Since the Green Fee was adopted by the Student Government Association in Fall 2007, an estimated $400,000 has been collected, but so far, not a dime has been spent on green initiatives.
"We have not yet decided what we are going to do with the money, but The University has collected the money and now it's waiting to be spent, " said David Zettergren, assistant vice president of finance.
Erica Christensen, Environmental Action Club president, said the money should be put to use than just sitting in an account.
"I think students have a right to say where their money is and how it's spent," Christensen said. "We have worked hard to make students aware of the fee."
Christensen said many colleges around Tennessee have been becoming greener.
"It has become a trend on college campuses to become green because we all want to live longer and healthier, " Christensen said.
Juliann Waits, faculty adviser for EAC, said the club has no direct control or access to the money and must submit proposals for funding to the president's sustainability committee and green fee committee, but their most recent request, which involved funding for a bottle recycling program, was denied.
"The EAC's most recent proposal was discussed by the sustainability committee and passed the legal department at The U of M, but was refused by one individual who is involved with the green fee committee," Waits said. "I am not sure that it was even evaluated by any other members of the committee."
The Green Fee is a $10-per-semester fee paid by each student for the purpose of supporting environmentally friendly practices on campus. Members of the Environmental Action Club said the fee was supposed to support the purchase of green power from the Tennessee Valley Authority's Green Power Switch program.
William Porter, dean of students and chair of the Green Fee committee, said the committee consists of several faculty members, students and staff, and has been meeting occasionally to discuss green initiatives.
"We are still exploring the possibilities of how the money is spent and how it's used," Porter said. "We are having meetings and guests to come and speak about the Green Power Switch program and solar planes, so we the committee can be more knowledgeable about what we are spending our money on."
Ben Edwards, vice president of EAC, said the committee should get moving and put the money to use to help conserve energy.
"While common sense would have it that this governing body should have been created and organized before the fee came into existence, it was not," Edwards said. "I think the students want to see their money put to some use - I know I do. Well, the EAC members, after busting their butts for the Green Fee, were swept completely off the stage."
Today in the student plaza, EAC has teamed up with local retailer Aveda to collect plastic bottles and bottle caps for recycling.
"Most people are not aware that the bottle caps are not recycled when plastic containers are picked up from their homes." Waits said. "Aveda has a waste management team and runs a program where used caps are recycled and used as components of the company's product bottles that they sell in their store.
"The EAC will be on the plaza from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to collect your plastic caps and bottles, please stop by and drop off caps."
