ASUC Eco-Office Stipends

ASUC Eco-Office Stipends

Project Leads: Varsha Madapoosi

Sponsor: Office of ASUC Senator Varsha Madapoosi (ASUC Eco-Office)

Project Theme: Education, Outreach, and Behavior Change

2021 Application Submission

Project Description:

The ASUC Eco-Office undertakes a number of environmental justice initiatives, ranging from researching alternatives to Pepsi for the University’s multi-million-dollar pouring rights contact, pushing the university to abolish the co-generation plant in favor of full electrification of campus, hosting four environmental justice trainings for the campus community, launching a campaign for the University to pay the Shuumi land tax, re-launching an eco-community mentorship program, putting on wellness-related events, and passing legislation in the ASUC relating to environmental justice and sustainability issues. More than 2/3 of the department directors identify as BIPOC and more than half of them have outside jobs or commitments. Through this grant, department directors will be compensated for the time, energy, and labor that they put into their departments as compensation is an essential aspect of any and all environmental justice work. This funding will prevent burnout in senior staff and alleviate the detrimental effects that unpaid labor has on students.

Project Goals:

Although the direct benefit of director compensation is mainly intrinsic, the projects that they are working on will vastly improve campus sustainability efforts and strengthen the eco-community’s network. By providing compensation, the senior staff will be able to put even more energy and time into making these projects more effective and inclusive. Although metrics vary per department, overall indicators of the success of this project will be to strengthen the ASUC Eco-Office’s commitment to environmental justice through compensation of directors, and improvement in directors’ morale and sense of value within the team.