Partners
A major advantage of a green living program (GLP) is increased strategic coordination between students and operations staff. Involving multiple partners in the program unites environmental advocates on campus by laying out common goals and ensuring that everyone is pulling in the same direction.
The GLP coordinator facilitates conversations between funding partners, students and administrators. He or she also maintains institutional memory, which benefits staff by saving them from having to repeat information to generation after generation of students. By creating or partnering with a GLP, staff also actively demonstrate their support for student environmentalists.
From the GLP point of view, staff partners are desirable because they can provide:
- funding
- program hosting, including office space
- strategic startup and ongoing advice
- credibility for the program’s profile
- assistance with event or campaign logistics.
When looking for partners to bring into the GLP circle, consider all of the following:
- sustainability office or green campus organization
- student environmental groups
- facilities and operations departments
- recycling and waste departments
- dining services
- administrators, such as the dean or other staff
- off-campus sponsors and organizations.
For an example of a possible partnership arrangement, see the Harvard Green Campus Initiative's GLP sponsors and partners.