Helping to propel the campus sustainability movement is the energy of student organizers who have organized to pressure campuses to do more in energy, waste, food and water, and transportation.
At the same time, non-activist students are emerging and taking a somewhat different approach. Rather than become organizers on campus, they want to help colleges and universities research and develop new technologies, practices and designs that can lower society’s ecological footprint.
The stage has been set. The American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment has been a real stimulus to help hundreds of campuses achieve climate neutrality. Students are active participants implementing the climate neautrality plans on many of those campuses. The ACUPCC colleges and univerities are integrating sustainability into curricula, As encouraging as this is, the ACUPCC schools represent only 680 of the 4,300 higher education institutions in North America.
An unexploited opportunity
With or without a Presidents Climate Commitment, all colleges and universities have the opportunity to engage students in real research and development of sustainable solutions. Serious R & D has usually been the province of faculty researchers or doctoral candidates. By supporting an expanded program of student research, students can be key players in the creation of ideas to solve existing challenges and graduate to lead tomorrow’s clean tech industries. Benefits include:
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enhancing the learning experience for students
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opening career paths for students
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attracting quality research-minded applicants
Federal funding is available. For example, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is financing research and development at major universities in key areas like energy and transportation. The Higher Education Sustainability Act provides $50 million for student research opportunities on campus.