Student Sustainability Committee Meeting
Illini Union, Room 404
February 23, 2015
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Voting Members Present: Amy Liu, Matt Murphy, Olivia Webb, Julie Honegger, Erik
Stanek, Marcous Phillips, Drew O’Bryan, Serena Hou, Shilin Qiu
Voting Members Absent: Meghan Killinger (Vote proxied to Julie Honegger), Grace
Kyung (Vote proxied to Amy Liu)
Ex Officio Members Present: John Prince, Morgan Johnston, Micah Kenfield, Lowa
Mwilambwe, Ben McCall
Meeting was called to order at 5:04 PM.
 Approval of February 9th minutes 5:00 - 5:05
o Olivia moves to approve the Feb. 9 minutes, Erik seconds, passes without
dissent.
 Updates 5:05 - 5:15
o Bike Fee, Bike Face, SSC meeting
 Amy- Members of Bike Face and SSC are meeting Tuesday Feb. 24 at 7
PM at the NSRC to discuss how Bike Face theoretically would like to
move forward to setup procedures for SSC to handle the Bike Fee. Any
SSC student members that are available should attend.
o MOU
 Olivia- The MOU committee has met a couple of times so far. We have
edited the draft MOU and consulted with iSEE and edited the job
description for the Program Advisor. At the next meeting on Thursday
Feb. 26 we will be discussing the process of moving the Program Advisor
position from the Union to iSEE.
 Morgan- Can you share the draft MOU with the entire committee?
 Olivia- Yes, will upload to Box.
 Amy- If we are moving, it would be ideal to make the transition by June
if possible.
 Lowa- The decision should be made as soon as possible.
o Reminder to apply for SSC 2015-2016
 Must apply before Feb. 26th to be a considered to be a member of SSC
next year.
o Full Committee Meeting Times
 Amy- I met with Meghan and Grace to discuss how to manage them
missing full committee meetings (due to class conflicts). They suggested
that special meetings, such as funding and Bike Fee meetings, be
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scheduled at times that they can attend. However, the majority of the
meetings that we have left are “special meetings.” The only options for
rescheduling these meetings are the weekends. According to the
Doodle sent out earlier, the other times during the week would not
accommodate all student members.
Olivia- Was there any problem with voting on the weekends?
Amy- It may be feasible to have one or two meetings on the weekends,
but not all of them.
Morgan- Need at least 2 faculty/staff members present to vote.
Matt- Bylaws say that meetings must be scheduled on weekdays and
special meetings may be called on days when classes are in session.
Weekends have been interpreted in the past as a time when classes are
in session, i.e. not on winter break.
Matt- I do not think it is equitable to schedule meetings at a time when
Meghan and Grace can come, but say two other members cannot.
Ben- Faculty will be less likely to come on weekends, and faculty voices
are often very helpful when making decisions on funding. What about a
roving meeting, scheduling on different days each week?
Amy- Roving meetings may be too confusing. The only other possible
weekday time is at 12 PM on Wednesdays, which would be a challenge
for funding meetings because several people have class at 1 PM. Also, 2
members still could not make it.
Micah- Are people free for 8 AM meetings? I will bring coffee.
Amy- 7:30 am? There is the same problem with people having class at 9
AM.
Morgan- I could do 7 AM, but not 7:30 AM.
Amy- For now, let’s just leave meetings on Mondays at 5 PM. We could
change bylaws to accommodate weekend meetings.
Lowa- If you change one piece of the bylaws, you should think about
other things in your bylaws that could possibly change, i.e. changes to
handle the Bike Fee.
 Spring Step I Proposals 5:15 - 6:00
o Arboretum Native Plantings
 Erik- This project would bring more native plants and perennials to the
arboretum and educate visitors about their benefits via permanent
signs. Bringing back the bees and diversifying the ecology are benefits.
 Olivia moves to approve a Step II application for Arboretum Native
Plantings, Erik seconds, passes without dissent.
o Recovering the Creek Through Green Infrastructure
 Julie- This project creates a rain garden on the east side of the education
building to filter roof runoff. There is potential through the Landscape
Architecture department for other similar projects to be proposed
around campus.
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Morgan- The project was submitted for EPA rain wars challenge, and this
application is an offshoot of that. F&S may have questions about
implementation for the Step II application, and how it would fit in with
the existing infrastructure of campus. F&S has a new landscape
architect that may want to attend working group meetings.
 Olivia moves to approve a Step II application for Recovering the Creek
Through Green Infrastructure, Erik seconds, passes without dissent.
o Cultural Dimensions of Sustainable Projects and Practices
 Drew- Did not get a chance to have a working group meeting. There are
not many details in the application. Asking for $15K for a monitor in FLB
to publicize students’ projects that have sustainability/cultural
dimensions.
 Amy- There is not really anything sustainable about what they are
buying, it is just a platform for sustainability advertising.
 Morgan- I am guessing that Foreign Language does not have the funding
for it and there is also a wide range of students that may come through
there that could see the monitor.
 $15K seems like a lot.
 Micah- There is a digital sign fee every month, connections, etc. This
budget looks affordable, especially if it is a touch screen.
 Morgan- Should consider whether or not it will be touchscreen.
 Micah- Could have guaranteed SSC slide running at all times.
 Serena moves to approve a Step II application for Cultural Dimensions of
Sustainable Projects and Practices, Erik seconds, passes without dissent.
o Demo Cargo Bike
 Amy- This is a demonstration project. There are cargo bikes out there,
but this will be a resourceful/improved design to be an example of how
you can transport things with one around campus instead of traditional
vehicles.
 Morgan- A key bicycle advocate works at CITES, which would be the
intended initial target customer.
 Amy- This project needs a closer relationship with students, could be
open for student rental in the future. No alarming concerns.
 John- Could have educational value in that you’re trying to get as much
moved with as little force as possible.
 Amy- Will be noticed around campus, it would be hard not to notice it.
 Olivia moves to approve a Step II application for Demo Cargo Bike,
Serena seconds, passes without dissent.
o Solar Car Electrical System Prototype
 Shilin- Illini Solar Car Team is asking for $3,295 for prototype of the
electrical system. They don’t have a faculty project lead, and this is an
RSO. Have matching funding from an Engineering committee. A couple
of questions:
 Why the two separate project submissions?
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John thinks project won’t reduce the carbon footprint on
campus, fits into the education group better.
 Not sure if smaller project can stand on its own without the
larger project.
 Amy- Would we perceive this project like the solar decathlon? Put it in
energy so that we would have input on the design.
 Micah- Do they have a departmental CFOP account to put the money in
since they are an RSO? Cannot fund until they have a department
advisor.
 Amy- If we defer it will give us time to answer all of these questions.
 Shinlin moves to defer decision on Solar Car Electrical System Prototype
to next full committee meeting, Erik seconds, Meghan and Grace
abstain, otherwise unanimously passes.
o Solar Car Project Phase 1
 Shilin- $66K for solar car challenge 2016/2017, building a solar car from
scratch.
 Olivia moves to approve Step II application from Solar Car Project Phase
1, Serena seconds, passes without dissent.
o Allerton Cottage Project
 Shilin- Solar decathlon is asking for $100K to retrofit cottage at Allerton,
all design and construction by Solar Decathlon. No faculty advisor on
the project either. No letter of support from Allerton Park, but
mentioned that Allerton has proposed the project. Design of Allerton
Cottage will be part of a competition, Race to Zero in March 2015.
Funding is for retrofit, not design.
 Olivia- The RSO has a faculty advisor.
 Amy- Information we are looking for could be attained later.
 Olivia- Thinks that Allerton soliciting for solar houses to go to Allerton
from campus should be addressed.
 Shilin moves to approve Step II application for Allerton Cottage Project,
Serena seconds, passes without dissent.
 Shilin- SSC should specify that a faculty advisor is necessary for Step 1
applications in the future to avoid confusion.
o Illini Gadget Garage
 Olivia- This project will be similar to Illini Bike Center, but for electronics.
Skilled student workers help repair electronic and reduce e-waste.
 Micah- More hardware driven, not so much software issues. Would
accept donations of gently used e-waste.
 John- Are they looking at waste stream diversion also?
 Matt- Who will take it over when funding runs out?
 Olivia- Applicants will look for external funding opportunities as well as
sell parts for revenue. As long as students are not bringing in university
equipment, the parts may be sold.
 Lowa- Addressed space/storage issues?
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Olivia- Space will be addressed in July.
Olivia moves to approve Step II application from Illini Gadget Garage,
Erik seconds, passes without dissent.
Makers UIUC Bike Seat Project
 Amy- Everything that Makers produces can get them funding from
another organization. Bike seat would be protected from weather; it is
an alternative to a plastic bag. Not sure how bike seat design plays into
sustainability.
 Micah- $1,895 is their budget. Would be reusing discarded materials,
plastic sheeting from billboards for example to make the seat covers.
 Amy- Seems like a small project. How big of an impact will it actually
have? Not necessarily an improvement over current alternatives.
 Olivia- Will add appeal to biking, which would be a benefit.
 Micah- Makers also doesn’t have a faculty sponsor that we can give the
money to.
 Erik moves to defer decision on Makers UIUC Bike Seat Project to next
committee meeting, Olivia seconds, Grace and Meghan abstain
otherwise unanimously passes.
Recycling Bins for Residence Halls
 Olivia- Small recycling bins in every dorm room aside trashcans to
increase recycling, $54K. Do not specify which residence halls this is for.
 Ben- Should coordinate with efforts to do this same thing campus-wide.
 Matt moves to approve Step II application from Recycling Bins for
Residence Halls, Olivia seconds, passes without dissent.
Allerton Solid Waste Receptacles
 Olivia- Allerton wants to place recycling and trash bin stations at
trailheads, $10K.
 Matt moves to approve Step II application from Allerton Solid Waste
Receptacles, Olivia seconds, passes without dissent.
Allerton Compost Toilet
 Olivia- Composting toilet at trailhead so that Allerton doesn’t have to
rent out portable toilets for convenience of visitors.
 Amy- Asked applicant about how technology works and they didn’t
know exactly.
 Matt- How is this different than a latrine?
 Olivia- Will help human waste decompose.
 Ben- Should look at design in more detail, how sustainable is the design
really?
 Micah- Any ADA concerns should be addressed.
 Olivia moves to approve a Step II application from Allerton Compost
Toilets, Erik seconds, passes without dissent.