Students for Green Fee
Aubrey Petkas
Issue date: 5/1/09 Section: Campus News
Across the nation, dozens of college campuses have instituted an increase in semester fees to help their institutions become more environmentally sustainable. GCSU students are following suit by making efforts to enact a mandatory 'green fee'.
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education reports renewable energy fees at universities nationwide ranging from $1 to $20 per semester. The money is used to purchase or generate renewable energy and fund the installation of alternate energy and energy conservation technologies on campus.
The GCSU Green Initiative, along with the Environmental Science Club, has made great efforts in attaining a campus-wide green fee. After proposing the green fee to SGA and receiving its formal support the green fee was also approved by the Mandatory Student Fee Committee. The green fee was then approved by President Leland, after being lowered from $5 to $4 per semester, and is now set to appear on the Board of Regents' April agenda.
"We're extremely lucky to have Doug [Oetter]," said Justin Morgan, president of the Environmental Science Club. "He has really fueled the Green Initiative and this entire approval process."
The Green Initiative is now the official group to propose and suggest recommendations to the university regarding the environment.
If the GCSU green fee is approved by the Board of Regents, GCSU will be the first public university in the state of Georgia to have a green fee approved by all of these entities.
A Sustainability Council, headed by Pete Sheilds, a business and finance professor, would report annually to the Student Fee Committee on the green fee's yearly progress. The council will make sure the green fee is working and evoking change and progress on campus.
Other universities with green fees typically use the money for recycling programs, research initiatives, carbon offsets, and energy conservation.
However for GCSU, a green baby with very little research and knowledge of its current carbon footprint, much of the green fee would be allocated toward monitoring equipment and gathering data.
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education reports renewable energy fees at universities nationwide ranging from $1 to $20 per semester. The money is used to purchase or generate renewable energy and fund the installation of alternate energy and energy conservation technologies on campus.
The GCSU Green Initiative, along with the Environmental Science Club, has made great efforts in attaining a campus-wide green fee. After proposing the green fee to SGA and receiving its formal support the green fee was also approved by the Mandatory Student Fee Committee. The green fee was then approved by President Leland, after being lowered from $5 to $4 per semester, and is now set to appear on the Board of Regents' April agenda.
"We're extremely lucky to have Doug [Oetter]," said Justin Morgan, president of the Environmental Science Club. "He has really fueled the Green Initiative and this entire approval process."
The Green Initiative is now the official group to propose and suggest recommendations to the university regarding the environment.
If the GCSU green fee is approved by the Board of Regents, GCSU will be the first public university in the state of Georgia to have a green fee approved by all of these entities.
A Sustainability Council, headed by Pete Sheilds, a business and finance professor, would report annually to the Student Fee Committee on the green fee's yearly progress. The council will make sure the green fee is working and evoking change and progress on campus.
Other universities with green fees typically use the money for recycling programs, research initiatives, carbon offsets, and energy conservation.
However for GCSU, a green baby with very little research and knowledge of its current carbon footprint, much of the green fee would be allocated toward monitoring equipment and gathering data.
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