Presented on March 21, 2012 at Ball State University's Greening of the Campus IX Conference by Mieko Ozeki, Sustainability Projects Coordinator and Clean Energy Fund Manager.
College campuses across the U.S. and abroad have seen a growth of student campaigns to take institutional action on climate change. One of the barriers to implementing sustainability initiatives on-campus has been financing these efforts through existing internal resources, such as general and administrative funds or institutional endowments. Student green fees are one of many alternative financial mechanisms to support sustainability initiatives on college campuses. Documentation on student green fees focus primarily on the creation of this financial structure through student campaigns, but there are limited resources that explore the design and management of these programs once they go into effect.
This paper reviews the institutional characteristics of 89 colleges and universities in the North America that currently collect at least one student green fee. A total of 98 green fees have been identified from student reports, online research, and an online survey conducted in October 2010. A majority of these fees was allocated to a broad range of sustainability initiatives while others explicitly fund services such as recycling programs, green attributes of capital construction projects, or supporting a campus sustainability office. Five sustainability managers were interviewed for an exploratory review of lessons learned on the design and implementation of student green fee programs. Four areas of student green fee design and management are highlighted with advice from sustainability managers. The intent of this presentation is to provide background info on this funding mechanism and offer recommendations on best practices for designing green fee campaigns and managing funded projects.
Designing, Implementing, and Project Managing Campus Green Funds
1. +
Mieko A. Ozeki
Projects Coordinator, Office of Sustainability
The University of Vermont
2. + Definitions
What are campus green funds (CGFs)?
Dedicated funding for on-campus, sustainability projects.
Also called student green funds, sustainability funds, etc.
How are CGFs funded?
• Student fees revenue • Department budgets
• Alumni donations • Senior Administrator budgets
3. +
Main campus in Burlington, VT
~13,000 FTE undergraduate, graduate,
and medical students
Campaign started in 2005; approved by
UVM Board of Trustees in 2008.
The Clean Energy Fund (CEF) is a
student green fund, sustained by a self-
imposed student fee of $10 per student
per semester.
The CEF is designed to advance
renewable energy: Research,
Education, and Infrastructure on
campus.
Fund generates $225,000 per year.
4. + Current CEF Projects
2009-2010 Projects 2010-2011 Projects
Equine Center Solar PV system Comprehensive Campus
Renewable Energy Feasibility Study
Slade Hall Solar Hot Water System
Green Labs Program
Aiken Solar Trackers
Clean Energy Internship Program
Energy Auditing & Retrofitting Course
Clean Energy Futures
University-wide Energy Display System Lecture/Workshop Series
Virtual Carport course Organic Solar Cells Fabricated by
UVM Students
Solar Power & Smart Grid Research
Greenhouse Solar (structural &
Biomass Feasibility Study for Trinity electrical study)
Campus
Pilot Revolving Door Installation
Clean Energy Fund Implementation and (architectural study)
Education Program
5. + Research Question
How do we sanely manage green funds
while avoiding the potential for
greenwashing and eco-clutter on our
campuses?
6. + Student Green Fund Implementation In U.S. Colleges
And Universities From 1973-2010:
An Exploratory Review Of The National Context, Design,
Management, And Application Of Student Fees To On-
campus Sustainability Projects
1st component: 3rd component:
2nd component:
Comprehensive review of Recommendations on
Exploratory case studies of
student green funds in design and management of
student green fund
North America student green funds
• Background: • Illustrate the historical • Fee design
• History of campus development and the
sustainability implementation student
• Fund management
• Literature review green fund programs on
• Legal context on use of campuses via interviews of
mandatory student fees students, faculty, and staff • Project solicitation and
selection
• Institutional characteristics:
geography, size, institutional • Evaluation
type (public/private), types of
projects funded
• Public database of funds
7. + Methods
1st Component: 2nd Component:
Develop a list U.S. college and Gather anecdotal advice on
universities with active student lessons learned from student green
green funds. fund managers.
Review generalized findings on
institutional and student green fee Develop exploratory case studies.
characteristics.
Data Collection Methods:
Data Collection Method:
Identifying accredited degree
granting colleges and universities Interviews
via NCES database.
Framework:
Survey
Exploratory Case Study Review
Internet Research
8. + National Findings on Student Green Funds
(as of December 2010)
80 accredited U.S. colleges & universities with
active student green funds:
64 public / 16 private not-for-profit
75 Four-year Bachelor’s degree / 5 Two-year
Associate’s degree granting institutions
Represent 29 out of 50 states.
9. + National Findings on Student Green Funds
(as of December 2010)
87 active student green funds
Estimated annual total
revenue generated from 86 of
the 87 active student green
funds: $30.5 million
Green Fund Themes:
58 General Sustainability
Projects
18 Renewable Energy
Projects
4 Sustainability Program
3 Recycling Services
2 Green Building
1 Transportation services
10. + Example of Projects
Green Fund Theme Example of projects funded
Campus Sustainability Organize a solar decathlon competition.
Projects Establish a student farm on campus.
Occupancy sensors.
Prairie restoration project.
Mapping sustainability efforts on-campus.
Edible forest garden by childcare center.
Biodiesel facility production/workshops.
Electric vehicle purchase.
Indoor compost buckets.
Renewable Energy Projects RECs to offset energy consumption for residential halls.
Installation of solar trackers to offset newly renovated green building.
Energy audit and retrofit course.
Purchase of Kill-A-Watt meters for dorms.
Support Sustainability Office Engage undergraduate students with Sustainability office through internships.
or Program
Recycling Service Hire students as Recycling Technicians, a full-time Program Manager, and 2 full-
time support staff to collect and package material for sale to scraps market.
Green Building Construction of a LEED Gold certified law school that uses 100% renewable
energy.
Provide funding to purchase and install green materials, implement green
practices, and obtain LEED Silver certification for a student health center.
Transportation Service Allows students unlimited use of public transportation near and commuting to
campus.
Bike maintenance and rental program
11. + Exploratory Case Studies
Cases Purpose of Fund
Interviewee #1: Wind Energy Fee Funds were allocated toward wind energy
offsets for three student run campus buildings.
Interviewee #2: Clean Energy Funds were allocated toward renewable energy
Technology Fee and energy efficiency projects on campus.
Interviewee #3: Renewable Energy Funds were allocated to RECs and renewable
Fee energy technology installations
Interviewee #4: Campus Funds were allocated to student organizations
Sustainability Fee that coordinated sustainability-related events
and hands-on, student-led projects on campus.
Interviewee #5: Clean Energy Funds were allocated toward RECs (50%) and
Initiatives Fee renewable energy and resource conservation
projects (50%) on campus.
12. + Campus Green Funds
(as of March 2012)
117 student green funds at 107
North American colleges and
universities
46 alumni and non-student fee
based funds at 58 North American
colleges and universities.
Most student green fee-based funds
are in public institutions.
Creation of funds reflects campus
sustainability history and impact of
the 2008 recession.
13. + Map of Campus Green Funds
http://tinyurl.com/gre
enfundmap
14. + North American Campus Green Funds
Index
http://tinyurl.com/campusecofunds
15. + Recommendations
From Student and Staff green fund managers
16. + Fee Design
Be precise with ballot language (specific to student green fees).
Write clear criteria on what types of projects are funded.
Make sure the scope of the campus green fund allocation
operates at scale and there are enough credible projects to work
on.
Aligngreen fund with the academic, operational, and strategic
planning goals at your institution (i.e. climate action plans
and/or sustainability plans)
17. + Fund Management
Create a management plan prior to distributing funds.
Hire
a permanent staff person to help administer the fund and
coordinate committee meetings.
Make sure decision making body is representative from diverse
areas of campus (students, faculty, staff, administrators, and
alumni) or bring in representatives to decision making process.
Committee and/or fund administrator should be aware of key
stakeholders on campus.
18. + Education & Outreach
Education
and outreach is a key piece to making the campus
community aware of the green fund’s purpose.
Applicationsshould be specific and upfront on what kind of
information they need from applicant.
Committees should select projects that fit with the institution’s
strategic goals such as a climate action plan.
19. +
Awareness Campaign
See video at: http://vimeo.com/uvmsustain/clean-energy-fund
20. + Program Evaluation
Plana project evaluation
process of the fund design.
Have a plan to follow-up
with project leaders.
Projectinformation should
be readily accessible to the
public.
21. + Thank you
Upcoming article “A Deeper Look:
Stimulating Sustainability Initiatives in Higher Education” in
AASHE 2012 Bulletin Review
Find updates on campus green funds on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/Campus.Ecofunds
More information at: http://tinyurl.com/ecofunds
Mieko A. Ozeki
Sustainability Projects Coordinator
mozeki@uvm.edu
www.uvm.edu/sustainability