication infrastructures; natural resources, ecosystems, and environmental quality; informatics and policy; food and food systems; and sustainable international development. An increased capacity for data-intensive, high-performance computing—including geographic-information systems, visualization, and policy informatics—is crucial to facilitating advanced research in these areas.”

Social Sustainability: “Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) is the essence of the Virginia Tech experience, the guiding principle of our community. The motto rests upon a foundation of trust, integrity, respect, and compassion We cannot serve without honoring diversity We cannot be a vibrant community without promoting caring and inclusiveness, respecting individuality, and valuing the unique contributions of each of our members.”

Economic Sustainability (and implementation of the VTCAC&SP): “Additionally, we must work toward campus sustainability by developing a campus wide willingness and commitment to critically evaluate our practices and embrace new technologies and innovative solutions. This commitment must include extensive engagement and collaboration among students, faculty, staff, and administrators. The university will implement the Climate Action Commitment and Sustainability Plan and ensure ongoing evaluation and critical examination of the university’s policies and practices toward ensuring the most effective and sustainable use of our human, fiscal, and environmental resources.”