Students sell water bottles as part of the UM Green Fund’s first project.
From submitting a project proposal to getting involved in existing projects as part of a class, there are multiple ways to support the Green Fund.
What is the UM Green Fund?
The University of Mississippi Green Fund is a pool of university funds combined with donations from the campus community. These funds are allocated to projects proposed by students, faculty, and staff, which are reviewed and selected each semester by the UM Green Fund Committee. The mission of the UM Green Fund is to raise awareness about the importance of environmental sustainability and to lower the environmental impact of the University of Mississippi. After a successful first year, the Green Fund is entering year two of funding sustainability projects on campus. The committee has approved three projects for the fall of 2014 and has appointed four new committee members for the 2014-2015 academic year.
How to Donate
Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to donate to the UM Green Fund. The Green Fund operates on an annual budget of $15,000 received from the university, and the committee seeks additional donations so that it may award more funding to projects. UM provides a 50 percent match for every dollar donated to the Green Fund by students. To donate with a credit or debit card, visit my.olemiss.edu and click on the “Donate to UM Green Fund” tab located on the left side of the home screen. From there, you will be directed to enter your payment information and choose your donation amount.
Submitting Project Proposals
Any student, faculty or staff member can submit a project proposal to the UM Green Fund Committee. In the past, project proposals have been submitted by individuals, as well as by classes and departments. Once a project receives funding, student committee members will act as liaisons to help the project proposers with the project’s implementation. If you or your department is interested in submitting a project proposal, please email green@olemiss.edu to receive further information or visit green.olemiss.edu. Project proposals for fall 2014 are due October 17.
Become a Member of the UM Green Fund Committee
The UM Green Fund Committee is comprised of six student committee members, two faculty committee members and two staff committee members. Students serve two-year commitments on the committee. If you are a student, faculty, or staff member and are interested in serving on the UM Green Fund Committee, visit green.olemiss.edu or email green@olemiss.edu to stay up to date on available committee positions.
Other Ways to Get Involved
Besides proposing projects with their classes, faculty members are encouraged to involve their classes with current projects including the Library E-Film project, composting project, or Flip-the-Switch project. Conducting an environmental impact analysis, a cost-benefit analysis or creating a communications campaign are just a few examples of ways instructors can engage their students through the UM Green Fund.