Drive For Green Revision : Results


-Results-

 

Implementation (How Do They Work?)

 

The Green Grant Committee

     University of Texas approved a Green Fee of $5.00 per long semester and $2.50 per summer semester from students. This is a temporary system which lasts from Fall of 2011 to Summer of 2016. The purpose of the Green Fee is to create a grant which the Green Fee Committee will "review and award funds for environmental service related projects on campus" ('Green Fee Committee', 2011). Because this awards funding to projects, no pay back is required. Wayne State University will implement a similar concept though the length of this structure is determined by Larry Fodor and the Board of Governors.

     The Green Fee Committee (GFC) in University of Texas makes necessary approval decisions and checks on projects. They also have control over the Green Fee revenue ('Bylaws of the UT-Austin Green Fee Committee', 2011). It first begins with a majority vote on a particular project on whether to fund it. Of course, it has to meet the general requirements listed by the Committee (such as having a mechanism so that annual cost savings are reported). If by any chance the funding was spent outside the scope of the project, then the project manager must return the funds to the GFC. This is determined by a detail follow up containing original documents, expenses, purchase orders, and other records once the project is completed. Because the Green Fee is a student fee, a public record is maintained annually and reported to the Student Government and the college community.

     Wayne State will use the same system; however, the student fee may be different. Student fee is depended on how much the majority of the students in our survey are willing to contribute per semester and whether the Board of Governors will approve it. 

 

http://www.utexas.edu/sustainability/greenfee.php

http://www.utexas.edu/sustainability/documents/UTAustin_GFC_bylaws.pdf

 

The Revolving Fund Committee

     The WSU Green-Revolving Fund is a green account balance which helps fund the green initiative projects in Wayne State University. Funding must be paid back through annual cost savings. This system is similar to the Green-Revolving Fund implemented in Champlain College. Growth in the funding is seen using interest.

     Green-Revolving Fund (GRF) in Champlain College is a funding system by which it "finances energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other sustainability projects on campus" ('Champlain College Green Revolving Fund', 2013). Funding must be paid back within five years through annual savings after it has been approved by the GRF Committee. 120% of the initial fund must be paid back by then. The extra 20% contributes the growth of the GRF.

     The committee meets at least once a semester. In each meeting, projects are presented, discussed and voted upon. Once approved, the project is implemented as soon as possible and is monitored (including the progress of the project and how much savings is actually brought in per year). 80% of the annual savings per year replenish the GRF until 120% is paid. Champlain College use the 20% to help fund their Green Community Fund and Physical Plant operations. Once the 120% is fully paid, the 80% is then used to help with college operations.

     Wayne State University will follow a similar plan like Champlain College; however, 100% of the annual savings help replenish the GRF. This helps speed up the process. Once that is done then the long term annual savings are coordinated by the Director of Sustainability in what he sees fit in liaison to the College administration and the campus community. 

 

http://www.champlain.edu/Documents/Sustain-Champlain/ChamplainGreenRevolvingFund.pdf

 

The Hybrid Committee

     The hybrid model utilizes the student fees and the monthly savings for projects.  This new funding will incorporate a grant like system and a revolving fund system. These systems are separate from each other in what actions they should take.  Harvard University implemented both systems to help fund programs.

     The WSU Green Student Fee is determined by student votes and the approval from the Board of Governors much like our first alternative. This is one of the two sources which will help capitalize the Wayne State Green Fund.  The other is the extra 20% gained from annual savings through projects.  This is the exact same revolving system like the second alternative.

     WSU Green Fund works in two ways.  First is a grant like system.  This grant like system will help support student research projects and projects that do not have monthly savings.  Infrastructure maintenance also get its funding through this Green Grant.  Because these projects do have not monthly savings no money growth is seen through this.  Another way WSU Green Fund function is through a self revolving fund system.  This revolving fund system will support large projects with monthly savings.  Again, much like our second alternative, implemented project will payback until 120% of its initial cost is returned through monthly energy savings.         

     The committee is composed of students, faculty members of the Office of Sustainability, and administrators. The co-chair will be Larry Fodor. The committee will monitor both the grant system and the revolving loan system and which project is applicable.  A non-return savings project which desire funding using the grant system is first approved through the criteria which the committee sets forth.  Once approved with the expect expenditures, the committee will monitor its progress.  Minimally, a project assessment will be made at the end once the project is complete, with documents detailing the final cost and extra expenses.  If at the end of the assessment or during the implementation process there is a conflict in a project's expenses and/or funds are spend outside their scope, the project holder will be asked to return the funds.  Likewise the committee will approve projects which ask for funds through the revolving fund system.  Monthly saving assessments will be monitored to see that money is flowing into the Green Fund.  Annual financial performance of the WSU Green Fund will need to be reported and published and shared through Wayne State website.         

 

https://harvardofs.wufoo.com/forms/zaubbt001ntohz/

http://greenbillion.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Harvard.pdf 

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/newsplus/get-paid-to-go-green-ofs-now-accepting-student-grant-applications/

 

 

Desirability (Does The Student Body Desire These Ideas?)

 

Student Fee's Appeal

 

(Figure 1: How much students are willing to contribute per semester to support the sustainability funding?)

 

     Figure 1 is a pie chart depicting the cost students are willing to contribute in support of the sustainability funding.  Surprisingly, around 25% of the 101 students would like to contribute each semester with somewhere between $8.01 - $12.00.  This is more than any of the other amount being asked. 

     Looking at it in a different way, around 40% say they would not like to contribute anything to a sustainable fund.  This leaves 60% of the student sample approving some kind of fee even though there is a fee $1.

 

Revolving Fund's Attraction

 

(Figure 2: Is There A Need For Wayne State To Be Environmentally Sustainable and Energy Efficient?)

 

     The figure above displays whether students believe Wayne State needs to be environmentally sustainable and energy efficient than it is currently.  88% agree or strongly agree with the statement.  Wayne State needs to make necessary improvements to become environmentally sustainable.

 

(Figure 3: Should Wayne State be responsible?)

  

     Figure 3 depicts a pie chart  with responses on whether Wayne State should have the responsibility to be a more sustainable campus. Out of the 101 students, 84 of them says that they agree or strongly agree with the statement.  Wayne State is subjected in making sure green initiative programs are being created. 

 

The Hybrid Glamour

     Both students and the college campus are responsible to generate the extra funding. However, because we are measuring the students' desirability, the results will have to follow from the results in the first alternative.  Students are willing to contribute to fund (Figure 1) so long as the college campus is responsible to play their part as well (Figure 3).

 

 

Income (How Much Could Be Brought In?)

 

Student Support for the Student Fees

     The amount of money being brought in is determined by the student attendance and how much they are willing to contribute per semester and what the Board of Governors will approve. For example, in 2011, Utah State University approved a green fee of 3$ per semester on students. Based on their student enrollment it has been estimated that this would generate a revenue of $90,000 a year (Maffly, 2011). Much can be done with this asset. 

 

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51291422-76/students-student-fee-projects.html.csp

 

Interest Support in the Revolving Fund

     The growth of a feasible WSU Green-Revolving Fund is determined by the amount being given to a proposed project. Simon Fraser University requested $27,000 in their revolving fund called the Self Utilized Revolving Fund (SURF) to replace compact fluorescent light bulbs with 500 LED lamps (Sundmark, 2011). Tghere is no statement as to whether an interest is being applied. However, applying alternative 2, a payback of 120% of that initial amount (the $27,000) would generate $32,400 by the end of the paid date using annual savings. That is an extra $5,400. Each proposed project will have their own figures as to how much funding they need. Some will be greater than $27,000; thus, the return interest will be great. Others will be smaller than $27,000 in which the return interest will be smaller. 

 

http://www.sfu.ca/fs/files/Green_Initiatives/SURF/P0001-AQ_LED_Lighting/SURF_Application_Form_-_AQ_Lighting_LED_-_P0001.pdf

 

Combination of Student and Interest Support

     Because this alternative applies both alternatives at the same time, the money gained is dependent on the cost per student enrollment, the number of students enrolled, as well as the 20% growth from approved projects. There will be a huge influx of money gained.

 

What needs to be worked on:

You have a lot of information to work with, but the pie charts layout is comes of kind of confusing because it relates specifically to alternative one and its a lot of information. The results are good because it talks about each alternative but the repetition of saying alternative one alternative two alternative three can be resolved by formatting.  When scanning to locate specific information you would be very lost.