A student organization is leading a new effort to make Loyola a more sustainable institution with an optional student fee.

The Loyola Association of Students for Sustainability has put forth a Green Funds proposal, an opt-out $10 fee added to each student’s tuition that would be spent on sustainability projects on campus.

Loyola Association of Students for Sustainability’s co-presidents Erin Knowles, environmental studies and English writing junior, and Eddy Schneider, environmental studies sophomore, said the money would be focused on sustainability projects such as recycling, an on-campus garden or possibly even solar panels.

Assuming that the Student Government Association and the administration approve this proposal, the change would not appear until the fall of 2015, according to LASS eboard.

Knowles and Schneider said the school’s recycling program was cut in the recent budget cuts, and recycling only exists on the first floor of the dorms.

Recycling would be expanded to all floors of the dormitories, encouraging more students to recycle, they said.

Knowles said that being more environmentally friendly could be another selling point for Loyola to potential students.

“I think it could help attract students to Loyola because there are a lot of kids these days who are really interested in what campuses are doing with the green initiative,” Knowles said.

Schneider said he feels the selling point of the initiative would be its minimal fiscal impact.

He said that because it would be an external income and would not come from the school’s budget, it could help the university save money.

Although many university administrators are on board with making Loyola a more sustainable institution, some officials like vice president of student affairs Robert Reed are uncertain that this Green Funds proposal is the easiest way to make Loyola more sustainable.

Reed said that simply adding the $10 to the students’ Student Government Association fees might achieve the same ends with streamlined means.

Around 700 students must sign the Green Funds proposal petition for it to come before the SGA and eventually the administration.

Currently, the petition has about 300 of the desired 700 signatures.

Zach Brien may be reached at [email protected]