History Personal Narratives Student Proposals SGA Bills Campus Energy Surveys Sustainable Campus Fees Grow to 6 Tennessee Universities! NASHVILLE, TN -- Austin Peay State University, University of Memphis, and University of Tennessee--Chattanooga join the ranks of three other state universities as they received state board approval last summer for new student fees in the name of sustainability. The Tennessee Board of Regents -- the 6th largest college system in the U.S. -- unanimously approved Sustainable Campus Fees for Austin Peay State University and University of Memphis. At $10/student/semester, these schools' fees will raise over $500,000 annually to fund on-campus sustainability projects, as well as purchases of renewable energy to offset dirty energy usage. The Regents also re-approved similar fees for Middle Tennessee State University and Tennessee Technological University. In addition to these fees, the Board of Regents also approved their new Sustainable Campus Guidelines to facilitate other campuses' enrollment in the Sustainable Campus Fee program in the future. The Guidelines outline appropriate usages of acquired fees, as well as establish criteria for expenditures. Concurrently, the Tennessee Board of Trustees approved the University of Tennessee--Chattanooga's Clean Campus Initiative, including a $10/student/semester fee to be allocated towards on-campus clean energy projects and the purchase of green power through TVA's Green Power Switch program. This brings the total number of university-sanctioned "green fees" in Tennessee to six: University of Tennessee--Knoxville, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee Tech University, Austin Peay State University, University of Memphis, and University of Tennessee--Chattanooga. Combined, these 6 universities generate $ 1.6 million annually towards energy efficiency/ conservation, renewable energy, and other sustainability projects. Tennessee Alumni & Students for Sustainable Campuses (TASSC) congratulates both Boards on such bold leadership in the arena of sustainability, as well as the thousands of students on campuses across the state who continue to stand up and speak out on behalf of a cleaner, more just energy future for our generation.
