Social Change Project

If the class chose our social change project, further research would be needed to help make our ideas real. Our sociology class would have to notify the college's students about our project so that we could potentially get support from them. We would also have to meet some of the college's authoritative figures, such as the Dean of Student Affairs, the Chief Financial Officer, the Director of Public Safety, and a representative from the Facilities department. We would also have to research Colonie's zoning laws and initiate the process of getting the proper zoning permits for the solar panels constructed on the campus. Other people would have to find out if our project could qualify for tax credits or subsidies from the national, state, or local government. Contacting the colleges that have already have the solar panels would be helpful to see if they have any helpful advice they could give us. Requesting sponsors from corporate organizations to help defray the total cost would help the college pay less money and give the companies an opportunity to advertise their company. Contacting media sources to help inform the surrounding community of what we plan to do and how it will help Siena's neighbors would be greatly beneficial to help create awareness about ways to be "green" and environmentally-conscientious. A few people would have to contact contractors and electricians who would install the solar panels and get estimates from them. A few people would have to meet with the electric company that provides electricity to Siena since the solar panels would have to be wired into Siena's electrical grid. These are a few of the things that will be necessary to successfully accomplish our project.