Students are highly encouraged to apply for CSF grants. Even though the majority of applications are submitted by faculty and staff, we want to see more engagement and proposals come from the student body. Because students typically do not have grant writing or project management experience, the CSF Committee and Coordinator are available to meet to go over the process and assist students along the way. If both Project Managers are students, a Project Advisor will need to be listed to supervise the project.
Social sustainability identifies and addresses barriers to inclusion and well-being while striving to build a more resilient, equitable, accessible, and connected campus for all.
To achieve this, the university must prioritize involvement, connectivity, and inclusivity while recognizing that sustainability and social well-being are inseparable. In this effort, the university ensures that programs and grant funds are designed to serve the largest number of students possible, regardless of background. At the core of this practice is an understanding that climate change and environmental challenges disproportionately affect frontline communities, which often include those who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), among others.
Social sustainability is complex and includes, but is not limited to, cultivating resilience, access to affordable housing, educational opportunities, health services, and safety, as well as belonging, advocacy, community engagement, and social capital.
These elements connect directly with environmental sustainability, which focuses on protecting natural systems, and economic sustainability, which ensures long-term prosperity and resource stewardship. Together, these three dimensions form an integrated framework that addresses the environment, equity, and opportunity in a holistic way.
Environmental sustainability is the strategy to manage and conserve natural resources* for the benefit of both current generations and future ones. This is achieved by meeting our current populations’ needs while neither exceeding the capacity of our ecosystems or by allowing our actions to damage or diminish biological diversity. Solving the challenges posed by the climate crisis is the center of environmental sustainability while building a future that is sustainable for all of its future inhabitants.
*Natural resources: biodiversity, soil, air, water, animals and plants, mineral deposits, ecosystems, etc.
Any project proposal that alters or makes modifications to campus requires University Facility Services consent and coordination as well as a quote through their online Estimate Request service portal. Please review our Estimate Request Guide for University Facility Services to get started. The timeline to receive authorization and a quote for the modification can take several weeks to several months from start to finish. Applicants should plan accordingly. The process and management of the quote or service request is the responsibility of the applicant. Projects that require a quote must have one at the time of submitting the Final Application and must be attached as a Supporting Document.
Planning an event? The Committee’s Campus Event Planning Guide can assist you in getting event permission, securing transportation, or printing marketing materials.
The CSF student committee evaluates and votes on the proposals. The CSF Committee is made up of students from all backgrounds and majors who are employed by the Office of Sustainability.
The Student Engagement Fee supports programs and services enhancing the student experience, including sustainability initiatives. This fee funds campus sustainability projects through the Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF), which provides competitive grant opportunities to students, faculty, and staff. It also supports the wages of the student committee, the salary of the CSF Coordinator, and the operational costs of the Fund. Unused funds from approved grants are returned to the CSF for future project allocations.
More information on the Student Engagement Fee can be found on the Bursar's website.
If your application is rejected, please review the provided feedback, consider meeting with the CSF Coordinator or drop into the Committee’s Office Hours to go over any remaining questions to further improve your next application. This feedback is meant to be constructive and help you rewrite your application should the idea be within the scope of the Fund, but the proposal itself was missing some key points.
You can expect the CSF to help you throughout your process of grant writing, strict deadlines to remember, and a lot of time spent planning and incorporating feedback into your proposal. On the website, there is information on the grant writing process, a recorded presentation on what the CSF is looking for, and tips and tricks to writing your first grant proposal. Grant writing is not easy but it is a highly rewarding experience and the CSF is here to help you achieve that. Please email us or stop into our office hours if you have any questions.