Institutional Change
There are many activities beyond the day-to-day or biweekly tasks of the green living program (GLP) reps that can create longer-lasting institutional change at a college or university. Some of these tasks may or may not be appropriate to be focused on by the entire team of reps. Some may be best focused on by the attention of the GLP captains or coordinator, or possibly as an individual project by one of the reps.
There are unlimited ways a rep can partner with organizations at your college or university to create memorable events that lead to lasting policy change. At Harvard University, the GLP has engaged in the following efforts:
- Green Power
- Northeast Climate Conference
- Sustainable Allston
- Curriculum Review
- Policy Change
- Student Government Legislation
Green Power
During the last three years, some of the Harvard GLP’s time has been spent educating students about renewable energy, clearing up misconceptions, presenting energy facts and figures, and educating students about why renewable energy is important.
The GLP has also partnered with the Campus Energy Reduction Program (formerly known as the Computer Energy Reduction Program) to present renewable energy certificates to dorms that won renewable energy for the campus-wide Go Cold Turkey pledge competition.
Resources
Links
Activity 1: “The Rolling Sunlight”
Spring 2004
Partners
- Harvard Office for the Arts
- Harvard Yard Operations
- Greenpeace – Clean Energy Now
Main Campaign and Messages
Harvard's GLP partnered with the Climate Campaign’s Northeast Rolling Sunlight Campus Tour. The Rolling Sunlight is a biodiesel-fueled vehicle, with sliding solar panels on its roof, that was built by Greenpeace. The Rolling Sunlight was brought into Harvard Yard during the Office of the Arts’ big “Arts First” weekend in May. Alumni, students, and art enthusiasts paraded around the Yard, where the Rolling Sunlight was clearly visible next to University Hall. The main performance stage in the Yard was powered by The Rolling Sunlight throughout the day. GLP reps spent one to two hours each at The Rolling Sunlight, answering questions of passersby and educating the campus community about the importance of renewable energy.
Lessons Learned
This started out as an individual project by one of the GLP reps. To arrange The Rolling Sunlight's visit to campus, he worked with Yard Operations and a Harvard engineer to get permission for the vehicle to come into the Yard. He also worked with the Office of the Arts to have The Rolling Sunlight be a part of their big weekend. The visit blossomed into an activity that all the reps participated in by spending one to two hours of designated work time at The Rolling Sunlight. Reps also publicized the event before it happened to make sure the campus community knew about The Rolling Sunlight.
Keep in mind your reps’ individual projects may blossom into full group activities for the full team.
Second, try to link up with local and national nonprofit organizations (such as Clean Air-Cool Planet and The Climate Campaign) who are doing great work. It will save you time of reinventing the wheel, and could help bring you cool activities, such as the The Rolling Sunlight!
Resources
In the News
- “Solar Power Lights the Art World.” The Harvard Crimson, 10 May 2004.
Activity 2: Quincy House “Pocket Change for Change” Wind Eco-Project
Spring 2004
Partners
Quincy House and the Harvard Undergraduate Council
Main Campaign and Messages
The Quincy House “Pocket Change for Change” Wind Project was an Eco-Project for the 2004 Green Cup Competition. It was led by a tutor (a graduate student residence assistant) in Quincy House, one of the main undergraduate dormitories at Harvard. The tutor leader publicized the importance of wind energy, creating an educational website for his dorm. He then collected pocket change from students in the Quincy House Dining Hall throughout the week. With the money he collected in students’ pocket change, a donation from the Quincy House masters and a small grant from the Harvard Undergraduate Council, the tutor bought a renewable energy certificate for one week’s worth of renewable energy for Quincy House’s energy use. This was a great educational process for the students in Quincy House, and it later resulted in a wider-spread renewable energy educational campaign. This eco-project also came in first for the Green Cup Competition, winning $150, which was donated back to Quincy House.
Lessons Learned
If your GLP runs a Green Cup Competition, this is a great way to encourage leadership from student leaders throughout campus, who can go above and beyond the focus of your GLP activities.
Activity 3: Vote Wind Referendum
Fall/Winter 2005
Partners
Main Message and Campaign
A former rep ran a campus-wide campaign to have a wind energy referendum inserting a question on the Undergraduate Council’s presidential election ballot asking students whether they would support an optional $10 per year fee for renewable energy. Although this was not a GLP activity, it shows the great leadership steps reps can go on to take, both during their continued time on your campus and beyond.
In the News
- “Wind Power Referendum Sails On: Students Pass Opt-Out $10 Fee on Term bill to Fund Renewable Energy.” The Harvard Crimson, 10 December 2004.
- “Proceed with Caution.” The Harvard Crimson Editorial, 14 January 2005.
Northeast Climate Conference
Partners
- Harvard College Dean’s Office
- Harvard Undergraduate Council (Grant Money)
- Harvard Environmental Action Committee
- Climate Campaign
Context
The Northeast Climate Conference in February 2004 brought over 400 students from around the Northeast and the nation to Harvard’s campus for a 3-day conference. The conference was planned and funded in partnership with The Climate Campaign, along with students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tufts University. While this was not an activity planned by the GLP, one of our co-captains helped organize the event. During the actual conference, reps were expected to spend a couple of paid hours in attendance or helping in some way. Their participation was viewed as an additional training and networking opportunity for their personal growth, as well as an opportunity to connect the GLP with the broader campus sustainability movement.
Lessons Learned
Hosting a campus or inter-school conference can add legitimacy to your program’s work in the eyes of administrators and students who see the many speakers and attendees who visit your campus. Conferences give your organization a time to shine and your campus community a time to reflect. When planning a conference, pull in leaders (campus and professional) to inspire your community. You may be able to build partnerships with off-campus leaders who come to the conference. You will inspire more students on your campus to get involved through the momentum of the conference. Most importantly, use the conference as a time to reach out, as well as to grow as an organization. An effective conference can help pave the way for continued institutional change and growth.
In the News
- “Environmental Conference Decries Warming.” The Harvard Crimson, 23 February 2004.
Sustainable Allston
Partners
Context
There was overlap in the Harvard GLP staff and the founding members of Sustainable Allston, an inter-university student group with the mission to incorporate sustainability into the planning process for Harvard’s new campus in Allston, MA, located just across the Charles River from the main campus in Cambridge, MA.
Two of the key undergraduate leaders were former or current GLP reps. A GLP as an organization cannot only give leverage to volunteer environmental student groups, but it can also provide the training and confidence-building necessary to help students achieve their full potential and act as change agents in many facets of the university and beyond.
In October 2004, Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers declared a set of campus Sustainability Principles, which were developed in part by Sustainable Allston leaders and a committee of faculty, staff and students facilitated by the Harvard Green Campus Initiative.
Two other reps were selected to be part of an Allston focus-group session, giving input about undergraduates’ expectations for the new campus. The Harvard Sustainability Principles and undergraduate desire to see sustainability incorporated into the new buildings were mentioned in the resulting Undergraduate Life Task Force report.
Curriculum Review
Context
For the last two years, Harvard University has been in the midst of its undergraduate Curriculum Review, a process that had not occurred in the previous 30 years. Although the process was outside the immediate scope of the GLP, reps worked to support the Curriculum Review campaign peripherally. As with Sustainable Allston, they were encouraged to fill out a survey, write a letter and spread the word about both, encouraging students to voice their desire that sustainability education be incorporated into the undergraduate curriculum. This is an area the Harvard GLP may pursue in further depth in the future.
Policy Change
There are many rules, regulations and policies at every college and university. Incorporating sustainability, energy efficiency and resource conservation into policy is an extremely effective way to create change. While strategically working on policy change may not be the most effective use of every rep's time, it is something the GLP captains and coordinator can focus on, or individual reps can focus on it for their individual projects.
Area 1: First-year Handbook Revision
Partners
Harvard College Freshman Dean’s Office
Main Campaign
We submitted revisions to the “What to Bring” sections of the "Guide to the First Undergraduate Year," which is a handbook that goes out to all incoming students during the summer. Except for computer-related items, the guide is the only information incoming students receive about what to bring to campus.
We worked with the existing content to emphasize compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), laundry drying racks, fridge energy usage, consultation with roommates to minimize duplication, Energy Star products and avoidance of toxic cleaning products.
In addition to providing detailed information in a dedicated guide, it is important to integrate recommendations into the other materials students receive. This way students do not get mixed messages from different publications, and they begin to perceive sustainable choices as a normal part of life at college.
We have found that incoming first-years are starting their own Yahoo groups to make contact with each other before they arrive on campus. This could be another place to get the message out and address questions about the recommendations.
Resources
Area 2: Faculty of Arts and Sciences Handbook Addition
Partners
Faculty of Arts & Sciences Dean's Office and Harvard College Dean's Office
Campaign
We successfully incorporated a “Resource Conservation” section into the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Handbook for the College. For the section, go to page 328 of the FAS Handbook.
Area 3: Committee on House Life “Party Form” Revision
Partners
Harvard Committee on House Life
Campaign
We successfully incorporated a section on “How to Minimize the Environmental Impact of Your Party” (essentially a list of green party tips) into the official Party Registration form for the College. See page 2 of this document for an example of the revised party form.
Student Government Legislation
Partners
Context
Partnering with the student government can increase your influence over school policies, whether through recommendations or through specific policies for student groups and activities. While it may not be appropriate for your GLP to take this on as a full group effort, some reps may want to take it on as an individual project.
Resources
- Examples of legislation