Green Fund, a committee created in 2012 by a student government vote, provides financial resources and advising to student sustainability projects that aim to improve the UTEP campus, according to Committee Chair Sergio Baltazar.
“We provide the financial resources for students to propose projects to better their campus. We advise them in what are the pillars that we support, like air quality, water preservation, food, and energy conservation,” Baltazar said.
Green Fund takes $3 per student from their tuition every semester, making about $70,000 per semester, according to Baltazar. Its current budget is $268,000, according to Green Fund Grant Administrator Rogelio Chavira.
Some of the project initiatives include investing in renewable energy, promoting environmental sustainability on campus, conserving water, among other proposals, according to its website.
Membership to the committee is by Student Government Association appointment, even though members of Green Fund can suggest people they want as members, according to Baltazar. This opens the door for students, faculty and staff to be part of the Green Fund committee.
Students can submit proposals to Green Fund by completing an application available on the website, according to Baltazar. Once completed, the application is sent to Chavira. He will then share it to the rest of the committee for review.
“Our work, then, is really to read the proposal, kind of analyze what are they asking for and why are they asking for that money, and try to come up with some questions, or an agreement or every word that we can suggest or advise,” Baltazar said. “So once we get together, then we start discussing these kinds of things.”
Green Fund members now meet every month to discuss committee work, such as budget and projects, and to discuss proposals, according to Baltazar.
“Before, we would meet until we had a proposal. This year, we’re trying meeting once a month, so that we continue talking about these things, and we continue to work toward different roles, and get some more people involved with us,” Baltazar said.
These meetings are open to the public.
“We allow people to come in. This is not a secret meeting. The most people that come, the better. We allow them to participate,” Baltazar said.
As of now, Green Fund is looking for ways to promote itself through social media and through a partnership with University Communications to make themselves and their projects more visible, Baltazar said.
Some of the fund’s past projects include investments on the bike racks and bike repairing stations, he said.
Baltazar also mentioned projects such as supporting Sodexo to change from single-use plastic utensils to more sustainable options and search for ways to prevent cardboard contamination so it can be better recycled.
To submit a proposal or learn more about Green Fund visit its website at www.utep.edu/student-affairs/greenfund, or email at green
