In 2007, the students of Oregon State University voluntarily instated a new student fee.  Each student’s contribution of $8.50 per term funds the Student Sustainability Initiative and buys green tags. Green tags replace traditional polluting sources of electricity with clean, secure, and renewable sources of energy that come from solar and wind power from across North America. As a result of this campaign, clean energy sources currently represent almost 75% of OSU's total energy consumption.

Student Sustainability Initiative
The Student Sustainability Initiative (SSI) supports student efforts to create a sustainable community at OSU through action, education, and opportunity.  Six paid staff members facilitate student projects in order to further SSI's mission, providing grants for student projects, mentorship, and meeting space where students can come together to plan, discuss, and learn about sustainability.

The SSI is currently working on campaigns in the following areas:

    * Partnerships

    * Political Engagement

    * Transportation Systems

    * Energy

    * Landscape

    * Food Systems

    * Visibility

    * Waste Reduction

Within these areas, there are diverse projects and campaigns all working toward creating sustainable communities at OSU.

This project facilitates sustainable on-campus living while creating a community of like-minded individuals in order to encourage the exchange of ideas, provide support, and ease the transition of new students into the sustainability movement at OSU.

A campaign to integrate environmental and sustainable issues into the OSU core curriculum required for graduation.

A campaign to provide students with academic credit for their involvement with experiential learning projects that work towards building sustainable communities at OSU.

A campaign to increase the transparency of OSU´s investments in order to ensure that investments are socially responsible.

This class trains future leaders in the sustainability movement.  Focuses on effective organizing skills and guides students in finding paths to personal empowerment.

This project is working to provide students with access to free bicycles on campus for daily use.  Students will be able to rent a bicycle for a specified amount of time and then return it to the co-op free of charge.

A campaign to create a revolving loan fund that provides funding for renewable energy projects at OSU.  As one renewable energy project is created and becomes profitable, the interest replenishes the fund and provides for the next project, with the end goal of making OSU an energy producer.

This campaign links engineering students’ required senior project with renewable energy projects on campus. Students can complete their requirements through opportunities to positively contribute to a more sustainable community at OSU.

A project to make the Student Sustainability Center a role model of sustainable living.  This includes implementing on-site production of renewable energy, energy efficiency, a permaculture garden, waste reduction and more.

Landscape
A project to create a Permaculture Institute at OSU, ideally providing students with the opportunity to become certified in Permaculture design. Through the Institute’s program, students can gain hands-on experience, grow their own food, and utilize Permaculture techniques.

A campaign to increase the amount of local, organic, and sustainable food served on campus.

A campaign to encourage sustainable living through education, volunteer recruitment and mentorship.

A project to strategically place compost bins on campus where students can dispose of food wastes.

Check out what OSU is doing and what it has to offer at www.oregonstate.edu/sustainability.