The overarching focus of Thursday afternoon's "Towards a More Sustainable Miami" town hall meeting was that of opportunity.

The town hall-style meeting featured a discussion of Miami University's sustainability - past, present and future - along with an announcement of a $50,000 Green Fund grant.

Adam Harris, student body vice president, said the money will be distributed to fund proposals for sustainability projects. David Creamer, vice president of finance and business services, carved the fund out of the university budget and said money saved by proposed efforts will be recycled to the fund and eventually increase beyond the original $50,000.

"A portion of the savings go back into the fund so there is money there for future projects," Creamer said. "What we can do in the future is a lot more than we can do right now."

Harris said to receive funding, proposals must be cost saving, feasible, environmentally impactful and well-researched.

"It's a landmark day for Miami's sustainability," Harris said. "We are all gathered here to affirm the importance of sustainability. What brings us together is opportunity."

While Harris said he is proud of Miami's current efforts to become a more environmentally friendly institution, he said improvement is still necessary.

Harris noted Miami improved from a D+ to C+ grade on the College Sustainability Report Card and stands at No. 87 on the Sierra Club's rankings of environmentally friendly universities.

Harris was part of a panel that facilitated discussion alongside Creamer, Provost Jeffrey Herbst and David Prytherch, professor of geography.

Herbst also emphasized the potential for improvement.

"Miami being associated with a C+ is just not acceptable, and we need to be better," Herbst said.

As provost, Herbst said he views three areas in which Miami is concerned about sustainability. Herbst said students' growing concern and interest in sustainability has created a need for more academic programs in the field and future careers in the emerging green market. The second issue, Herbst said, is the future of Miami's location.

"We will never move," Herbst said. "We are going to be here presumably forever, therefore we have to take a particular perspective on our surroundings because we are living among them for a very long time."

Thirdly, Herbst said the university has an economic investment in increasing sustainability.

"It is vital to the university that we reduce operating costs as much as possible so we can put those resources to our other list of priorities," Herbst said.

From the financial perspective, Creamer said the university should be proud of its completed efforts, such as the LEED-certified Farmer School of Business.

Creamer said he and his team are constantly examining the efficiency of campus buildings.

"This is a campus that has buildings that are very significant in age," Creamer said. "The way we think and plan our facilities is moving in a direction in which I think it needs to move."

To support Creamer, Tony Ferraro, energy management engineer, said the university has reported the square footage and energy density of each building to the EPA and compares campus buildings to similar ones nationwide.

"We compare residence hall buildings to other residence hall buildings across the country to see where we stand," Ferraro said. "All that data exists. Yes, we do look at it and study it. It's one of the first things we look at when deciding which buildings to renovate."

In addition to discussing sustainability, Herbst announced Prytherch as the coordinator of the newly created standing sustainability committee, connecting the administration to students, faculty and staff.

"We're looking to him as an agent of change," Herbst said.

As coordinator, Prytherch described Miami's effort as a "big and sprawling endeavor."

"We have arrived at a certain point that is really significant," Prytherch said. "We have the initiative of students to push for a task force on environmental sustainability which President Hodge wholeheartedly embraced."

Prytherch said he envisions the committee to include a mixture of individuals stemming from the operations ends of the university to faculty, both undergraduate and graduate students and major university decision makers.

"The challenges are significant," Prytherch said. "We really, in a certain sense, are only in the beginning. I think the people who will be at Miami in the next century will face a challenge that the people in the past couldn't have contemplated."

Prytherch said he views energy efficiency as a necessity.

"The more money we are spending on energy is more money not spent on the core mission," Prytherch said.

To allow both prospective and current students to view the university's sustainability efforts, Prytherch said he intends to create a Web site to increase communication.

Questions from the floor came from both students and faculty, ranging from concerns of unnecessary lighting of buildings after hours and excessive air conditioning or heating to the presence of sustainability in the academic setting.

Senior Teresa Zaffiro, an interdisciplinary studies major and vice president of Green Oxford, came to the forum to see how student organizations such as Green Oxford can be a part of the sustainability effort.

"I think five years ago (having a town hall on sustainability) would have been a big innovative step but now it's expected," Zaffiro said. "For lack of a better word, it's the new hot thing."

Junior Phillip Sanders, a family studies major, said he is concerned the topic of sustainability is too concentrated in certain fields. Sanders suggested to the panel that each department host a forum to discuss how sustainability can be implemented.

"As a family studies major, I have never heard sustainability mentioned," Sanders said. "It's kind of an insult for sustainability to be isolated to certain majors."

Student Body President Jonathan McNabb said he was pleased by the collaboration shown at the forum.

"I think the power of this event was that we saw a strong commitment from university leadership, students, administrators and staff alike to make a difference on these important issues," McNabb said.

Zaffiro agreed.

"It's exciting to have this opportunity and sustainability outlets to better our world," Zaffiro said. "That's why we're here, to make the world a better place."