Proposal for Building a Creative Center for Students .docx

Proposal for Building a Creative Center
for Students
Prepared for
Executive Branch of Student Government
University of Miami Alumni Committee
Committee on Student Organization
Prepared by
Sandra Stein
November 16, 2015
1
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2
INTRODUCTION 3

Statement of a Problem 3
Background and Review 3
Need 6
Benefits 7
Qualifications 8
Limitations and Contingencies 9
PLAN 10
Objectives and Methods 10
Expected Results 12
Feasibility 13
CONCLUSION 14
Summary 14
Request for Action 14
WORK CITED 15
2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The University of Miami is home to over 15,000 students and
offers over 180

majors and programs, with a strong international population that
creates a very diverse
and exciting culture for the university (University of Miami).
Vast opportunities exist for
students on campus to become involved in clubs, student
government, extracurricular
activities, Greek life, philanthropy and academic achievement.
However, this also
segments our student population into different academic and
cultural circles. The
University of Miami campus is centered around the Otto G.
Richter Library and the
Donna E. Shalala Student Center both socially and academically
with many study areas
and food establishments. Although the opportunities for social
interaction on campus are
endless, they are also widespread and unsupported. Many
student organizations are
struggling to find members and/or create viable programs. A
creative center for students
will unite the student body while allowing students to express
themselves individually
and creatively.
Building a new center or utilizing one of the older, unused
facilities on campus,
would improve student culture and strengthen student life
overall. Inspired by the NYU
student-run center, The Market NYC, a creative center at the
University of Miami is
exactly what students need, although they might not even know
it yet. To inspire students
both entrepreneurially and creatively, without financial risk and
with financial return, this
creative center is the only solution.

Students have business opportunities through LaunchPad and
on-campus job
placement, but neither of these allows students the creative
opportunities they need to
pursue their own business ideas or profit from their artistic
talents. The LaunchPad is
oriented toward entrepreneurs looking start a business in the
area, but focuses more on
long-term business development. On campus job opportunities
are scarcely available and
are often only available for Federal Work-Study or minimum
wage. Allowing and
encouraging students to participate in a student-run, student-
profit organization is the
perfect solution to create more job opportunities for students
and stimulate our on-
campus economy. This establishment would not only benefit the
students who sell their
creations, but also the students who come to the vendors,
engage in conversation and
potentially purchase products. Bringing students together, this
creative center would
improve campus culture and stimulate creative conversation and
interaction among
students.
This creative center could be started in either a building on
campus or through a
weekly market. With the approval of this proposal,
arrangements could commence
immediately to start recruiting students to participate and form
a venue for selling starting
in the Fall 2016.

3
INTRODUCTION
Statement of a Problem
The University of Miami offers many opportunities for student
involvement and
extracurricular activities, but fails to promote artistic and
entrepreneurial activity for all
students. Many students face financial problems in college
involving impending student
debt; seeking job opportunities poses additional problems such
as lacking opportunities,
unpaid internships, and having to balance work and school
obligations. The University of
Miami student population is fragmented by culture, language,
on campus and off campus
students, and academic paths. Thus, the University of Miami
student population will
benefit from a creative center that brings students from all
different backgrounds,
culturally and academically, together in an innovative and
expressive space. Students will
be able to promote each other and support each others’ interests
and talents. This will be
both extrinsically and intrinsically motivating for students and
the university culture by

being both economically lucrative and creatively enriching.
Background and Review
Most college students have a difficult time balancing
schoolwork with
extracurricular activities. Many students at the University of
Miami are highly motivated
and talented; many take positions in campus organizations, jobs
at local establishments,
and internships throughout Miami. Whether they are writing for
The Hurricane, the
University of Miami student-run newspaper, or working for
Buffalo Wild Wings as a
server, students are either trying to satisfy some intrinsic
motivation or trying to make
money to pay for college. Other students with artistic talent or
entrepreneurial skills do
not have the outlet to sell their items or engage business
activity on campus.
Problems to be solved on campus:
● Lack of student jobs on campus
● Lack of co-op and career services
● Student debt
● Segmented University of Miami student population
Inspiration from:
● The Market NYC
● University of Miami Farmer’s Market
● Etsy
This proposed creative center solves many problems students

face on campus.
One of these problems is the lack of student jobs on campus in
both availability and for
pay. Jobs on campus are either hard to find or are through
Federal Work Study. Kim
Ballen recounts her job hunt experience on campus:
“When I was a freshman, I was really excited to work at the
school, but when I
started looking for options, I found it impossible to get
something convenient and
4
good for my schedule. I applied for a job at the gym, but they
finalized the
schedule before classes started and only had one or two spots,
both really early in
the morning. Eventually, I just gave up” (Ballen).
Unless students are extremely proactive and finalize their
schedules ahead of time, the
job search can be very discouraging.
For students who may desperately need the money to pay for
college or those who
are looking for extra spending money in college, the options are
not very appealing.
Another issue on campus is the lack of co-op and career
services. The campus does not
have an organized co-op program, which would allow students

to get an internship
experience through career training with pay in their major fields
of study. With the
current requirements for business majors, many business
students are unable to get credit
towards their major, which causes discouragement towards
taking internship
opportunities and has hindered students from the real-world
experience they need to
succeed as graduates. Many students seek internship and job
opportunities to either help
boost their resume or make money while in school. These
students are motivated to get
jobs after college and often want their resumes to reflect
relevant experience. Many other
students do not have the time to engage in these work
opportunities, while balancing their
schoolwork as well. The commitment of certain jobs and
internships requires anywhere
from 10-15 hours a week, on top of the minimum15 hour a week
class schedule.
A big issue among college students today is student debt. Many
students are
entering the workforce with large amounts of student debt and
are relying on their past
experience to land them full-time job positions in order to pay
off this debt. According to
a 2013 statistic, 69% of students left school with an average of
$28,400 in student loan
debt (Bidwell). Students looking to reduce their financial
burden are left with few options
to successfully do so, until they graduate and enter the
workforce.

Figure 1
Source: The Institute for College Access and Success via
usnews.com
Another issue is the segmented University of Miami population.
Nationality,
student organization affiliation, major program or on-campus
and off-campus living often
5
isolate students from getting to know one another. Colleges are
facing issues of
depression, anxiety, suicide, bullying and other mental health
issues that are often a result
of the college social culture and social reinforcement. The
creative center would bring
together students of different backgrounds, cultures and
interests, while showcasing their
talents for other students to validate. Student involvement on
campus is just as much an
issue as student attendance and awareness of on campus
activities. A regularly operated
flea-market type establishment would attract students who come
to campus at different
times and utilize the campus for different reasons. Students
would inspire each other and
come together for a unique shopping experience that would
improve the campus culture

and student interaction.
This idea was initially inspired by the The Market NYC located
in the heart of
Greenwich Village in New York City. The Market was founded
in 2002 by Alex Pabon
in order to allow local artists to sell their creations. Located
right next to the NYU
campus, many students participate in this creative venture and
have profited because of it.
The concept is brilliant: “The idea that the vendor can interact
directly with the customer
was the whole concept. You can walk in here and actually meet
the designer and talk
with them, hear their story, what inspired them, that sort of
thing”(Hiscott). Students
from the music school can sell their music, students from the art
school can sell their
artwork, and any other student with a passion or talent can share
and profit as well. The
Market NYC space has a vintage feel with about 30 vendors in
separate booths occupying
the two-story space. The market has a range of vendors allowing
customers to shop
accessories, clothing, shoes, artwork and more. This New York
flea-market establishment
would bring a refreshing and unique concept to Miami that has
not been popularized yet.
Figure 2
Source: New York Vintage, Word Press
This idea is somewhat similar to a recent University of Miami

perk, the Farmer’s
Market. Every Wednesday, local vendors come out to the
farmer’s market to sell locally
grown and locally made goods. It is incredibly successful,
giving students variety as well
as convenience. Student’s with all different preferences are able
to grocery shop, eat
vegan food, and buy gifts like candles or honey. Provoking
student excitement about
6
Wednesdays, The Farmer’s Market is a University of Miami
treasure. This event brings
the surrounding and local communities to the campus as
vendors, however the Creative
Center does just the opposite. Students will be employed as the
vendors, drawing both
students and locals to the campus to shop students’ creative
work. As a more permanent
establishment, the Creative Center will bring the lively
excitement of the Farmer’s
Market on a daily basis for students to shop, browse and become
inspired.
The University of Miami Business School encourages
entrepreneurship and the
study of new business trends going on in the market. Major
trends right now are
crowdsourcing, subscriptions models, and then there’s Etsy.
Etsy allows virtually anyone
to sell a home-made product on its website for a small fee. Etsy
connects indie designers

to consumers all over the U.S., giving them, the craft-makers, a
portal to sell their
designs. The University of Miami campus needs a similar portal
for students to express
their creativity and talent in a casual and regular setting. New
York houses many vintage
and flea market shops, and now Miami will adapt to that hipster
and arty segment making
this Creative Center the perfect opportunity for this vision.
Need
Today, many students are motivated by what is expected of
them and what will be
a lucrative career rather than what truly fulfills their creative
aspirations. Business School
students at the University of Miami may have chosen a major
based on their interests, but
the strict curriculum does not give them an opportunity to
explore their creative talents.
Students are becoming increasingly entrepreneurial are looking
to start their own
company. According to a statistic from Bentley University, 67%
of students said they had
a goal of starting their own business (Asghar). For students
looking to explore their
entrepreneurial ambitions, a small scale outlet like the creative
center is the optimal
starting place. Aside from academic struggles facing college
students, there is a strong
need for a creative outlet here on the University of Miami
campus. With intense class
schedules and extracurricular activities, students are not given
the opportunity to get real
world experience in small-time entrepreneurship and personal
selling. This innovative

idea allows students to “try” out their ideas without financial
repercussions and with
unlimited profitability. Campus involvement is widespread at
the University of Miami—a
center like this could be a hub for clubs, organizations, and
various art programs to come
together and collaborate.
The standard curriculum featuring PowerPoint lectures, midterm
testing and
presentations do not facilitate real-world experience students
can receive from jobs or
internships. According to Professor Scharf, a marketing
professor at the university,
companies recruit from universities because students are easy to
mold and formally
educated, and yet a huge disadvantage is a lack of experience
(Scharf). Students appear to
have been trained in the classroom, but really lack the
experience it takes to immediately
succeed or integrate into a in a corporate setting. According to
the Robert Half
Technology firm, “71 percent of chief information officers
prioritize skills and
experience over college degrees when hiring”(Rapacon). The
University of Miami needs
to offer their students an alternative to the traditional on-
campus jobs or local minimum
wage options. This creative center will provide students with
business experience, as well
as the opportunity to express their creative talents.
7

As the business world is changing around us, we as a university
need to adapt and
innovate. By bringing an unprecedented organization at the UM
campus, we will be
staying at the cutting edge of business trends and university
features.
Benefits
The University of Miami Creative Center will bring benefits to
the University, the
students, the customers, and the vendors. The University will
have increased foot traffic
and community interest because it will serve as both a learning
center and shopping
destination. Miami is a large and sprawling city, where many
students are commuters
living in Brickell and Miami Beach. The University is somewhat
like an island off of
South Dixie Highway, where students and people living on
campus have a general store,
restaurants and entertainment options. Although the University
has the Bookstore with
spirit apparel, there is no store on campus that gives students a
shopping experience.
Students living both on and off campus will be able to satisfy
all of their daily needs with
the addition of this creative center.
According to a recent statistic, 40% of college students
nationwide have part-time
jobs, and half of those jobs are on-campus (Levy). Although
students may initially feel
this would be a hard balance and negatively affect their
schoolwork, studies show just the

opposite. The 2008 National Survey of Student Engagement
“demonstrated that students who worked 1-12 hours a week had
higher
Bachelor’s degree attainment rates than students who did not
work, but that
working more than 12 hours a week caused declines in
graduation rates” (Levy)
This statistic is indirectly correlated to the benefits a creative
center on campus could
provide. It will improve both academics and graduation rates on
campus. Multiple studies
have been conducted which result in the correlation between
student employment and
academic success. Additional studies show that working while
taking classes improves
time-management skills and reduces dependence on student
loans. This is both
economical and productive for students looking for jobs
throughout school. According to
the article “Term-Time Employment and Academic
Performance,” by Michael Wenz and
Wei-Choun Yu at the University of Illinois, a direct correlation
was found between a
student’s grade point average and student employment.
According to Figure 3, a study
from Winona State University, people who worked while
attending college had a higher
GPA compared to those not working while in college, 3.12 and
3.03, respectively.
Additionally, the study found the factors affecting student
motivation to work while
attending college in order of importance, see Figure 3.
Figure 3

Factors affecting student motivation to work while attending
college:
● earning money to pay tuition
● earning spending money
● developing skills specific to their future career
● gaining general work experience
● making friends
Source: Journal of Education Finance
8
The number of studies relating student employment to higher
academic achievement will
be a benefit from additional opportunities for student
employment that the University of
Miami. The Creative Center will not only bring in revenue to
the University, but
stimulate the campus economy with students having more
disposable income to spend at
the restaurants and bookstore.
Figure 4
Source: Journal of Education Finance
Qualifications

As a senior at the University of Miami, I have seen, firsthand,
the opportunities
the University has to offer. My experience in the Business
School with a Marketing and
Management major has proven very educational, but the intense
curriculum limits
creativity and hinders interaction with students in different
majors. I have also explored
the art scene in Miami, as an Art History minor, in order to see
throughout my college
experience the rapidly growing art influence. International art
influence is seen with the
art festival, Art Basel, and the new Perez Art Museum Miami is
shows Miami’s
investments in art education. The University of Miami is home
to an amazing collection
of art with our Lowe Art Museum, which stays current with
various rotating collections
as well as the impressive permanent collection. The University
of Miami is qualified and
able to support students trying to sell their creative work,
bringing artistic interests to the
University. In turn, this would make the University another
institution in Miami taking
initiative to evolve the art influence here. For the past two
summers I worked at Li &
Fung in New York City, a supply chain management firm
specializing in retail, for which
I designed a company app in an intern competition. The
internship program provided
creativity and hands-on experience, from which we learned
entrepreneurial and

9
marketing skills crucial in real-life business settings. Providing
students with a place to
test their creativity and business skills would prepare them for a
corporate setting or
entrepreneurial venture. From my previous experience and my
participation in on-campus
organizations, I have a strong passion for bringing a creative
initiative to the University
of Miami.
Limitations and Contingencies
This proposal is perfectly congruent with the continuous
reconstruction of the
University of Miami campus. The recent construction of the
Fate Bridge and Student
Activities Center shows that changes on campus are happening
quickly. Although space
may be an initial limitation, various vacancies like previous
Oasis Café and C Store,
provide ample opportunity for this initiative to begin its
creation.
10
PLAN

Objectives and Processes
The objective of the plan is to construct, implement and
operate a Creative Center
on the University of Miami campus. Below is the operational
business plan to bring this
idea to fruition. In order to physically and conceptually execute
this idea, the following
processes are necessary.
Processes:
1. Construction
2. Implementation
3. Operations
Process 1: Construction
A main objective in creating this opportunity for students will
be the construction
of a physical location for the Creative Center to occupy. The
University of Miami has
undergone major construction over the past 4 years and will
continue to improve the
campus for years to come. Currently, under major construction,
is a new Health System
Center involving a 200,000 square-foot ambulatory care center.
The construction of new
facilities like these leave many buildings on campus underused
or completely vacant. For
the initial construction of a facility for the Creative Center there
are two options: occupy
an unused facility on campus or construct a new one. Both
options are extremely feasible

with alumni assistance and University support.
Many businesses and programs on campus have changed
location due to ongoing
campus construction. These changes leave many facilities open
for use, leaving
opportunities for new initiatives to take root on campus. In
Figure 5, Option A indicates
where the restaurant Oasis was previously located. The space is
perfect for the initial
location of the Creative Center. The open space could hold
anywhere from 10-15 booths
for permanent vendors to sell their creations. The central
location of the Whitten
University Center will attract foot traffic and revive the empty
space currently. This cost
effective and feasible option will allow for the Creative Center
to commence quickly.
The University of Miami is evolving with constant changes
often derived from
the support of alumni donations. A new building to house the
Creative Center is a perfect
candidate for alumni support. Many influential art collectors
have recently taken interest
in the university; for example, Tony Podesta and Eugenio Lopez
have come to speak at
UM multiple times expressing their interest in impacting the up
and coming art scene in
Miami through the university itself. Construction of the
Creative Center would capitalize
on the growing art industry and satisfy the demand for
innovative on-campus facilities. A
new building could be designed to house art collections and
mini-boutiques. In Figure 5
below, Option B shows a large open green area where the
construction of a new building
could take place either as an extension of the Ferre Building or

as a new building. It is
also a perfect location with large amounts of foot traffic and
prime visibility in the center
of campus.
11
Both Options A and B provide excellent opportunities for the
Creative Center to
become a reality.
Figure 5
Source: University of Miami Campus Map
Process 2: Implementation
The process of implementing the Creative Center on campus
would involve initial
set-up, recruiting, training, and testing of the vendors and the
facility. This process would
remain relatively simple by recruiting artists locally and
through the university. Alex
Pabon, the founder of The Market NYC, approached this step
very casually.
“ We saw that there was a calling at Henri Bendel for emerging
designers, and
we’re like, ‘Let’s go over there and give cards out.’ That’s how
we got the first 10
to 12 designers. Then word of mouth. After several months,

when we were on
Mulberry Street, it really took off. “ (Hiscott)
In a similar respect, the Creative Center could recruit students
through art classes,
professors, and word of mouth. Similar to the Market NYC, the
gap in the market for this
type of business would make it intriguing and exciting for new
artists. Finally, a one
month trial run should be scheduled upon the grand opening of
the Creative Center to
give artists and employees a short-term goal for the business to
then evolve and adapt to
demand.
A
B
12
Process 3: Operations
Before the Creative Center is up and running, vendors and
employees will need
clear direction in order to effectively conduct their business.

The Creative Center is the
idea of “shops within a shop,” so vendors who make their own
products will be recruited
and additional employees will be needed to sell them. Operation
of the facility will deal
with the administrative needs, managerial responsibilities,
revenue and income.
Administrative and managerial responsibilities will be student-
run. This will
allow students to gain real business experience and see the inner
workings of operations.
The vendors themselves would have the option of running their
own booths or employing
students to sell the merchandise. With the goal of being open
six days of the week during
school hours, many vendors will need assistance in selling their
products, which would
allow student employees to gain sales experience. This type of
experience both
operational and selling will be extremely fulfilling for students.
In a recent study of
student employment, results showed that:
“students who work for primarily financial reasons earn lower
grades
than students who work for career- specific skills but higher
grades than those
students motivated by a desire for general work experience”
(Wenz).
The exclusive experience students will receive from seeing the
ins and outs of a business
will be career related and involve greater responsibility.
The vendor run business involves a strict and organized
revenue system. In order
for the building to compensate employees, maintain rent and

pay off initial start-up costs,
vendors will need to pay a flat fee per month and a percentage
of monthly sales. This
revenue model is based on a combination of the Etsy model and
The Market NYC. The
Etsy model is straight-forward and affordable. “It costs $0.20 to
list a single item for 4
months. If an item sells, Etsy receives 3.5% of the value of the
sale.” (Maguire) Sellers
also receive additional income from advertising efforts, but they
make the majority of
their money through commission. Conversely, The Market NYC
runs their business on “a
month-to-month agreement, [with a] minimum of two months. If
they need to vacate we
ask that they give 30 days’ notice. That’s it, very
straightforward. We don’t take any
commission from their sales” (Hiscott). A combination of these
models will allow the
business as well as the employees to succeed. To make it
affordable, both the fixed and
variable costs for vendors will remain low, allowing the vendors
to profit from their
success. This revenue model of the Creative Center is based on
artistic expression and
prosperity.
Expected Results
The idea of the Creative Center is unprecedented and unknown
to South Florida.
Flea markets and vintage shops are vastly important to the
culture of New York City and
art scene that is deeply rooted in the cities history. The culture
of Miami is evolving with

the growing art scene and international population. Hence, the
potential positive results of
this venture are opportune and infinite. Students and local
vendors have limitless
profitability with the commission on their work. Student
employees will have an
experience that is only possible with this unique opportunity.
Speculations can be made
13
on student fulfillment and campus-life satisfaction, both of
which could be greatly
enhanced by the Creative Center.
The University of Miami is a “brand” that is recognized for
sports, academics and
the “U” slogan. The University has the opportunity to greatly
impact the art and business
world with the renowned status it has already achieved. The
press related to this venture
would give the university a new niche to offer its students. With
many studies and news
trends debating the “price” of college with increasing student
debt and decreasing
employment opportunities, UM could set an example of how
colleges are trying to
mitigate these economic factors. By improving the appeal of
school and art programs, the
university would become even more diverse and unique.
The expected and unexpected results both show that this is a
worthwhile
investment in the University of Miami’s students and their

future success.
Feasibility
We have the farmers market and new business starting each year
at the
University. This is not only feasible, but imperative for the
happiness and success of the
University’s students. With the goal of full implementation by
Fall 2016, the University
can soon see the triumph of this initiative.
14
CONCLUSIONS
Summary
In conclusion, the Creative Center is a solution to a gap in the
consumer goods
marketplace for both the University of Miami and the city of
Miami as well. This center
solves financial and entrepreneurial issues for students, while
bringing together the
University student population in creative conversation. Student
involvement and student
satisfaction are expected to increase if a Creative Center was
implemented on campus. As
stated prior, studies and statistics prove the benefits of student

employment including
work experience and financial comfortability. Also discussed,
the businesses of The
Market NYC and Etsy have been proven lucrative and popular
for small scale designers.
The benefits are limitless and the limitations are easy to
overcome, therefore there is no
“downside” to having this on-campus establishment. This
exciting and unprecedented
business will change the University of Miami, forever, as a
brand and a community.
Request for Action
I am requesting that the Executive Branch of Student
Government, University of
Miami Alumni Committee, and Committee on Student
Organization take my proposal
into consideration for a future business on campus. The
feasibility and innovative aspects
of this plan make it the essential investment for the University.
15
WORK CITED
University of Miami. University of Miami. Web 30 Nov. 2015
Asghar, Rob. "Study: Millennials Are The True Entrepreneurial
Generation."Forbes.

Forbes Magazine, 11 Nov. 2014. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.
Ballen, Kim. "On Campus Job Search." Personal interview. 10
Nov. 2016.
Bidewell, Allie. "Average Student Loan Debt Approaches
$30,000." US News.
U.S.News & World Report, 13 Nov. 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
Hiscott, Rebecca. "Q&A with Alex Pabon, Founder of The
Market NYC." New York
Vintage. 14 Feb. 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
Levy, David. "The Benefits of Working While Enrolled in
College." Edvisors. Edvisors
Network, Inc. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
Maguire, Chris. “What is the Business Model of Etsy?
Frequently Asked.” Quora. 21 Jan.
2012. Web. 1 Dec. 2015
Rafowitz, Mia. "Getting Fresh with the Farmers Market." The
Rival UMIAMI.
University of Miami, 4 Nov. 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
Rapacon, Stacy. "Why Working through College Is Becoming
Norm." CNBC. 29 Oct.
2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
Scharf, Ian. "Recruiting (Universities)." Professional Selling
Class Lecture. Stubblefield
Building, Coral Gables. 11 Nov. 2015. Lecture.
Wenz, Michael, and Wei-Choun Yu. “Term-time Employment
and the Academic
Performance of Undergraduates”. Journal of Education Finance

35.4 (2010): 358–373.
Web...
Wine, Jennifer, Melissa Cominole, and Lesa Caves. "2004/09
Beginning Postsecondary
Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/09) Field Test." National
Center for Educational
Statistics: Institute of Education Sciences (2009): 268. Print.
Proposal for UGreen Initiative for
Students
Prepared for
Executive Branch of Student Government
Prepared by
Michelle Buchbinder

and
Rebecca Kaplan
December 4, 2017
1
Table of Contents
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………
……….………………….2
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………
………….…………….. 3
Statement of a Problem 3
Background and Review
3
Examples
4
Need 5
Benefits 6
● Economic 6
● Social
7
● Education 7
Objections and Drawbacks

7
PLAN…………………………………………………………………
………………………….8
Objectives 8
Execution 8
Expected Results 10
Funding 10
CONCLUSION………………………………………………………
………………………....11
Summary 11
Request for Action 12
WORK
CITED…………………………………………………………………
…………….....13
2
ABSTRACT
Campus agriculture and sustainability projects have been
increasingly successful over the
past decade. It is an area that the University of Miami is

currently lacking in, but could benefit
from greatly if actions are taken to diversify the options it
provides for its students. The UGreen
initiative aims at creating an on campus garden as well as a
composting program. The garden
will be able to provide easy access to fresh, organic foods
throughout the semesters. The
composting program will collect food waste from campus as
well as students which will be used
to support the garden. Together, these programs will enable the
University of Miami to become a
more environmentally friendly campus that is increasing its
sustainability and offering its
students healthy food options.
3
INTRODUCTION
Statement of a Problem
The University of Miami currently has a USustainability

program that offers various
events that aim to spread awareness about sustainability and
environmental issues. While a
terrific initiative, a lot of their events are not very highly
publicized and a lack of awareness still
permeates throughout the entire student body. Generally, there
is a lack of empathy toward
sustainability and environmental consciousness among the
general student body as well. A large
issue with USustainability’s initiative is their lack of exposure
to their events. Because of this,
many students are not aware of the events that they hold on
campus and thus do not have the
opportunity to be exposed to information regarding
environmental issues around campus and
around the world.
Also, the campus arboretum is lacking a public garden. The
arboretum is in a very remote
area of campus, located on the edge of campus along Campo
Sano Avenue, this area is not
exposed to a lot of foot traffic and a lot of students are not even
aware that an arboretum exists.
This is the perfect time for the development of a campus garden
in a more accessible location,

especially in the wake of Hurricane Irma, that disturbed and
destroyed large sections of the
existing campus arboretum. On top of that, the arboretum is
mostly only home to trees, not
edible produce and herbs.
Lastly, there is no current on-campus composting initiative.
Composting, a key
component in organic farming and sustainability, is composed
of organic matter and waste. It is a
rather simple process, yet the University of Miami is lacking
any form of on-campus composting
4
bins or areas. Currently, no on-campus dining halls or food
vendors compost their waste. Our
initiative aims to amend these issues.
EXAMPLES
In the past few years, there has been a significant increase of
such initiatives taking place
in campuses across the country. George Mason University in
Virginia started their Potomac

Heights Vegetable Garden during their spring 2009 semester. At
GMU, a student organization
oversees the community garden and the club organizes events to
educate their student body about
sustainability. They also use vegetables grown in their campus
garden to be sold to one of their
dining facilities.
In the Midwest, The University of Minnesota at Morris
partnered with student
organizations interested in sustainability and environmental
issues, local businesses, and Native
American tribes to start a community garden on their campus to
honor traditional Native
American agricultural techniques. In 2011, Dominican
University, located in Illinois, launched
their community garden and rely on student, staff, faculty, and
community volunteers to upkeep
their garden but also engage local school children to help with
the community gardening efforts.
Their goal is promote outreach and education about
sustainability and the environment. Their
garden is watered every morning and volunteers take shifts a
day or two each week to educate
others about their gardening efforts. This campus also utilizes

composting; campus leftovers like
coffee grounds, eggshells, and other organic waste is collected
and used throughout the garden.
Here, garden volunteers are free to pick produce freely for their
own use and whatever is leftover
is donated.
5
Down south at the University of Texas at Austin, students
organized the Concho
Community Garden, a space that provides all students and
faculty a space to grow produce. At
this campus, all the food grown in their garden is used for
personal consumption, in on-campus
dining halls, and the remainder is donated to local citizens in
need. Out West in California,
Pamona College also established their own community garden.
The garden is used for
educational and business purposes. Students can maintain the
garden and test the soil for science
purposes or utilize the garden to write papers and these for
topics on environmental policy or the

sciences. Pamona students hold a bi-weekly farm stand where
the produce grown at the garden is
sold to not only students, but around their community.
In our home state of New Jersey, Rutgers University runs the
“nation’s largest organic
farm managed by students.” (3 Universities with Exceptional
Community Gardens). This farm is
completely run by Rutgers students. Rutgers also offers a year-
long internship for a handful of
students to manage the entire farm’s operation, offering
students experience and skills in
agriculture, business, management, and the biological and
environmental sciences. All the food
that is grown on the Rutgers farm is donated to local food banks
and those in need in the
community.
NEED
Currently on the University of Miami campus, there is a serious
lack of environmental
education, student awareness, and most importantly, there is an
absence of an on-campus
community garden. On top of that, there is no current
composting program in place either.

Current student programming and student organizations, such as
USustainability, have limited
6
outreach on our campus. Current efforts by these groups receive
limited exposure and thus the
Miami student body greatly lacks awareness on environmental
issues.
Also, there is a great need for fresher food options on campus.
The survey we distributed
to a sample of students showed that 84% of students believe
there are not enough fresh food
options campus. The “freshest” food option, the Wednesday
Farmer’s Market, does sell fresh
produce but is only available on select Wednesdays a semester
and 61% of students think the
prices are somewhat unreasonable and 15% of students think the
prices are very unreasonable for
fresh produce there. Additionally, a common complaint among
the student body is the lack of
fresh food options in the two dining halls and in Outtakes.

BENEFITS
Economic
A community garden could serve to save students and faculty
money in the short and
long-term. Short term, no one on campus would be forced to pay
an exorbitant amount of money
for fresh produce. For students who live on campus, a
community garden could save them a trip
to the grocery store, which is even more beneficial to those who
live on campus and do not have
a car. In the long-term, all the savings from utilizing the
community garden on a regular basis
would add up.
A composting initiative would also save money in the long run.
Compost has been shown
to enrich plants and decrease the need for pesticides and special
fertilizers. Compost also yields a
higher growth rate for crops.
7

Social
The community garden presents many social advantages as well.
Placed in essentially the
heart of campus, the garden is a great place to gather and
socialize with friends. The garden also
presents a volunteer opportunity to anyone interested in getting
involved. Finally, the garden
provides students the opportunity to work together as a
community toward one common goal:
providing fresh food for the University of Miami campus.
Educational
Many students will benefit from a community garden
educationally as well. Students
studying the biological sciences can utilize the garden to sample
soil and examine it in their labs,
as BIL 150 and the accompanying lab often do. It can also
provide the opportunity for new
classes that focus on agriculture and sustainability which can
have a hands on component outside
of the classroom. This can involve either an interactive part
during class or separate lab that
focuses on either the composting program or layout and
operations of the garden.

OBJECTIONS AND DRAWBACKS
As with all significant projects, common concerns about the
community garden and the
composting initiative is cost and effectiveness. One way to curb
the cost is to include an optional small
payment in student tuition. As for effectiveness, if everyone is
enthusiastic about the garden and the
composting initiative, it has a great chance of being effective.
The largest obstacle to overcome is
upkeeping the community garden. College life gets hectic but in
order for such a project to succeed,
interested students must commit to maintaining the garden. The
community garden will require a lot of
upkeep and volunteers.
8
A few drawbacks of the composting initiative is that compost
often has an unpleasant odor, which
can fester under the hot Florida sun and potentially have an
adverse effect to our campus. The garden and
the compost also have the potential to attract unfriendly pests

and animals such as cockroaches, raccoons,
rats, and maybe even alligators. These efforts also run the risk
of being swiftly destroyed in a natural
disaster such as a hurricane and thus might not be permanent
fixtures on our campus.
PLAN
Objectives
The objective of this initiative is to implement the two
sustainability measures of growing
an on campus garden as well as composting of food waste. The
garden will provide students with
an option to purchase fresh foods and the compositing will
decrease University of Miami’s
environmental footprint.
Execution
Composting requires three ingredients that can all be obtained
on campus. Browns such
as dead leaves, branches, and twigs can be collected around
campus easily. Greens include food
waste such as fruit, vegetables, pasta, rice, bread, egg shells, tea
bags, and coffee grounds as well

as paper and empty toilet paper rolls. This can be collected by
setting up disposal bins around
campus for dining services and students to throw out their waste
in. Overall, it repurposes waste
and reduces the need for chemical fertilizer which further helps
the environment. The last
ingredient is water.
Building the garden requires setting up plots, utilizing the
compost, and acquiring seeds
for desired produce to be grown. A common practice for
planting on campus gardens has been to
9
have separate raised-bed plots. To begin, 20 four-by-eight plots
would be plotted in the center of
the Foote University Green in the middle of campus. This will
span 640 square foot. The foote
A. George Mason University Garden
B. Washington University Garden

green is the perfect location because it is in the path of direct
sunlight and also in a centralized
location of campus so it will get exposure among students.
Also, it is a huge area of land that
remains mostly unused during the semesters and summers by
students and can instead provide a
means of food while also bringing students together. A survey
will be conducted among students
to find out which fresh produce the student population would
most like the opportunity to
purchase. The garden will begin with choosing five vegetables
to grow and depending on
demand and popularity the garden can expand number of plots
and variety of produce grown.
Many campuses that started on campus gardens have a club that
are in charge of the
garden and are head of organizing volunteers. Volunteering at
the garden will be open to all
students and the articles posted interviewing clubs running on
campus gardens discuss the
amount of interest they receive from the student population and
that there is sufficient turnout of
volunteers each week to keep the garden successful. Our survey
showed that 40% of students

said yes and 20% of students said maybe that they would
volunteer on an campus garden which
is over half of students. Additionally, the garden can be taken
care of in the summer by being
part of summer camp activities. The University of Miami has
huge summer camp programs and
10
it can be an activity kids choose to take part in during their
week. It is a great way for kids to
learn about sustainability and get to eat fresh produce that they
contributed to growing
themselves as well.
Expected Results
There are currently over 300 universities in the United States
with some sort of
agriculture project being taken on. The University of Miami can
acquire the means to take part as
well and tremendously improve fresh food options to students
while also providing students with
a way to decrease their footprint on the environment through
food waste. It will also give

students the opportunity to actively participate in their food
cycle process and be part of a
community setting with peers volunteering at the garden. The
survey showed that 60% of
students said they are somewhat interested and 22% of students
said they are very interested in
environmental issues on campus. Washington University which
is a slightly smaller school with
an on campus garden has shown to sell around $100 of produce
to students a week and we
believe a garden on this campus would sell around the same
amount of produce. Overall, the
UGreen initiative will bring students together while working
towards being more
environmentally friendly as well as offer students fresh
produce, an area many students
consistently discuss a lack thereof.
Funding
This initiative will be funded by an option offered to students to
pay an additional $5 or
$10 when paying their semester tuition. This was an approach
used at Gonzaga University which
is a school that is similar in size and tuition rates and was able
to raise $20,000 for an on campus

garden by these means. The survey distributed to a sample of
students showed that 55% of
11
students said they would pay an extra $5 a semester when
paying tuition to fun an on campus.
Based on this result, that is at least 5,000 student which would
translate to $25,000 in funds for
the garden. The funds will also be used to purchase the
collection bins to be placed around
campus for the composting ingredients. Once the garden begins
to sell produce, it will be
self-sustaining financially where any money made will be put
back into the garden to grow more
produce. This will provide students with a means of buying
affordable fresh produce.
Additionally, students will be able to pay $15 for the semester
to have their own plot to grow
whatever they would like. This will provide more funding to
continue expanding the garden as
well.

CONCLUSION
Summary
The UGreen initiative is a way to spread awareness about
environmental and
sustainability issues throughout the University of Miami
campus. There are a variety of
educational, social, and economic benefits for both students and
faculty. It also helps the
environment, which should be a priority due to today’s climate
change prevalence. The garden
will provide everyone on campus with ready access to fresh
produce while the composting
program will collect organic waste from food vendors around
campus as well as students to be
used in the garden’s soil. These programs are designed to work
together to make UM a more
environmentally-conscious campus with its finger on the pulse
of current sustainability issues.
12

Request for Action
We are requesting that the Executive Branch of Student
Government consider this
proposal to implement both an on a campus garden as well as a
composting program. These
measures will make the University of Miami more
environmentally conscious while also
providing students with affordable means for healthy food
options.
13

Work Cited
“Composting At Home.” EPA, Environmental Protection
Agency, 20 Mar. 2017,
www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home.
Egelhoff, Rose. “5 Colleges Where Students Are Getting
Creative with Sustainable Agriculture.”
Latest News, May 2016,
www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/5-
colleges-where-students-are-gettin
g-creative-sustainable-agriculture/1009501/.
Jones, Samantha. Feasibility Study and Best Practices for a
Campus Community Garden on the
University of Arkansas Campus. Dec. 2011,
scholarworks.uark.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&conte
xt=csesuht.
Jones, Kristy. “Growing On Campus: 4 Sustainable Gardens at
American Colleges & Universities.”
The National Wildlife Federation Blog, 6 Jan. 2016,
blog.nwf.org/2011/11/students-and-staff-growing-their-own-
four-campus-gardens/.
Kelly, Amanda. “College Community Gardens Grow More than
Just Vegetables.” USA Today,

Gannett Satellite Information Network, 5 July 2014,
college.usatoday.com/2012/05/31/college-community-gardens-
grow-more-than-just-vegetabl
es/.
O'Brien, Kathleen. “3 Universities With Exceptional
Community Gardens.” NationSwell, 19 Nov.
2014, nationswell.com/colleges-getting-green/.
Spitzer, Judith. “Gonzaga Tabbed as One of Most Sustainable
Colleges.” ProQuest, 7 May 2015,
search.proquest.com/abicomplete/docview/1685292269/47F35A
B6097D45DDPQ/2?accoun
id=14585.
Williams, Natasha. “MBasketball vs Elon.” Image Description,
newsandfeatures.uncg.edu/sustainable-uncg-gardens/.
http://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home
http://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/5
-colleges-where-students-are-gettin
Key Proposal Components
Abstract or Executive Summary: Initial reviews are often based
on the abstract (approximately 200 words) or executive
summary (one or two pages). Write either as a stand-alone piece
for an audience of educated lay-readers.
Introduction: Briefly state the goal of your project, provide an
overview of how you intend to carry it out, and include the

amount you are requesting.
Needs Statement/Statement of Significance: Place your needs
statement near the beginning of the proposal so that reviewers
immediately understand why the project is important.
· Present the problem as something that you can solve.
· Include empirical data and comments from leaders in the field.
· Be positive. Focus on the project's impact, not on the
challenges you face.
· Avoid circular logic, in which the lack of a solution is the
problem.
· Describe who will benefit and how they will benefit.
Project Background: Put your project in context. What aspects
of the problem have others addressed? What do you plan to
build upon? What makes your project unique? Why is it the next
logical step in addressing the problem?
Goals and Objectives: Transition from stating the problem to
offering a solution. Begin with a set of goals and objectives that
you intend to work toward.
· A goal is a general statement about the aim of a project. "To
contribute new knowledge to the field of..." "To expand the
curriculum in the area of..."
· Objectives are indicators of whether a project is successfully
working toward the overarching goal. An objective describes
the specific outcome of a project and can be indicated by a
measurable change (increase or decrease) or a final product
(scholarly article, data set, new technique).
Project Description: This is the heart of the proposal and should
be the longest part of the narrative.
· Describe and defend your methods.
· Outline the project in a logical sequence of events.
· Include a chart or graph to illustrate the timeline.
· Demonstrate that you have the plan to accomplish the project:
Describe personnel, equipment, facilities, external specialists,
experts, institutional resources, etc.
Conclusion: In one or two paragraphs, make a final appeal for
your project. Restate the main points of your proposal. Tie your

project again to your long-range goals and to the goals of the
grant-maker.
Budget: The budget reflects the full scope of the project. Don't
overstate the cost of your project, but don't understate it either.
Rather, present an accurate reflection of the financial resources
required to meet your goals. Include income such as other
external support, institutional support, and matching funds.
Include expenses for all project components, with narrative
explanations where necessary.
Proposal/Persuasive Report Assignment:
Your proposal project will be a research-based document. The
format you choose depends on your interest, your knowledge of
the subject, and your purpose. In class we will discuss the
project elements and workshop your project. You will have the
opportunity to see previous student proposals as examples, in
addition to course guidance. You can work with ONE partner.
The proposal has a persuasive focus, as it attempts to influence
an audience to take some action: authorize a project, accept a
service or product, or support a specific plan for solving a
problem or making an improvement. You could write about
your own dream foundation/non profit or a new program at UM.
You could write about academics or extracurriculars at UM.
You could make a proposal to any company or organization.
You can work on a grant proposal. Please ask if you have
questions on your proposal topic.
Project Requirements:
Hard copy due in class; see syllabus for due dates.
Length: Approximately 10-12 pages, not including the title page

or table of contents
Report Body:
The body should be TNR 12 pt. double-spaced, and should
include a minimum of three graphics (tables, charts, line graphs,
diagrams, etc.). The graphics must be cited appropriately if
they are from another source. In addition to graphics, you may
choose to incorporate infographics and/or photos within your
proposal or in the Appendix section. Incorporate your research
(5-10 high quality sources) with summary and quotations for
support and credibility. One inch margins.
Front Matter/End Matter:
At minimum, you should have three pages of front matter: a
Title Page, a Table of Contents with page numbers for sections,
and an Abstract or Executive Summary. Additionally, depending
on your audience and purpose, you may also choose to include a
List of Tables and Figures, Glossary, Appendices, and other
Documentation.
Visuals: As noted in Report Body, you must include at least
three visuals of any type, which may include tables, etc.
Grading Criteria:
I will grade projects according to these guidelines:
CONTENT
· Clearly identified goal or purpose
· Content appropriate to audience
· Length and detail appropriate for subject
·
Solution

s are feasible and realistic
· Anticipates and diplomatically addresses objections
· Costs (estimates as needed) and any drawbacks are clearly
stated
· Benefits are clearly stated
· Visuals are used effectively
· Content is professional in tone and editing choices for
readability (Paramedic Method)
· Convincing, reasonable persuasion
· Support from credible, professional sources
incorporated with citations
ORGANIZATION
· Intro provides sufficient background on problem
· Body clearly details your solution
· Includes supplements (appendices, glossaries, etc.) if
needed
STYLE AND PAGE DESIGN
· Uses headings, bullets, and formatting to increase reader
usability
· Level of technicality is appropriate for intended reader(s)
· Language is accessible, grammar correct
· Writing is clear, concise and fluent

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