Students, faculty and staff can submit Sustainability Fee Project proposals for the 2020 fiscal year by March 25 at 5 p.m.

Sustainability project proposals cover various aspects of sustainability that help make Georgia Southern more water and energy efficient and promote a green lifestyle on campus.

Grant proposals for the projects range from $1,000 to $10,000, and the projects are funded exclusively with the sustainability fee fund. The fund goes towards on-campus projects that fulfill the Sustainability Fee purpose “to support Sustainability and Green Initiatives on campus,” according to outline for proposal requests.

Lissa Leege, Director for the Center of Sustainability, said another aspect considered when selecting sustainability projects is the return on investment.

“For example, if somebody’s going to propose something that’s really not going to give back in terms of sustainability, we’re less likely to support that–students are less likely to support that,” Leege said.

The sustainable fee is funded by GS students. The $10 fee was voted for in 2013 with a 75 percent majority vote, Leege said. The fee has been used to support $1 million worth of sustainability projects on the Statesboro campus.

“We’ve allocated more than one million dollars towards sustainability improvements on the Statesboro campus,” Leege said.

Currently, the sustainability fee is only collected on the Statesboro campus, meaning sustainability project grants and proposals are limited to Statesboro students, faculty and staff.

“That is our limitation,” Leege said. “We need to be using [the sustainability fee] for the students who are paying it.”

However, Leege said Armstrong campus students are looking to have a similar fee as well.

The Sustainability Fee committee made up of students, faculty and staff will review proposals and projects for the 2020 fiscal year. The committee receives about 30 proposals and approves 12 to 18 projects, Leege said.

Proposals are submitted in March, approved in April and funds for the projects are allocated on July 1.

To submit project proposals, follow the Proposal Content and Format outlined by the Center of Sustainability.

Joiya Reid, The George-Anne Candidate, ganewsed@georgiasouthern.edu