FSU Seeking Proposals for Sustainability Projects

Frostburg State University officials are seeking proposals for sustainability projects after a $30 sustainability fee paid by full time undergraduates generated $18,000.

In Spring 2014, FSU’s Student Government Association approved the creation of a sustainability fee to fund projects begun by the President’s Advisory Council on Sustainability. The University System of Maryland Board of Regents approved this fee in May 2015.

Dr. Dan Fiscus, an assistant professor of biology and FSU’s sustainability liaison, noted “how important it is that students have taken the leadership role to provide funding for sustainability changes on campus.” He added that “it will be great to see too how students rise to the challenge again by designing projects and applying for funds to help transform FSU toward more sustainable operations and culture.”

When the Board of Regents approved the fee in May 2015, Sam Lohff told The Bottom Line, “By students investing into sustainability now, even just on a small scale $30 per year, we can begin to make the campus more efficient and sustainable, eventually saving money for students and the campus as a whole.” Lohff is a former SGA senator who served as the student representative on the sustainability council.

About five proposals have been submitted so far, according to Dr. Kara Rogers Thomas, a member of the sustainability council. Rogers Thomas said the number is “not nearly as many as we’d like” but that the timing has probably hindered the process. Because the call for proposals went out towards the end of last semester, and because of the snowstorm at the beginning of this semester, there hasn’t been a lot of time to develop and submit proposals.

“The proposals that we’ve received are solid proposals,” she said. The proposals are focused on research and facilities.

“One of those projects that we’re hoping to see happen, whether it’s student instigated or whether it comes from the physical plant, is we’d like to have meters on each one of the residence halls,” she said.

The physical plant’s system is currently unable to measure the energy and water consumption of each individual residence hall.

Bob Boyce, FSU’s physical plant director, said, “I would like to see all campus buildings not just the dorms have sub metering and the software to report to a ‘dashboard’ where all buildings could be compared by square feet. It could tell us where we should invest in energy efficiency projects.”

A “ballpark” figure for the project’s cost is about $10,000, Boyce said.

Rogers Thomas hopes that students will become more involved in sustainability efforts on campus, especially after they see the energy use of the residence halls.

Another possible project is organizing a “bazaar” or exchange day for students – and others from the region – to exchange furniture or televisions instead of throwing them away to go to a landfill.

It’s “up to the students” of this generation to drive this change in sustainability, she said, adding that “Some proposals have been from students, and I know other students who are thinking very seriously about what their proposal might look like.”

“Students have really been on the cutting edge of this project since the very beginning,” she said.

The sustainability fee could have a positive impact on the region, whether it’s by spreading awareness, or by projects being done in the region.

“What we do with the sustainability fee is going to be a model for other organizations in our region, and other institutions,” Rogers Thomas said. “Depending on what the proposals are and what is done with the sustainability fee, there’s any number of ways it could impact the region in a very positive direction.”

Rogers Thomas pointed out that it could open up opportunities for students to work on projects with the city of Frostburg and Allegany County, not just the university.

“We’re really excited about the possibilities,” she said. “I think that it’s very early in the process. We have just announced the first round of calls for proposals. It’s going to take a while for students to become aware of this funding source, but I think that once they’re aware of it and see a couple of projects be successful, hopefully that’s going to start to generate more and more ideas.”

Project proposals must be submitted to Dr. Dan Fiscus at dafiscus@frostburg.edu by February 12, 2016. Proposals will be selected by the President’s Advisory Council on Sustainability – which consists of students, faculty, and staff representatives – on February 19.

Priority will be given to projects that involve students throughout the process; benefit students on and/or off-campus; linked to an academic class offering experiential learning; have long term benefits for the University campus; address an item(s) in the University Climate Action Plan (http://www.frostburg.edu/lglg/cap.htm); collaboration with multiple groups; and focus on this year’s theme: “Sustainability Awareness.”