Coming soon
Carleton College (Sierra Student Coalition (SSC))
Clean Energy Revolving Loan Fund
In the spring of 2007, students with SOPE (Students Organized for the Protection of the Environment), led by Whit Jones, secured at least $35,000 in funding for a clean energy revolving loan fund. The fund began when the student government discovered that it had a surplus budget, and approached SOPE asking for suggestions for the money. The group suggested the revolving fund and explained thoroughly how it works and what could be accomplished. The student government pledged $17,500, and SOPE began asking for others to match their offer. The Vice-President of the school offered matching funds, and they secured at least $5000 from the Environmental Advisory Committee.
Concordia University (Sierra Youth Coalition)
Sustainability Action Fund
A “Sustainability Action Fund” was passed in April for the next five years to support sustainability initiatives on the Concordia campus. Concordia undergraduate students agreed by referendum to a new fee levy of 25 cents per credit for the creation of a fund which could potentially be supplemented by the provincial and federal governments. The “1% campaign” will give a minimum budget of a bit less than a million dollars for sustainability initiatives on campus for the next five years.
Macalester College (Sierra Student Coalition (SSC))
The student’s ability to achieve these victories with relative ease is not a fluke, but rather a testament to the excellent and constant organizing that takes place at Macalester. Large-scale and highly visible events like Campus Wars, where Macalester challenged other Minnesota schools to compete with them in reducing their energy use in the month of February, and a strong working relationship with the President made these wins feasible even without signatures and rallies.
$67,000 Clean Energy Revolving FundThis fall, students at Macalester College established a $67,000 clean energy revolving fund at the college. They are now looking to put this money toward building a wind turbine.
McGill University (Sierra Youth Coalition)
Green Fund
A new fee levy was passed this year at McGill to create a green fund. The new fund will get 1.25 $ per student per session and will be used for new projects next year. This will be managed by the student government (SSMU).
Virginia Tech University (Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN))
Student Leaders - Netanya Huska, Sara Breakiron, and Katelyn Keefe.
Internal Loan Fund for Efficiency Projects
In the spring of 2005 students began planning a Green Fee campaign to demonstrate student willingness to pay for energy efficiency projects on campus. The fee proposal ($6/student/semester) levied on both undergraduate and graduate students to raise money to reinstate the daily recycling program and to fund more energy efficiency projects. For a year and a half student leaders collected 7,100 signatures. Through these signatures, leaders passed resolutions of support through both the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Graduate Student Association (GSA). After these resolutions were passed, students began to meet with the head of the budget office to discuss implementing a green fee. As students continued to meet with University Officials they realized they were strongly against a fee due to logistical barriers and thus changed strategy. Students realized that they needed to push for the same goals (reinstating daily recycling, increased funding towards energy efficiency projects) and use campus media as a powerful tool for getting the administration to pay for it. Students encouraged the budget office to find the money elsewhere, and they followed through. It was through meetings with the budget office and a presentation to the Board of Visitors by student BOV representative, that the goals of the fee were accomplished - the universities is using an internal loan fund to complete more energy efficiency projects funded through the Budget Office. Initially the university committed to a pilot project in Whittemore Hall, when students demanded that more action needed to be taken. Six other buildings have been listed for retrofits starting next year. Other projects include construction of the first L.E.E.D. certified building next year. Through the sustainability website, reinstating daily recycling, and giving increased funding to energy efficiency projects, the best thing that the campaign accomplished was to raise awareness within the administration that the environment is an important issue to students and not just something they can ignore.