Tech would use a green fund for similar projects. Just a $5 fee, implemented for one semester at Tech, could generate a fund of $130,000. That is only 0.5 percent of the current fees that students already pay. A $15 fee could generate almost $400,000. This money would be used to make our campus more sustainable, while giving the student body the power to choose the projects, submit ideas and make big changes in the university.
Unlike other student fees, the green fee empowers students, specifically those in a committee, to decide how the money will be spent. Green Fund Committees in other schools, designed to ensure smart spending, are typically comprised of at least one faculty adviser and mainly students.
The committee could give the university permission to use green fund money for things such as green campus infrastructure upgrades, which would save the university money and could reduce tuition costs. So money given could ultimately give right back to the students. However, Tech’s proposed Green Fund would also have an opt-out option, so if students really couldn’t afford or didn’t want to pay the addition to tuition they would have that choice.
You may be reading this with some skepticism, and if that is so I encourage you to ask questions and be heard. This green fee is being proposed to the university in the spring and is currently being designed by students, specifically to empower students to make the changes that they want to see in this university. We want to hear your concerns, ideas and questions.
There are two ways that you can voice your opinion: Go online and fill out a survey, or come to The Green Fund Forum which will take place in the future.
The Green Fund Forum will be a direct way to hear how other schools have used their green funds and what Tech hopes to do with ours. During and after the panel you can ask questions and get answers immediately. If you want to get involved in the task force, you can. You as a student have a voice that really matters and needs to be heard. This is a big opportunity to make a huge sustainable impact on your college experience.
Go to http://studentvoice.com/vtech/sgagreenfee09 and fill out the survey.
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This is a tax for 'global warming'. But global warming isn't real, in fact, we have global cooling going on. It is much colder now than it was a few months ago. No new taxes!!!
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No, No, No we already pay enough for school and with state funding dropping plus a piss poor football season the tuition is going up already. If you could find a way to do this without us paying more fine, keep your hand out of my wallet.
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There is an opt-out option for people who don't want to pay. This is a proposed fund and hasn't been passed yet and we want to hear your comments.
Please fill out the survey at the bottom and if you have any questions or comments email them too vtgreenfee@gmail.com
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I did not see that part about opting out as long as that is in there go for it.
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Whether or not it's option is irrelevant. Optional fees have a more formal name: donations. Further, what people should put their money to is specific projects. You want to add more bike racks? Let people pay directly to that expenditure. Putting money into a fund that is then controlled by some "green" group is a bad idea - we might as well call it a tax.
Also, if things like bio-fuel buses are economically sustainable as well, then the BT should invest in them on their own as they will benefit from the return on investment.
This Green Fund doesn't make any sense, and has no place in our lineup of fees.
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Jeez so why don't we just make people pay for causes they don't believe in then?
Hey tomorrow I am setting up a booth on the drill field where you can sign up to pay the Chris fee in your tuition. This fee will help support me and my ideas and I may or may not use it for what I tell you I will.
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Wow, this is awesome! Think of all of the projects that could be funded from this extra little bit of cash. I'd be willing to bet that energy savings from efficiency projects could even end up saving students money in the future.
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