Campus Green Fund Process

The process that governs the Campus Green Fund (CGF) is described below:

Campus Green Fund Committee Process Document
Edmonds College
Approval Date: April 11, 2012, Associated Students Executive Board

Background

As enacted by agreement between the Edmonds College Board of Trustees and ASEC Executive Board on June 9, 2011, a fee has been assessed for each credit to all students starting on summer quarter 2011.  The purpose of the Sustainability Fee is to promote and educate the campus community on sustainable practices and create a more environmentally conscious college.  A portion of the Sustainability Fee budget establishes a Campus Green Fund to be distributed through a grant awarding process. 

Campus Green Fund Mission

The Campus Green Fund, funded by the Associated Students, provides resources to further the Sustainability Initiative on campus with awards to students, staff, and faculty for projects that model environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable practices in the campus community.

In fulfilling the Edmonds College Mission and Philosophy, the Sustainability Initiative strives to infuse sustainable practice throughout all aspects of the college's operation and facilitates preparation of our students and community for sustainable careers, citizenship and quality of life. 

Campus Green Fund Committee Purpose Statement

The Campus Green Fund Committee is responsible for awarding allocations of the fund through a grant awarding process.  These allocations should further campus sustainability through investments based on the College’s mission and goals, sustainability initiative strategic planning, and with the following objectives:

• Environmental Impact: Projects must reduce the College’s environmental impact and create a more sustainable campus. The Fund will prioritize projects with measurable impact on, but not limited to, the following: carbon emissions, energy use, transportation, water use, materials/waste, living systems and biodiversity, and pollutants and toxins.
• Student Leadership and Involvement: Projects that demonstrate a substantial degree of student leadership or student involvement will be prioritized.
• Education, Outreach, and Behavior Change: Projects must include educational and outreach components that help cultivate an aware and engaged campus community.
• Feasibility, Accountability, and Sustainability: Applicants must demonstrate that they have or can attain the technical knowledge, necessary approvals, and project management skills to complete projects successfully. The Fund requires the use of a faculty or staff mentor and appropriate department support.  A line item may be used in the budget for project management.  CGF monies must be used in a socially responsible manner—to be determined by the CGF Committee.  Projects requiring ongoing maintenance or staffing not funded by the CGF should demonstrate a plan to meet long-term needs.

Sustainability Investments

Sustainability investments support one-time funding only and will not support ongoing expenses beyond the year of award.  Some examples of appropriate investments include:
(The following list is from other campuses with green funding awards):

• Bike racks
• Strategic planning process
• AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) Conference registration and travel (travel must include students)
• Sustainabilty focused student development training
• LED Lights for student programs
• Gallery exhibit
• Recycling containers
• Childcare Center environmental intern
• Materials for student garden
• Real Food Challenge
• Do it yourself bicycle repair stations
• Tapped for Earth Day (film showing raising awareness regarding water and plastic bottles)
• Project: Zimtervention (Zimride is an online ridesharing system)
• LEED Performance Analysis Intern
• Curriculum Development stipend for a new 2-credit course in Event Planning
• Campus Community Farm
• Cultural Kitchen
• Class projects

Who May Submit Proposals

All proposals must be submitted, approved, and implemented by an organizational unit (i.e. department or division) of the College or a student partnering with an organizational unit. The committee encourages students to submit proposals with the support of a college organizational unit.  Organizational units must have the sponsorship of the appropriate Division Dean/Area Director.

Campus Green Fund Committee Review Process

The Campus Green Fund Committee will meet and review the projects based upon the overall program objectives and select awards accordingly.  The Sustainability Council may serve to vet feasibility of projects and advise the Campus Green Fund Committee. 

Proposal Modifications

Through discussions within the CGF Committee, Sustainability Council, or through discussions with proposal submitters, funding for a proposal may be modified, conditions may be attached to the proposal, proposals may be combined, or other modifications may be made. The CGF Committee may also solicit proposals where necessary to fulfill the overall objectives of this program or to address issues that were omitted by the individual project proposals.

Governance

The unallocated portion of Sustainability Fee Funds are to be set aside for one-time sustainability investments and will be managed through the Campus Green Fund Committee starting in the 2011 - 2012 fiscal period.  There shall be 7 voting members, comprising 4 students (2 Executive Officers and 2 students-at-large) and 3 campus employees (1 staff and 2 faculty). Additionally, the Director of Student Programs or their designee may serve in a non-voting advisory capacity. The Campus Green Fund Committee is chaired by the Center for Student Engagement and Leadership Program Manager (staff representative).  Executive Board Representatives are selected by the Executive Board. Students-at-large and faculty are selected the chair. Referrals are made by the Campus Green Fund Committee and approved by the Executive Board.

Approval/Allocation Process

The Campus Green Fund Committee Process shall go according to the following schedule (this year)[see the bottom of this web page for the schedule table]:

The money collected from sustainability fees will be allocated as follows;

• A maximum of $50,000 for yearly sustainability-related investments and operations budget approved by Student Government. Budget allocation amount can be revised up or down for future by the Student Government. 
• The remaining unallocated funds are to be used by Campus Green Fund Committee for grant awards.

No funds shall be taken from the starting balance into a reserve account.

Any funds not spent in CGF Committee process shall be returned to the respective accounts for allocation in future CGF Committee processes.

The final list of recommended projects and any implementation considerations will be submitted by the CGF Committee to both Student Government and President’s Cabinet for review and ratification.  If either body rejects or modifies the recommendations then it goes back to the CGF Committee for final revisions.

Approval and allocation of CGF Committee funds must be completed by the conclusion of spring quarter.

The administrative head (the appropriate Vice President or their designee, or the ASEC Executive Board or their designee) of each unit receiving an award is responsible for establishing procedures to monitor the expenses of the project and for ensuring the project objectives and any assigned conditions are met. Each organizational unit receiving funding must, after the implementation of each project, submit a report to the Campus Green Fund Committee that outlines the activities of the project, describes how the project objectives were met, and identifies all expenditures of funds. These reports will be publicly available and retained for biennial process review.

Project Expenditure Control

The head of the organizational unit will be responsible for overseeing the projects to ensure that project expenditures are made in accordance with the project plan and any conditions identified by the CGF Committee or subsequent review processes. Any project deficits will be the responsibility of the area receiving the award.

All expenditures fall under the jurisdiction of the ASEC Financial Code.

Project Management and Coordination

The CGF Committee may require that major projects be managed and coordinated by a project team consisting of the various constituencies that will be involved or affected by the proposed project. The Sustainability Researcher, in consultation with the organizational entity, will appoint the project-management committee.

Course Fees

If the equipment requested will be used by any courses for which equipment-related course fees are collected, the total project funding requested must also reflect the amount collected from these course

Campus Green Fund Timeline