At the risk of dragging the issue out, we feel it necessary to address Dr.
Dumas' comments. He is quite correct that there are some fees that UTC
students may not benefit from. They may never set foot in the wellness
center or go to a football game. They may never take an art class. But
everyone uses energy, generates solid waste, and breathes air. These are
hardly "pet causes". One of the most appealing aspects of the clean campus
fee is that all students (and faculty/staff!) will benefit from it.

To think of an 'education' as nothing more than the means by which one may
find employment is short-sighted. The point of an education is indeed to
train students for success in their future careers. But as educators, it is
equally our responsibility to teach students how to be humane, responsible,
and enlightened citizens of the world. We believe that the Clean Campus Fee
is directly related to the students' education in that it stresses the
importance of being a good environmental steward. Many of our earth's
resources are limited. To pretend otherwise is irresponsible. If our
students do not learn the importance of sustainable practices here - at an
enlightened University - they certainly will not learn the importance of
such practices anywhere else following graduation.

Dr. Dumas is also concerned that we will lose students as a result of
another fee. We wholeheartedly disagree! The fact that we are trying to
improve the quality of life for campus, the community, and the planet will
be a selling point for many students. Many students sincerely want to attend
an institution that is environmentally responsible. We know this at least in
part from the overwhelmingly positive results of a survey we distributed
last semester designed to measure student interest in a Clean Campus Fee. In
addition, other TN campuses (UTK, MTSU, Tennessee Tech, and Austin Peay)
have instituted similar fees, and it has not hurt their enrollments.

Last, Dr. Dumas mentions that it does not matter what the students want; the
administration will override them. We do not believe this will be the case.
As we mentioned in our initial posting, Vice-Chancellor Brown is supportive
of our efforts, as are the other members of the Vice-Chancellor's Recycling
Task Force. Therefore, we are confident that a vote in favor of the fee will
stick.

In sum, we view the Clean Campus Fee is a winning situation all the way
around, and we stand behind the motto of the campaign, "A cleaner campus for
a cleaner world". The students are not going to be 'forced' to do anything.
That's why we're having a vote. If the students vote the proposed Clean
Campus Fee down, then that will be the end of it. We have great faith in the
student body here at UTC. But regardless of what we or anyone else thinks,
the students will speak for themselves on this issue when the SGA elections
come around this spring.

Respectfully,

David Aborn and Brad Reynolds
Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences

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