Steering Group

The green living program (GLP) captains and coordinator consult with the steering group before developing the year's biweekly campaigns. Teams of GLP student reps will support the development of resources for these campaigns on a rotating basis. The steering group provides information and support for these efforts. For example, members may provide directions for adjusting radiators, the latest standings in a recycling competition or questions to include in a survey.

The steering group meets several times each semester to provide strategic direction to achieve the core goals of the GLP. At Harvard, the GLP steering group is comprised of two student captains, any former captains still on campus, the program coordinator, the co-chairs of the student-run Environmental Action Committee, a house master and representatives of the funding offices.

Relational Benefits

The communication among GLP participants—student reps and captains, the coordinator and steering group members—enhances the success of the program and general campus-greening efforts.

From the steering group, the coordinator, reps and captains gain:

  • strategic insight into operations processes at the college or university;
  • institutional memory of what happened before the GLP came to campus;
  • a sense of legitimacy through the involvement of the steering group members;
  • inspiration from staff members who have incorporated sustainability into their careers, habits or goals.

From the students reps and captains, steering group members gain:

  • insight into the culture of the current student population;
  • insight into students’ perception of barriers to conservation;
  • ideas on how to reach out through other student organizations;
  • a higher feeling of investment with the program through student contact;
  • inspiration from today’s youth and tomorrow’s future leaders.

Steering group members also benefit from creating new approaches to joint efforts, finding efficient solutions for practices that affect multiple departments, piloting new opportunities and developing increased coordination among their departments.