Much of the credit for UC's Sustainability initiative belongs to the students who first brought this issue to the Regents in 2002. Since then, UC students have been instrumental in shaping and implementing the University's sustainability policy. Students have also played a crucial role in educating faculty, administrators, staff, and their peers about environmental stewardship and campus sustainability. This section highlights student sustainability efforts within the UC.
Student Fee Referenda
The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF): a student-approved fee initiative to fund campus sustainability projects
UC Santa Cruz Campus Sustainability Council (CSC):
Provides funds to student organizations for sustainability programs and events that facilitate collaboration between students, the administration, faculty, and the community.
UC Santa Cruz Renewable Energy Fee (pdf):
Funds the purchase of renewable energy certificates equal to 100% of the campus's electricity consumption. 2007 Best Practice Award Winner
Sustainability Internship Programs
The Alliance to Save Energy's Green Campus Program:
Employs and trains paid student interns on six UC campuses. Interns educate the campus community about the importance of energy efficiency and conservation through activities such as CFL exchanges, residence hall energy competitions, and energy audits of campus offices.
Sustainable Agrifood System Fellowships
The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food System (CASFS) coordinates the Sustainable Agrifood Systems Fellowship to increase research capacity on campus food systems for undergraduate and graduate students at multiple University of California campuses.
Berkeley
- Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS) internship program
- Student and Residential Sustainability Education Coordinators (SSEC, and RSEC) Programs, Program Poster (jpg)
- Bay-area Environmentally Aware Consulting Network (BEACN): a non-profit student organization at the that specializes in sustainable business consulting in the San Francisco Bay Area. BEACN is comprised of undergraduate students from all different majors and is sponsored by the Walter A. Haas School of Business.
Santa Barbara
Student Government Organizations
Berkeley
Santa Barbara
Student Housing Programs
Berkeley
- Green Demonstration Areas, Program Poster (jpg)
- International House Sustainability Committee, Program Poster (jpg)
Irvine
Santa Cruz
Davis
Los Angeles
Athletics and Recreational Sports
Cal Recreational Sports publishes PLAYGreen, a blog with articles on how to reduce the environmental impact of staying fit and healthy at UC Berkeley.
UC Santa Barbara's Recreation Center received a LEED-EB Silver rating from the US Green Building Council in June, 2008. The second LEED-EB building on the Santa Barbara campus, the Recreation Center earned its certification through water and energy conservation measures and by increasing the recycling rate by 70%, among other initiatives.
Additional Resources
- The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education maintains a site devoted to Dorm Energy Competition Best Practices.
- The American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Task Force
A national student affairs professional association. - The California Students Sustainability Coalition (CSSC)