Purpose

The Purchase College Green Fee supports initiatives that help the campus operate in a more sustainable manner. At Purchase College the term “sustainability” means “development that meets the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (This definition was developed in 1983 by the World Commission on Environment and Development, commonly known as the Bruntland Commission.)

Students and faculty may submit requests for funding of projects, programs and events that benefit the entire campus by reducing our collective environmental footprint. The Purchase College Sustainability Committee, comprised of students, faculty, staff and administrators, will review all submittals and recommend selected requests to the Purchase College Association (PCA) Board. The PCA administers the Green Fee fund and is responsible for fund accounting, and for final approval of requests, disbursements and purchases.

Purchase College students and faculty should submit requests that adhere to the guidelines contained in this “Request for Green Fee Funding” form. Responses will be issued by Matthew Immergut, Co-Chair of the Sustainability Committee.

Past Projects

Here are some examples of the Green Fee at work:

• 500 Reusable Water Bottles
• Freenew: An inter-semester storage program for used clothing and furniture to be redistributed for free to incoming and returning students
• Seeds, supplies, and tools for the Purchase Garden
• “Tap Taste Tests” for the Water Rights Campaign’s “Tap Taste Tests”
• Funding for the Real Food Challenge
• Transportation costs for student participation at anti-fracking events in Washington D.C, and New York City.
• Recycling bins at Terra Ve
• A permanent display of Sustainability literature in the Purchase College Library
• A native garden plot for bees (and associated course instruction)