Dalhousie University (Sierra Youth Coalition)
Referendum for Sustainability Coordinator and Office
The Dalhousie students voted and passed a referendum question in the annual student union elections that asked “Do you support a $2.00 levy for every full-time student to go towards a sustainability office and a sustainability coordinator?” This success garnered $35,000 annually. This campaign was run by SustainDal (formerly the Dalhousie Integrated Sustainability Initiative). The campaign started last year, when SustainDal worked with the Dalhousie Student Union (DSU) to attempt to create a new student union executive position. Because of a lack of budget, SustainDal proposed that a referendum question be asked, and the DSU approved the proposal. SustainDal campaigned during the election, leading to the voting success. The DSU has donated office space for this Student Sustainability Coordinator free of charge in the Student Union Building. The job description will be written by SustainDal and approved by the DSU by July 1. An Advisory Committee of staff, students, professors, and administration will be compiled by July 1, whom the Student Sustainability Coordinator will report to. Recruiting and interviews will occur by August 1. The full-time position starts in September 2007 and will be an independently functioning office.
Persuaded Administration to Commit $100,000 to Start Sustainability Office and Full Time Coordinator
In addition, the Dalhousie Administration has committed $100,000 of the 2007-2008 budget to start up an Administrative Sustainability Office with a full-time Sustainability Coordinator. Students within SustainDal led an ad hoc Advisory Committee of 8 key professors, administration, and students. The key player was Jeff Lamb, Director of Facilities Management. Outside key players were Ken Burt, Vice-President of Finance and Administration, Keith Taylor, Dean of Science, and David Wheeler, Dean of Management. The ad hoc Advisory Committee formed to draft a proposal and an outlined job description. Meanwhile, Deans began to softly lobby the idea of a Sustainability Coordinator with the Vice-Presidents. Students met with the Dalhousie President, Tom Traves. In the last budget meeting of the year, Jeff Lamb brought forward our collaborative proposal on his behalf. On May 1st, the VP’s approved, and a job description is currently being written. Collaboration is needed between the Administrative and the Student Sustainability Coordinators, and this will be incorporated into the job descriptions. The Coordinator will report to the VP Finance and Administration. The position will start in September 2007.
Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador (Sierra Youth Coalition)
Sustainability Coordinator
Facilities Management hired a full-time sustainability coordinator, who started in January 2007. Students within student group ProjectGreen, lead by Master’s student Katie Temple and Darrell Miles, the Director of Facilities Management. ProjectGreen drafted a proposal of what a Sustainability Coordinator would look like and how they would fit into the campus community. The Director of Facilities Management was very supportive and created room in the budget for the coordinator. ProjectGreen was involved throughout the hiring and training process. The Sustainability Coordinator is having difficultly finding its niche on campus. Further work needs to be done to direct efforts towards creating a set mandate for the coordinator, creating an energy policy, and raising awareness within the campus community. The Advisory Committee for the Coordinator is being selected this summer and will be in place by mid-June.
University of British Columbia (Sierra Youth Coalition)
Full-Time Climate Action Coordinator Position
After several meeting between Common Energy UBC and the Sustainability Office that discussed the students’ role in instigating change and how the University can best engage and empower students, the Sustainability Office created a full-time Climate Action Coordinator position. One of the founding members of Common Energy, Liz Ferris, was hired for the position, which will ensure student engagement in the decision-making process, and facilitate an interdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder process that governs the development of the Beyond Climate Neutral Strategy.
University of Calgary (Sierra Youth Coalition)
In the past year the U of C has completely restructured their approach to campus sustainability with one of the most innovative multi-stakeholder structures in Canada.
Sustainability Director under the University’s Executive
This year the U of C retired the Environmental Management Coordinator position, which was housed in Campus Planning, in exchange for a Sustainability Director that will report directly to the University’s executive. This is significant as the President has made public statements about reducing the campus’ GHG emissions below Kyoto targets and the Institute for Energy, Environment, and Economy Students’ Association is currently fundraising through corporate sponsorship for the development student led GHG inventory and of clean energy projects for the U of C. The U of C Students’ Union has also developing a more strategic approach to the sustainability of their practices with the development of a Sustainability Policy, which is currently under review.
University of Central Florida (Southern Energy Network))
SGA Environment and Sustainability Coordinator
UCF Eco Advocates and progressive council members campaigned through an SGA Presidential election cycle on the creation of position for Environment and Sustainability in the cabinet. Shortly following the close of the election the President elect announced plans for the position and has subsequently filled it.
University of Kentucky (Southern Energy Network)
Students at the University of Kentucky ran a successful campaign for student approval of a green energy fee with over 60% of students voting approving a fee increase for renewable energy in the spring of 2006. Students from the GreenThumb group continued to work with the administration over the next school year on the fee proposals, which were slated to go before the Board of Trustees of the school in February, but the administration decided at the last minute to take the fee proposal off the table for the meeting. Students worked with the Southern Energy Network to increase the pressure on key administrators from students, youth, alumni and citizens around the Southeast and the nation to approve the fee. After a flood of calls and emails, administrators decided not to approve the fee. Hired a Full-Time Sustainability CoordinatorDespite that loss, they did commit to hiring a full-time sustainability coordinator.
University of Regina (Sierra Youth Coalition)
Hired two Sustainability Coordinators
In the last couple years, the U of R Students’ Union (URSU) has overseen numerous sustainability projects including a recycling centre, a wind-powered computer lab, and the sale of recycled notebooks. Wanting to increase momentum within the organization, URSU hired two student Sustainability Coordinators over the spring and summer of 2006. The coordinators developed a website and provided recommendations on the development of a Sustainability Policy.