Virginia Wesleyan University
Endowment Value: $123.5 million (2021)
Virginia Wesleyan University is Coastal Virginia's premier university of the liberal arts and sciences. Situated on a 300-acre park-like campus in Virginia Beach, the University annually enrolls approximately 1,600 students in undergraduate and graduate programs, 1,400 credit and non-credit learners in VWU Online, and approximately 300 students at LUJ/VWU Global (Japan).
In 2021, VWU received a series of private gifts increasing its endowment to $123.5 million. Of those funds, $80.2 million are designated for the endowment of the Batten Honors College, a highly selective residential program of the University with a focus on environmental stewardship, global engagement, and leadership. The entire endowment for the Batten Honors College has been invested following environmental, social, and governance criteria with Brown Advisory of Baltimore, Maryland. The remaining funds are invested with Commonfund of Wilton, Connecticut.
Virginia Wesleyan University is deeply committed to studying and enhancing sustainability within the campus, the community, and the world. The state-of-the-art Greer Environmental Sciences Center received the “Conservationist of the Year” award from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in 2018. The Gardens at the Greer are a spacious living instructional landscape maintained through a partnership with nearby Norfolk Botanical Garden. The 18-acre Wilson Arboretum was established in 1995. The 12-acre Beech Forest, a rare example of an old-growth stand of beech trees, was designated a Natural Heritage Resource by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1992. The campus features over 13 miles of biking and hiking paths and trails. Through private funding, the University has completed a comprehensive stormwater management system including nearly three miles of underground distribution chambers and four new ponds. Through a partnership with the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, the University jointly owns and operates a research vessel, The Ocean Explorer. VWU’s Batten Honors College includes as a part of its mission: “to inspire, engage, and prepare academically talented students to become leaders, environmental stewards, and impactful citizens in the global community.” Sustainability efforts at Virginia Wesleyan "reflect a larger commitment to ethical conduct and social responsibility through environmental stewardship and education." In 2020, the Board of Trustees adopted “Environmental Guiding Principles” to be embedded in the permanent institutional mindset for future planning.
Virginia Wesleyan University is a participant or member of the following Initiatives & Commitments:
- IEN Member (2016)
- AASHE STARS: No
- ACUPCC: Yes, Carbon Neutral by 2040
- Billion Dollar Green Challenge: No
- CDP: No
- Committee on Investor Responsibility: No
- Divestment Goal: Yes
- INCR: No
- Montreal Carbon Pledge: No
- Sustainable Investment Fund: No
- Sustainable Investment Policy: Yes
- Principles for Responsible Investment: Yes
Other Sustainable Investing Practices and Resources: