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The graffiti was discovered between April 18 and 25 at Moriarity Hall, Sullivan Hall and Good Counsel Hall. The incidents at Moriarity and Good Counsel were anti-black, and a drawing of a swastika was found at Sullivan.
The graffiti was the lead story and focus of the editorial in last week's edition of the campus newspaper.
"You hope they are acts of ignorance from people who don't realize the effect a particular word has on another person," said sophomore Alessandro Roco, co-editor in chief of The Villanovan. "You don't want to believe that it's something deeper than that -that your fellow students are racists and bigots."
Roco said there have been prior incidents of offensive graffiti at Villanova - one earlier this school year.
"But I don't know that there has ever been a barrage like this all in one week," he said. "From talking to friends, mostly freshmen and sophomores, I know it's been the topic of conversation in a lot of classrooms. I don't think it's been blown off at all."
After a meeting at Moriarity, two students stepped forward and claimed responsibility for the graffiti there, some of which was directed at an African-American custodian.
"The custodian is black and you can sort of infer what the word was," Roco said. "It was on one of the big bulletin boards that the R.A. put up on the wall. I'm not sure if (the custodian) actually saw the graffiti, but he knows what happened and he is extremely upset about it."
So is Villanova's president, the Rev. Peter Donohue, OSA.
"One incident is one too many," he said Friday. "It's disappointing, because of the nature of what the university is. We are a Catholic institution and we talk about gospel values and try to instill them in our students.
"This was a violation of people and it is not what we stand for."
Donohue said the students who stepped forward will be punished swiftly and accordingly.
"If someone denies involvement, they go before a disciplinary board that includes a student and a member of the faculty and staff," he said.
Campus officials are still looking for the people responsible for the graffiti at Sullivan and Good Counsel.
Justified or not, Roco said the incidents play into the stereotype Villanova is place that is not welcoming to minorities.
"The administration and faculty have been addressing the issues with lack of diversity but it would be naïve to say this is a diverse campus," he said. "It's something they're working toward, but we're not there yet."
In his message to students, Stack urged anyone with information about the graffiti to come forward.
"We need each individual to stand up and speak out to put an end to these incidents," he wrote. "Should you ever witness such behavior, please be the person in the group who speaks out against the offender. Voice your disdain and help stop hateful actions."
