About

About

About

Mission

The aim of the Green Action Fund is to reduce the ecological footprint of UCCS and promote sustainable environment, social and economic values through a variety of student-sponsored projects. 

History

In 2008, Brandon James, while serving as UCCS SGA President, proposed the Solar Fee, which the UCCS student body passed in April 2008. The goal was to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels with a simple $5.00 student fee. The Solar Fee funded three solar projects before it was repurposed in 2011 to fund a broader range of sustainability projects. In Spring 2011, an amendment to the $5.00-per-semester student Solar Fee Referendum passed, expanding the purpose of the solar fee from strictly solar energy projects to include a broader range of sustainability-related projects on the campus. In Fall of 2011, the Green Action Fund formed, approving the first projects in Spring of 2012. In the Spring of 2013, the sunset of the solar fee was extended and the name changed to the 'Green Action Fee' in a special election. In 2024, the Green Action Fee was voted on by students and became a permanent fee of $6.39 per semester ($3.20 in Summer).

Green Action Fund Three Pillars of Sustainability

  1. Environmental

    Submissions propose methods to reduce the ecological footprint of our campus. Projects will demonstrate a decrease in our ecological footprint by targeting one or more of the following arenas of sustainability: energy sources, carbon emissions, recycling and waste, water and energy usage, living systems (biodiversity), pollution or other areas proven to be of importance in sustainability and reducing our campus ecological footprint.
  2. Social

    Projects demonstrate a clear initiative to engage students. Student involvement opportunities include, but are not limited to: volunteerism, planning and project management, skills training, research, leadership roles, advocacy, or student jobs. Projects should aim to create social cohesion, ideally across an interdisciplinary environment, by demonstrating an active involvement of students.
  3. Financial

    Projects demonstrate a clear financial impact on the campus or for groups on campus. This can include returns on investment, saving money on resources, increasing efficiency of existing resource usage, minimizing need for purchasing new resources, supporting the local economy, and avoiding future costs by investing in future/long-term solutions.