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Student Green Fee Management and Project Implementation
Panel Members Mieko A. Ozeki, University of Vermont
Suhail Barot, University of Illinois- Urbana-Champaign Nicole Leung, University of California- Berkeley
Cindy Shea, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Jedd Wilcox, University of Vermont
Moderator
Amber Garrard, Green Mountain College
AASHE 2010
What are student green fees? • Revenue collected from comprehensive student
fees to fund major, campus wide, sustainability and energy initiatives (CampusIn Power, 2008)
• An alternative funding source, ranging $1 to $58 per student per academic term (quarter, semester, trimester, or year). (Bintliff, 2009)
• Students propose and run campaigns to create a green fee on campus.
• Senior administrators or Board of Trustees approve the green fee.
Student Green Funds in North America
• More than 70+ colleges and universities listed with student green fees to date.
• The number of institutions starting student green funds is steadily increasing.
Created in Google Maps
Sample of Projects Funded • Sustainability
director/ coordinator positions
• Installation of wind turbines and/or solar panels on campus
• Energy efficiency retrofits
• On-campus garden • Energy competitions • Academic courses • Student internships • Creation of campus
energy “dashboard” energy management system
• Lecture series • Weatherization
workshops. • Renewable energy
credits
• Granting awards to sustainability champions
• Installation of composting facilities
• Feasibility study for for sustainability improvements
• Funding campus sustainability and environmental resource centers.
List from Bintliff, 2009.
For this session… • We will not discuss “how-to” create a student green fee. • We will discuss: What structures and processes were utilized to:
– implement and manage projects, – engage and encourage students, faculty, and staff to
participate in green fund projects, – connect projects to academics, – tracking project performance and progress,
for the long term? • The take away: Ideas for managing student green fee projects.
Resources
• Bintliff, Jacob (2009). Student Green Funds: 1997-2009.
• Campus InPower (2008). Raise the Funds: Campus Action Toolkit. Available on AASHE’s Resource page.
Research Plug I am conducting research on best practices implementing and managing student green fund projects in the United States for Harvard Extension School. Research involves: • Survey Monkey questionnaire to develop a
comprehensive list and map of student green funds • In-depth interviews to gain analyze best practices
from green fund coordinators If you have a student green fee, please send your contact information to [email protected]
UVM Office of Sustainability Mieko A. Ozeki, Sustainability Projects Coordinator James Wilcox, CEF Education & Outreach Fellow
From Eco-Clutter to Integrated Systems: Student Green Fees as a
Learning Tool
UVM Profile
Public, land grant institution founded in 1791 and located in Burlington, VT. Full-time Students: 10,371 Undergrad; 1,516 Graduate; and 460 Medical students Faculty: 1,200 FTE Staff: 2,300 FTE
Student body highly engaged in social and environmental justice issues. Number of formal student clubs/coalitions: • 6 environmental/food related • 2 social justice + SGA Committee
on Diversity, Equity, and Environmental Ethics
Pre-CEF: Renewable Energy Pilot Projects
5-kW Solar array (2001) 10-kW Wind Turbine (2006)
• Intended to raise awareness about the potential for renewable energy on campus. • We were opportunistic and not strategic about the solar and wind installations. • No clear long-term commitment to integration of projects with academics. • Steep learning curve implementing these projects. • Lacked coordination • No thought about or funding for decommissioning.
Pre-CEF: Context
• Students have little experience implementing installation projects.
• Faculty have little experience implementing installation projects.
• Staff do not have the capacity to integrate installation projects with academics
What is UVM’s Clean Energy Fund?
• Sustained by a self-imposed student fee of $10 per student per semester, the Clean Energy Fund (CEF) is designed to advance renewable energy research, education, and infrastructure on campus
• Idea for CEF began in 2005, endorsed by SGA in 2007, and approved by the Board of Trustees in 2008 in response to student petitions to fund renewable energy installations and energy education
• Estimated annual accumulation to the fund: $225,000
CEF Organizational & Project Selection Process 2009-2010
Project Coordination
Project Selection
Fund Oversight and Final Project
Approval
VP Finance & Administration
CEF Committee
CEF Administration
Team
VPFA Liaison CEF Manager
CEF First Round 2009-2010
• Fall 2008: Fee collection began • December 2008: First committee meeting • February 2009: CEF committee bylaws passed • April 2009: Committee approves general guidelines for projects • October 2009: First RFP is released • November 2009: 19 proposals received • December 2009: Preliminary approval of 8 proposed projects • January 2010: Office of Sustainability repackages project proposals
based on interviews with project applicants. • February 2010: Committee made final recommendation to VPFA • March 2010: VPFA approves all 2009-2010 projects
The Writing on the Wall: the need for an implementation team
• Leveraging CEF for potential match funds • Those submitting proposals lacked the expertise on
renewable energy • Identifying the need for dedicated staff to navigate
UVM’s complex institutional systems
Project Accountability & Outreach
Project Implementation
Project Selection
Fund Oversight and Final Project Approval
VP Finance & Administration
CEF Committee CEF Administration
Team
VPFA Liaison
CEF Education & Outreach Fellow
CEF Manager
Implementation Team
Project Managers
Projects Liaison
CEF Organizational & Project Selection Process 2010-2011
Installations • Aiken Solar Trackers at Forest Service
Site • Photovoltaic System on Equine Center
Roof • Solar Hot Water on Slade Hall Shed
Courses • Certified Energy Auditor and Renewable
Energy Retrofit Training Course • Virtual Solar Carport Course
Research & Studies • Biomass Feasibility Study for Trinity
Campus • Solar Power and Smart Grid Research
CEF Program & Outreach • CEF Implementation, Education &
Outreach Program • University-wide Energy Display System
2009-2010 CEF Projects
So, What Now?
Once the projects were approved, the real work began…. • Distributing the funds was not easy. • Key staff and business managers were caught off-guard
when informed about projects. • Recruiting and getting CEF Fellow to start up education
and outreach efforts took a few months. • Staff were learning and cobbling new processes while
implementing projects.
Request for Proposals Request for Ideas
2010-2011 CEF Program Planning
• Activates the collective intelligence of the UVM community to gather the best ideas • Increases student engagement with and sense of ownership of the CEF •Allows for consistent project management of CEF projects in subsequent years (no “ownership” of project proposals)
Education & Outreach
• Make connections between curriculum and renewable installations
• Move toward campus-wide
energy monitoring • Identify and apply for matching
funds
• Provide status reports to Clean Energy Fund Committee
• Public outreach about the Clean Energy Fund
Next step: create online portfolio of CEF projects
Lessons Learned
• No projects are headache free. • Know who should be involved & make all roles
clear. • Document, document, document
– Processes – Key people involved – Project strategy and progress
• Don’t skimp on your management plan!
Contact information
UVM Office of Sustainability
Mieko A. Ozeki, CEF Manager and Projects Coordinator [email protected]
Jedd Wilcox, CEF Education & Outreach Fellow
Website: www.uvm.edu/sustainability