Hello AASHE Community,

This forum is intended to provide assistance to students at smaller colleges and universities attempting to make their institutions more sustainable.

We noticed at the AASHE 2010 conference that students on smaller colleges and Universities (5,000 students or less) face different challenges and opportunities than students attending larger institutions.   

For example:

• Fees: a green fee of $1 per student at an institution with 30,000 students is going to generate $30,000 dollars  for sustainable projects but at a smaller institution, it will be much less.  
• Movement Cohesion: with so few players in the sustainability movement, it is difficult to come together.  
• In some cases on small campuses project implementation can be easier.  For example, dorm compost programs seem to work better in smaller campuses with smaller dorms.
• Turnover:  With a smaller student body, it may be more difficult to consistently staff environmental student organizations.  
• Non-Student Allies:  Some campuses have less than 100 professors total and even fewer administrators and staff.  This means that it may be harder to find allies on smaller campuses.  

Feel free to bring up any of these areas and others not mentioned.  Discuss what works and what challenges you have faced while making your smaller institutions more sustainable.   Please provide any links to resources for smaller institutions if you have them!  Thank you !

This post was initiated by Green Tower Sustainability

Green Tower Sustainability provides free resources, leadership training and mentor services to environmentally and socially progressive student organizations all around the world.  To learn more visit www.greentowercampus.com or email greentowersustainability@gmail.com.