Clarkson has discontinued the use of polystyrene products (Styrofoam); we are using biodegradable alternatives. I challenge each club to explore one product that is currently used by Clarkson & determine if there is an alternative that can be used.

Goals

Clarkson University has discontinued the purchase of polystyrene products & our new goal will be to explore other products & derive additional alternatives. To prompt organizations to begin their exploration, I will incorporate CUSA, Clarkson University Student Association & Board of Student Senate. The senators will provide an incentive to those that pursue this challenge. Every organization that demonstrates some progress towards finding an alternative to a current product will be granted an increase in their CUSA stated budget. I will work with my peers who are also currently serving or have served in leadership roles across the campus & share my vision. I’ll challenge each of them to bring this plan to their organization & encourage each organization to explore one product that they feel our university can find an alternative for. My plan is not to have every organization researching every product that Clarkson uses, but rather the goal will be for each organization to eliminate one product, with a goal to have a new alternative product to adopt at the end of each semester. Every year as more products are explored & research is conducted, we as the university will increase the number of new alternatives for our campus. Also, due to the fact that the initial transition & use of alternatives was established by the executives of the university, I will also look to them for their support during this time of research & exploration. This is also a tremendous way to unite the university as a whole. Regardless of a student’s major, interests or activities, everyone at Clarkson is affected by these transformations. As students from the same university, I am extremely excited to leave a legacy of working together to reach this goal.

Plan

In order to accomplish my goals, I will have a variety of areas I must invest in prior to presenting this project to the entire university. I will first explore the scope of what I would like to accomplish with this project. One product for each semester may not seem like any overwhelming amount. However, if each semester a new alternative is being used, the university and the environment will reap tremendous rewards. Over time, we will continually be making additions to the list of alternatives, moving step by step to a more sustainable lifestyle. Initially I plan to meet with my peers who serve as leaders in different organizations to begin the brainstorming & exploration process. We will hold an informal information session, merely exploring this project & allowing them to add their input so they feel more connected to the project. Then, with their support, this group will serve as my core structure. The representatives I meet with from these organizations can serve as leaders to encourage other organizations to become involved. We will determine a time to meet once a month to evaluate the progress that is being made with each organization. With the support of my core structure I will draft my proposal for the project & meet with CUSA Board of Student Senators to develop their commitment to this innovative journey. Once again, I will present my intended plan & explain how I foresee their relationship with the organizations but also leave room for their additional insight. A final proposal will be drafted & then voted on by the senators. With their financial support, this will greatly influence organizations to fully participate. I will also utilize the fact that the initial university transition was headed by the executives of Clarkson. I will prepare a final proposal & presentation to present to the executives of the university that initially supported this change. This is an area that I plan to utilize my resources & advisors from my previous leadership positions to promote & support my meeting with the executives of the university. Meeting with these executives will allow me to add their perspective to the project & also greatly assist in promoting this project across the entire university. Throughout the semester, I will continue to regularly meet with my core structure, carefully monitoring where the strengths & weaknesses lie in this project. With the support & guidance of all of the parities involved, we will work to address those areas & allow the organizations to have the resources they need in order to be successful. My core structure & I will work in a collaborative effort to help bridge gaps between organizations, resources & interests.