Current Projects:

As a campus sustainability initiative, GCG is working on a “Turn Out the Lights” campaign, urging students, faculty, and staff to flip the switch when leaving the room or walking by unoccupied rooms. Other goals for the year include: tree planting; working with the Student Government to get a CTA vending machine on campus; attending a local farmers’ market to speak with local farmers and learn the benefits of supporting locally grown crops; and hosting a fundraiser to sell notebooks hand-made out of recycled paper on campus.

GCG is also coordinating with NEIU’s student newspaper The Independent to publish a green column.

Green Fee: The Green Cycle Group started to pursue a green fee in the fall of 2006.  The purpose of the fee is to create a permanent fund dedicated to financing sustainable energy installations on campus and to leverage grants.  GCG followed a similar process as the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and other schools in working with the SGA and administration to place a referendum question on the student election ballot.  Once it was on the ballot, they organized a large outreach campaign to get the word out.  They also had some help from other clubs and a many people were motivated by the prospect of doing something so positive.  When the referendum went up for a vote, the students approved the green fee with an overwhelming 75% of the vote!  The $3 per semester fee was added to tuition in the fall of 2007 and have since officially formed a committee composed of 5 students, 2 faculty, and 2 facility management staff to choose projects. 

Green Fee update: Since the inception of the green fee in the Fall of 2007, the committee has received over $80,000. Approximately half of this revenue was used to purchase an electric car and install additional bike racks. Projects under review include installation of 22 motion-activated light sensors and the replacement of illuminated exit signs with LED fixtures.

For suggestions on how to institute a green fee on your campus, check out the Green Cycle Group’s website from the campaign: http://www.renewneiu.org

The following link is another great resource for groups looking to institute a green fee on campus: http://orgs.tntech.edu/seac/greencampaign.html

Other Recent Projects:

Green Week 2008 – September 29-October 3  
GCG hosted several activities during the SAC-sponsored Green Week, all of which were geared toward conservation efforts, including: a container gardening presentation; a bike commuting workshop; and a bake sale which included other NEIU student organizations. Proceeds from the bake sale went to the Green Fee Foundation, a fund established for donations. Thanks to The First Drop vegan bakery for the donation of 120 items! Donated baked goods included brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and green tea cookies.  For more information, please visit the Green Week page!

Save Paper! ...Start in the computer lab!

GCG collaborated with Computer Services to change the default print settings so that all printing in campus computer labs automatically prints double-sided. (One can still easily change the print default back to single-sided by clicking the print-preferences.)

Evaluating the use of vending misers on campus vending machines:
Tufts University: http://www.usatech.com/energy_management/index.php
Manufacturer: http://www.tufts.edu/tie/tci/pdf/VendingMiserHandout.pdf

 

Contact Information: