By the end of fall semester solar panels, signage, and student art will adorn Music Building A thanks to the Humboldt Energy Independence Fund (HEIF), a student-funded energy initiative.
Not only is HEIF is empowering students at HSU it is also sharing its story statewide to inspire other colleges and universities to do the same.
Jeffery Hinton, student chair of the HEIF Committee, says, “HEIF is a way of channeling student efforts to effect change.”
HEIF will be accepting proposals for energy-related projects until Nov. 21, 2008 and Hinton says, the committee “will select as many projects as we can fund.” As long as the project is student-driven and reduces the environmental impact of energy use at HSU, we want to fund it, Hinton adds.
Faculty and staff are eligible to submit proposals, but only when collaborating with students. Committee members consider student involvement the most important aspect of HEIF, in part because the funds come from a self-imposed fee of $10 per student per semester. HEIF is projected to generate about $160,000 this year from student fees.
On Sept. 18 the HEIF Committee will host a mixer from 5 to 7 p.m. in the UC South Lounge, kicking off it’s second request for proposals and providing an opportunity for students and faculty to learn about HEIF and its proposal process.
“HEIF is a great opportunity for creativity and collaboration with staff, faculty and administration,” said Hinton.
In mid-October, the HEIF Committee will offer a workshop for groups to ask questions and work out the kinks of their proposals.
Jessica Lamm, an HSU student and committee member of HEIF, recently shared HEIF’s success story at the 7th Annual University of California, California State University, and California Community College Sustainability Conference hosted by California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. The theme of the conference was, “Putting Sustainability to Work.”
Lamm discussed how HEIF is working toward sustainability by harnessing the potential of student projects that counter-act the negative environmental effects of Humboldt State University.
Lamm presented with students from UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara who discussed their respective “TGIF” or The Green Initiative Fund. HEIF is on the frontier of a growing trend of green funds that are supported by student fees, Lamm said. What is unique about HEIF is its commitment to student-driven projects that focus on energy.
For more information or to download the project proposal application visit: http://www.humboldt.edu/~heif/.