University of Pittsburgh

My Freshman Year…

Disconnect between students and administration began to close

Established sustainability interns in dining and housing

Problem: needed to “institutionalize relationships,” keep channel of communication open

Our Solution

Why Establish a Green Fund

Lack of a consistent, centralized, and streamlined sustainability effort

To formalize collaboration between students and administration

Allow students to play an unprecedented role in the university

How We Did It

Prove ourselves first with student money› After, administration often adopts projects

Start small

Work within circumstances and constraints

How Administration Views Us

“seed fund” to test-drive new ideas

Researchers

Liaisons

Publicists

Future Structure

Facilities Manageme

nt

Housing

StudentLife

Projects in campus buildings

Projects on campus grounds

Projects in campus dorms

Projects with dining Communicatio

n with student body

Projects involving the student body and education

Located 45 Minutes East of Kansas City

Undergraduate pop. 9,500 students

Graduate pop. 2,200 students

Sustainable Accomplishments› $36.2 million Energy Savings Contracting

Recognized by former U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton

› Certification of 1st L.E.E.D. Certified Building Projected to be Gold Level

› Creation of Student-Run Office of Sustainability Environmental Educational Programming Campus-Wide Project Implementation Sustainable Innovation Community Partnerships

Office of Sustainability-History

2-Student Advocates-No Office-2009› Create Recycling Program

4 bins/Voluntary/Ad-Hoc Recycling Office-Closet Office-2010

› Expand, Maintain, and Track Campus-Wide Program 4,300/Centralized Collection

Office of Sustainability-Office in Admin.-2011

Make It Happen…

Make It Attainable

Guide Students Through Bureaucratic System

Don’t Let Them Fail, Empowerment

Be Personable

Pay STUDENTS!!

Make It Identifiable

Make it Sexy

Make it Educational

Service Learning

Habit Changing Gifts

Mini-Grant System-Student Chosen

Failure Is Not An Option

My Transformation

Political Science Student

Student Advocate

Trash Digger

Change Agent

Take Home…

Listen To Otherwise Crazy ideas.. 8-5 isn’t 5-8 Equal Expectations Embrace Teachable Moments Titles Are FREE!! Is This Your Work or Your Passion? Acknowledge Success

My Fears

Graduation in May

Sustainability of the Office