CSUN has multiple locations on campus which contribute to the university’s sustainability efforts and although sustainability is highly promoted, it isn’t clear where the efforts come from.
Darien Singuenza, Associated Students’ (A.S.) chair of sustainability, said this is because there are multiple channels on campus that contribute to CSUN’s sustainability goals, and they are not always able to communicate effectively. These groups are A.S. Sustainability, the sustainability committee and the Institute for Sustainability.
Each of these programs operate from different areas of the campus, but that will soon change. The Institute for Sustainability is located in Santa Susana Hall and A.S. Recycling along with the sustainability committee operate from different parts of the University Student Union.
A.S. is heading the new sustainability center which will house the sustainability committee, the Institute of Sustainability and also serve as the central location for the collection of recyclable materials.
The centralization of CSUN’s various sustainability programs is already happening, according to Singuenza. A.S. Sustainability now has monthly meetings with the Institute of Sustainability to establish an open line of communication.
“I’ve definitely noticed that there was a disconnect, and it’s hard because we’re all a little bit different, but our goals are the same, so we’re really trying to unify,” Singuenza said.
Singuenza said when the groups begin communicating more clearly, it will be easier to coordinate events and get students to be more enthusiastic about what they have to offer.
A.S. President Sevag Alexanian also said the sustainability center will motivate students to want to lean more. According to Alexanian, A.S. has done good work to get students involved in the past, but the sustainability center will bring more visibility.
“The new sustainability office will definitely help change the culture on campus,” said Carlos Iglesias, a senior philosophy major, and the sustainable office program lead. “Everything has always been really spread out, so now that it’ll be in one major place, that will help bring more attention to it.”
