Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 73.37
Liaison Olivia Herron
Submission Date Feb. 28, 2022

STARS v2.2

Miami University
IN-40: Sustainability Projects Fund

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 0.50 Adam Sizemore
Director of Sustainability
Physical Facilities Department
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name of the institution’s sustainability projects fund:
Miami University Revolving Green Fund (MURGF)

Which of the following best describes the primary source of funding for the sustainability projects fund?:
Department driven

Year the institution’s sustainability projects fund was established:
2,008

A brief description of the institution’s sustainability projects fund:
Mission:

The mission of the Miami University Revolving Green Fund (MURGF) is to encourage the growth and development of environmentally sound technologies and practices at Miami University and the greater Oxford community by financing innovative initiatives with sustainable returns. The MURGF will engage students, faculty, staff, and community members for these initiatives; all in coordination with the greater academic mission of the university.

Goals of MURGF:

(1) To foster sustainable design and environmentally sound technologies and practices at Miami University and in the greater Oxford community.
(2) To transform Miami into a national leader and an exemplary model for other institutions of higher education, community groups, non-profit organizations, businesses, and governmental bodies.
(3) To empower students with a voice and opportunities to reshape the Miami community.
(4) To exceed local, state, and federal environmental regulation standards through funding innovative techniques and best-in-class sustainable practices.
(5) To facilitate investment in renewable energy, alternative fuels, and energy efficiency.
(6) To reconnect with alumni and approach external benefactors to solidify the prominence and longevity of the fund.

A brief description of the multi-stakeholder decision-making process used to determine which projects receive funding through the sustainability projects fund:
**As of Dec 7, 2021, Miami University is revaluating the structure and implementation plan associated with the MURGF, beginning with a graduate student's practicum program exploring recommendations.

Management and Procedural Process:

The MURGF Board meets to review proposals on a rolling basis. All proposals will be subject to modification by the board before acceptance. Should a proposal be modified, the affected author(s) will be notified within 72 hours and extended an opportunity for an appeal hearing.

Funding Initiatives:

Initiatives should be financed by the following terms:
20% of project cost savings will be retained by the project recipient.
80% of project cost savings will be returned to the fund annually until 120% of the initial project cost (adjusted for inflation) has been restored.
Upon complete restoration, all savings are retained by the project’s recipient(s).
Alternative financing strategies may be developed, particularly in the event of matching external funds (grants, gifts) or extraneous financial pressures. Funds will not be used to cover budget shortfalls or faculty or staff salaries unless associated with a MURGF initiative.

Optional Fields

Website URL where information about the sustainability projects fund is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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