Where should it go?

Outside the office of new university President Wim Wiewel, a large sign that reads “Green–it’s more than our school color, it’s our school spirit” sits in a glass case.

To the left of the light green sign’s words is a photomontage containing an array of shots that signify on-campus sustainability in one shape or another.

One is of a student working in a greenhouse, another shows off the eco-roof atop the Broadway Housing Building and one of the others is a close up of a LEED certification slapped on the side of an on-campus building.

The sign is like a status marker, showing where Portland State is at in its mission to firmly embed sustainability into the “school spirit.”

But for the man that occupies the large office a few paces from the sign, a different kind of marker comes to mind when he thinks of Portland State’s future relationship with sustainability–a benchmark.

“In 10 years, where we should be is that Portland State will be known as one of a small handful of leading universities in the area of sustainability,” Wiewel said. “We want to be one of the preeminent universities.”

The added motivation for Portland State to become a bigger blip on the vast screen of sustainability came in September, when the university received a $25 million grant from the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation.

As a challenge grant, Portland State is required to match the $2.5 million installments it will receive annually over the next decade. Each year PSU will receive a $2.5 million installment and the next year’s gift will not be sent if the university is unable to match.

Wiewel explained that Portland State was one of about 20 local organizations the Miller Foundation considered for the gift, which is intended to be a “game-changing” grant designed for the chosen recipient to make a difference in the Portland area.

“That is a tremendous vote of confidence, but, at the same time, it is a daunting challenge,” Wiewel said. “It means that these people have made a $25 million bet on us. And now we have to show them we are worthy of their bet.”

Spending the moneyWhile Wiewel explained that it is difficult to pin down exactly how the money will be utilized over the next decade–because much could change–he said there are general areas of interest at this juncture.

“In terms of how we are going to spend the money, in general terms we know, in specific terms we don’t know yet,” Wiewel said.

The three target areas for the usage of the grant money include enhancing the student experience, expanding faculty excellence in teaching and research, and enhancing excellence in community engagement.

Wiewel said the hope for the money is to hire staff to work on sustainability projects, bring in permanent and visiting faculty, support and attract students at all levels, and give current faculty the necessary funding to secure federal grants.

Additionally, Wiewel said some of the money would be used to fund travel and entrance fees into sustainability-related conferences. “It’s wonderful that it will really cover a broad range,” Wiewel said of the grant funds.

Making PSU a learning laboratoryNoelle Studer-Spevack has a couple different ideas concerning how to best utilize the $25 million, but admits that at this point no one knows for certain how the money might be used.

Studer-Spevack, sustainability coordinator in the Office of Facilities and Planning, believes that before Portland State becomes internationally known and recognized for sustainability it must first search to make improvements from within.

“We can’t be talking about this stuff in class but not doing it on campus,” Studer-Spevack said of sustainable practices such as recycling and energy conservation.

Ideally, Studer-Spevack, who is on the 12-member sustainability advisory council, would like Portland State to become a learning laboratory for sustainability-related issues, a goal that would fall under the “enhancing the student experience” category.

Potential ways to educate on sustainability include adapting an Eco-Rep housing program so certain residents are responsible for making others aware of sustainable-living practices, establishing campus-wide green teams and forming a group of students to give presentations.

“PSU has always been very focused out in the community and we have all these opportunities on campus that we are missing,” Studer-Spevack said.

Another improvement Studer-Spevack sees is hiring an energy manager who would be responsible for tracking Portland State’s energy usage, finding ways to reduce consumption and providing data to professors and students to assist with research.

This is a move Studer-Spevack calls a “no-brainer” because she said within a short period of time the position would pay for itself based on the savings from reduced energy usage.

Studer-Spevack is also interested in creating a green revolving fund that would act as a rainy-day fund to make improvements across campus. A portion of the savings from the projects would be placed back into the fund for other improvements.

“Those are two things that can work together to catapult Portland State,” Studer-Spevack said.

Getting students involvedSustainability is a student-driven initiative, said student body President Hannah Fisher, who added that all of the amazing ideas are coming from students.

Fisher believes that some of the $25 million grant money should be reserved for students.

“Students need funds to put projects into action,” Fisher said. “That is the quickest, most effective way for the money to be spent.”

If the university recognizes that sustainability is truly student driven, Fisher said, then that will go a long way in setting Portland State apart from other green powerhouses such as Arizona State and the University of British Columbia.

Heather Spalding also believes that students should receive some attention when it is decided exactly how the funds will be divided.

Spalding, assistant sustainability coordinator, would like to see students work on projects around campus, such as holding a gardening class to help with landscaping or gathering a team of students to create a mural for beautification purposes.

“It would give students real-life experience and that feeling of accomplishing something around the school,” Spalding said.