Green Referendum FAQ

Why should I vote yes in support of the Green Fee?
1. The Green Fee is a student led initiative that will also be student run.
2. It is an investment that will lower the cost of utilities on campus and help bring the cost of education DOWN at SIUC.
3. It will reduce the university's contribution to climate change.
4. It's part of a nationwide movement to make our universities climate neutral in an attempt to influence national energy policy and show it can be done!

What is the Green Fee?
The Green Fee is an 83¢ per credit hour student fee with a cap at $10.

What is the Green Referendum?
The Green Referendum is a way to gauge student support for the fee. It's a simple yes/no question that will appear on the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) election ballot asking students whether or not they support the Green Fee. We don't want to impose a fee students don't want.

When and Where can I vote?
9:00am-6:00pm Tuesday and Wednesday April 15-16 at the Student Center, REC Center and several other on campus locations.

What will the Green Fee be used for?
1. On-campus renewable energy generation.
2. Energy efficiency and conservation projects.
3. Other environmental sustainability projects.
4. Environmental Research. 
These four areas will help reduce SIUC's contribution to global warming, reduce our ecological footprint, lower operating costs and increase institutional efficiency.  Possible projects include wind turbines, solar panels, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design building certification, geothermal heat pump retrofits and Energy Star appliance upgrades.

Who will carry out the use of the fee?
The Sustainability Council.

Who will serve on the Sustainability Council?
6 Students, 5 faculty, 8 Facilities and Services employees, 1 community member, 1 member at large, and the Sustainability Coordinator.

Who will decide how the money is spent?
Students!  The Sustainability Council will have an internal funding committee composed of 9 members:  6 students, 1 Faculty, 1 Facilities and Services representative, and the Sustainability Coordinator.

I’m concerned about affordability, why would I want to pay this fee?
It sounds backwards, but this fee will actually make SIUC more affordable! It’s really simple, invest a tiny bit now so students don't have to pay a ton in the future. The cost of energy produced from fossil fuels is going up and will continue to do so at exponential rates.  And to make matters worse, by the end of 2009, a mandatory carbon cap and trade bill will be signed into law.  This will further increase the cost of burning fossil fuels.  When this happens, the university will inevitably increase tuition to pay the higher utility bills.  So, investing now in renewable energy and energy efficiency will actually guard students against increasing costs.

Why can't energy efficiency and renewable energy projects just come out of the tuition we already pay?
Fees are meant to provide amenities and services that fall outside the traditional realm of education.  Students wanted a facility where they can go bowling, rent free rooms for their groups and shoot pool, so they agreed to a fee that provided them the Student Center.  Students want their university to become a leader in energy efficiency and conservation, so we're trying to create a small fee that starts that process and demonstrates to the administration that this issue is important to students.