Green Fee is Growing at Bemidji State

SFE says Fee is Underutilized

By Nick Jelacie and Andrew Pooch

            Bemidji State University generates about $40,000 per semester for environmental activities with the Green Fee.  The fee is a $5 per semester student fee created by students in 2008 to promote campus sustainability of the environment.  This fee was initiated to encourage environmental leadership among students at Bemidji State.

            A student lead organization called Students for the Environment stakes claim as the founders of the Green Fee. "We got the ball rolling, said Co-Leader of SFE,” Senior Crystal Rayamajhi. “We started a survey that asked how much students would spend on their Green Fee.  Some people voted all the way up to $20."

            Once the idea of the Green Fee became reality, BSU needed a coordinator to manage the fee and activities.  In August of 2008, BSU announced the hiring of Erika Bailey-Johnson as the sustainability coordinator.  The fee will fund student projects and will support 50 percent of the initial salary for the sustainability coordinator. Beginning this fall, the Green Fee will pay for a quarter of the salary and the university will cover the rest.

            The sustainability coordinator is responsible for managing the green fee.  “People are always coming to me with ideas,” said Bailey-Johnson.  “I just try to listen and then follow through.”  She was excited about the way the green fee was handled as well.  The green fee carries over each semester.  Everyone involved wants to save up for a big project on campus that will become an educational demonstration of sustainability.

            Students have the opportunity to take advantage of green fee project while they are attending BSU.  Students can apply for a Green Fee Mini-Grant or Sustainability Employment.  The mini-grant has the possibility to supply a student with $500 to use on a project to promote sustainability on campus. SFE board members explained that the application needs to be approved by a green fee board consisting of Erika Bailey-Johnson, Pat Welle, and students of SFE.  Some examples of past project were purchasing cloth bags, constructing wood duck houses and reusable bowls for the Festival of Nations.

            Students seeking work study can apply for employment paid by the green fee.  "They just need to find a faculty advisor," said treasurer of SFE Aly Holland.  Students can only work ten hours a semester for their time promoting campus sustainability. "Unfortunately, there haven't been too many employment projects that have come about."  A few project ideas have been researching recycling signage and composting options.

            The green fee has paid for include “Do it in the Dark,” which is a challenge between residence halls to see who can reduce electrical consumption by the most per resident.  Rayamajhi said, "On earth day we used the green fee to pay for the buffalo burgers." This year, freshmen were encouraged to get free water bottles and mugs paid for by the green fee to save on bottled water consumption on campus.

            The SFE board was excited to share future plans that consisted of bringing organic food to campus, replacing lawn space with gardens, and solar power lighted bus shelters on campus to help encourage the use of public transportation, such as Paul Bunyan Transit.

            SFE encourages students to practice money saving techniques that benefit their environment and pocketbook.  These can be simple ideas such as turning off all electronics when not in use, washing clothes in cold water, use reusable dinnerware and use both sides of the paper.  According to SFE, energy saving practices saved the residence halls $913 last year during the Do it in the Dark competition.

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BSU student Nick Jelacie talks with Sustainability Coordinator, Erika Bailey-Johnson last week about the “Green Fee” students pay each semester.  Photo Taken By: Andrew Pooch

The Native Garden, located between the Upper Union and Sattgast, is an environmentally friendly practice that not only looks good but also helps BSU movement towards going green. Photo taken By: Andrew Pooch.  

 This newly built water fountain located outside Sattgast Hall, has some members of SFE frustrated. Photo taken By: Andrew Pooch.