SGA’s Sustainability Efforts and New Advisory Committee

Patrick Gigerich | pgigerich@butler.edu 

The 2022 Spring semester will mark the beginning of the SGA’s Student Senate’s Sustainability Advisory Committee. Formerly the Green counsel, the Sustainability Advisory Committee will work closely with student organizations and campus departments to lead sustainability and environmental initiatives on campus.

In addition to increasing the awareness and understanding of these issues, Butler University and SGA want to help combat environmental and sustainability concerns.

Following this year’s SGA reconstruction, Student Body President Will Gigerich and Speaker of the Senate Cade Chezem created a committee to oversee environmental and sustainability initiatives on campus.  

Rai Singh is the Sustainability Advisory Committee Chair. The committee is made up of members of SGA, as well as anyone from the student body that is interested. Forming a committee of SGA members and students will provide a broader scope for SGA to tackle sustainability initiatives on campus.

While the committee is still in its early stages, they have already begun working with Jamie Valentine, the Assistant Director for Butler’s Center for Urban Ecology and Sustainability (CUES). CUES strives to connect students, faculty, and the Butler community in an effort to educate and ultimately promote change to create a more sustainable future on Butler’s campus.

Cade Chezem is proud of the Sustainability Advisory Committee’s work thus far and is hopeful for the future.

“We’ve started to work a bit with Butler dining as well. They’re just starting to get off the ground here at the beginning of the semester, so hopefully we will see some projects here in the next few weeks to help out the community”, Chezem said.  

The Sustainability Advisory Committee will also be responsible for overseeing grant applications, specifically green grants. Green grants may be used to cover any expenses that may arise during the corresponding academic year.

Chezem is hopeful that students will reach out with ideas for projects on campus.

“We do green grants this year, which is new to SGA, so if people on campus want to apply for some type of environmental initiative, then they can apply for a green grant, and we’ll give that to them. The committee ultimately decides if it qualifies”, Chezem said. 

Green grants are especially important to the committee as they are used to promote environmental projects and initiatives, as well as educational events. Preference may be given to student or campus organizations who promote diversity, equity, and inclusion or philanthropy efforts. 

CUES is involved in the grant submission process before the grants are sent to the Sustainability Advisory Committee to be evaluated. The committee retains full discretion in determining if an organization qualifies for a green grant.

The committee will meet weekly to approve green grants from the student body as well as to plan for future sustainability initiates and projects.

If you are interested in green initiatives and want to participate in the committee, please complete this interest form: https://forms.gle/212kCKTMCah4ReBY9

If you have any questions or concerns, please email the Sustainability Advisory Committee Chair Rai Singh (rbsingh@butler.edu) 

Photo Courtesy of SGA Instagram