Student ideas can help make campus greener
Students and student groups who want to improve campus sustainability can submit a project proposal to Virginia Tech’s Green RFP program and possibly see their idea become reality.
The Green RFP program is seeking proposals that will help achieve the goals of the Virginia Tech Climate Action Commitment, produce tangible savings, and require one-time rather than ongoing support. Proposals are due Oct. 17.
Information about the program, including past projects, can be found on the Green RFP program website. Funded proposals will be announced in early 2015.
Last year, 12 proposals were received and five were funded. To date, the Green RFP program has funded 27 projects totaling more than $210,000. Projects have included bike racks, low-flow shower heads, recycling containers, water bottle refilling stations, and energy efficient lighting.
“The Green RFP program is totally student driven and has made significant improvements to campus sustainability,” said Denny Cochrane, Virginia Tech’s sustainability program manager. “Students have had some great ideas in the past and we can’t wait to see what they propose this year.”
The university’s Energy and Sustainability Committee will prioritize the top student proposals and will forward them to the Office of Budget and Financial Planning, which will coordinate with other university offices to determine potential funding strategies and appropriate approvals.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.
