Green Fee

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Student Green Fee

The UTC Student Green Fee was approved through an SGA student referendum in Spring 2007, and first implemented for the 2007-08 school year, supported through a $10 per student assessment each term.

The purpose of the fee was to support the campus recycling program, purchase green power, and consider and implement other eco-friendly campus programs and initiatives approved through the Environmental Task Force, a representative body of students, faculty, and staff that supports programs and policy that impact the environmental quality of the UTC campus.

Environmental Task Force (ETF)

As a standing committee, the Environmental Task Force solicits and reviews proposals for projects from students, staff, and faculty. The ETF meets the first Wednesday of each month at 2:00 PM in the University Center Sequoia Room during Fall and Spring semesters to review and vote on project applications. ETF membership includes: (Move Membership List to this section).

The Committee has maintained a focus on the primary mission as approved by students, and each year new projects and initiatives are added to the scope of the Committee and supported through the Green Fee funds. ETF Membership includes:

Co-Chair, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs
Co-Chair, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations
President-Student Government Association
EDGE Representative
Two Environmental Science Faculty Members
One University Facilities Representative
One University Housing Representative
Four members selected at large

Environmental Task Force Meeting Schedule

The Environmental Task Force meets the first Wednesday of each month at 2:00 PM in the University Center Sequoia Room during Fall and Spring semesters.

Projects Funded by the Green Fee for 2021

Boiling HVAC
Hand Dryers
Bottle Refill Station
ARC Bike Rack

Projects Funded by the Green Fee for 2020

Bicycle rental program
Theatre LED lighting
Pots/Dirt for campus trees
Garden sign install
Dolly for Brute containers
Tilt-truck recycle totes
96-gallon rollaways
Single-stream stickers
Recycle stations (8 buildings)
Single-stream recycling
USGBC membership
AASHE membership
RecycleMania 2019
Green Light recertification
Earth Days sponsorship
Arbor Day event

Green Fee Projects

Since 2008, the Student Green Fee has funded many projects, click here to view a list of previously funded projects

Green Power: UTC campus is committed to providing green power as much as possible. To do so we implemented alternative energy and made overall improvements to lessen our energy output. When walking around campus you may see the solar panels on the Challenger Building or notice that when you walk into certain building the lights have sensors. These are just a couple of the many things that campus is doing to provide green power. Click the link to see the entire list.
Recycling: The Office of Sustainability at UTC is committed to reducing our waste that ends up in landfills or in our environment. To fulfill such a large commitment, we have recycle-bins throughout the campus. Most recycle bins on campus are single stream bins, meaning plastics, paper and metals can all be recycled in one bin. Click the link to find out more about recycling on campus.
TechnoTrash: Not only do we have recycle-bins for paper and plastic, but the campus has teamed up with Green Disk to reduce our electronic waste was well by placing TechnoTrash. Click here for more information.
Campus green I light certification: coming soon
Student Projects: coming soon
Student Involvement: UTC wants it's students to be involved its students to be informed on how they can live a more sustainable life style. Click here for more information.
Electric Vehicles: coming soon
Bicycle Racks: Bike racks are placed around campus to encourage students to ride their bikes to campus or around campus as an alternative to using their cars. This will decrease indirect greenhouse gas emissions from students who commute to campus.
ARC Bike Rental: coming soon
Earth Day and National Campus Sustainability Week: coming soon
RecycleMania: coming soon
Bottle Refill Stations: Throughout campus there are bottle refill stations attached to water fountains. These are here to help improve our one time use water bottles and to encourage students, facility and staff to refill their reusable water bottles rather than using one time use water bottles. This helps save them money and reduces the waste we put into landfills.
Arboretum and Arbor Day: The UTC Arboretum serves the Chattanooga community by providing a special place that conserves and displays the plants that enhance Chattanooga's Urban Environment. The campus also host yearly Arbor Day events, and we hope to see you there. Linda T. Collins created a map of trees that are on campus as there are nearly 2,000 trees and woody plants with more than 60 species, click here to see here map
Green Spaces: UTC has a strong history of creating and sustaining green spaces to enhance our urban environment for residents, students and visitors.To date, UTC’s network of pedestrian ways is over 50% complete, and 620 additional trees have been planted. Cultivating nearly 2,000 trees and woody plants represented by more than 60 species, for scientific, educational, and ornamental purposes, UTC achieved the Certified Urban Arboretum designation by the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council in 2011.
Teaching Gardens: coming soon
Campus Beautification: coming soon
LED Lighting Upgrades: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a national certification that signifies a building is designed and built using strategies to achieve high performance in key areas of human and environmental health. The UTC Library was built with these standards allowing UTC to receive the LEED Certification in 2015 and today Bretske Hall is now LEED Certified. Click here to for more information.
Occupancy Sensors: coming soon
HVAC and Control Upgrades: coming soon
LEED Certification: coming soon
Virtual computers/servers: coming soon
Automatic Irrigation Systems: coming soon
Interactive Kiosks: In 2016, the interactive Kiosk project was introduced based on the concept that they could educate students, staff and faculty with green initiatives here on campus. The student Green Fee provided the means of purchasing 5 kiosks for the campus with caveat sustainability content on each unit.
Building Envelope Efficiency: coming soon
GIS Applications: coming soon

Green Fee Funding Proposal

Click here to apply for funding. Projects that have matching funding may be given priority. Applicants may be required to attend an Environmental Task Force meeting to present a project summary and answer questions. Please describe the following in your project application summary:

Direct and/or indirect benefit to students
Level of student engagement
The benefit(s) to campus sustainability goal
Partnerships and collaborations
Sustainability of the project
Timeline
Detailed cost summary, including matching funding

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