Sustainability Innovation Award

APPA’s Sustainability Innovation Award in Facilities Management is designed to recognize and promote unique and innovative sustainable practices in educational facilities and campus environments. It is awarded to educational institutions that have implemented a significant or transformative program and/or processes that enhance service delivery, lower costs, create a green and/or sustainable environment, or otherwise benefit the educational institution by supporting student success and environmental stewardship. Award nomination entries must describe either one new program or a significant restructuring of an existing program or process. Recipients will receive special recognition on both APPA’s website and in APPA’s Facilities Manager magazine.

Eligibility Requirements:

The Sustainability Innovation Award is open to any APPA Institutional member in good standing through applying and accepting the award. Multi-campus or state systems may also submit applications for system-wide or individual merit. Up to three submissions will be selected per group. Groups include:

• Four-year, public institutions or private institutions
• Community College
• K-12

Entries are judged on a point system based on:

• 1.0 Innovativeness, Creativity, and Originality
  • 1.1 The level of innovation is described in detail.
  • 1.2 The level of creativity is described in detail.
  • 1.3 The initiative is unique and original.
  • 1.4 Benchmarking against other initiatives is well documented.

• 2.A. Sustainability (Economic Benefit)
  • Economic Benefit – The benefit is clearly defined/described. Economic analysis/documentation is provided/described.

• 2.B. Sustainability (Environmental Benefit)
  • Environmental Benefit – Environmental benefits are clearly described/defined. The importance of attaining the benefits to the institution is detailed.

• 2.C. Sustainability (Societal Benefit)
  • Societal Benefit –The effort/program’s ability to serve as an educational platform actively or passively, influence culture change, benefit economies, provide opportunity, enhance social equity, improve conditions for underserved populations.

• 3.0 Adaptability and Transferability
  • 3.1 The initiative is adaptable/transferable to other institutions.
  • 3.2 Alterations and costs to apply at another institution are low.
  • 3.3 Ease of implementation without customization.
  • 3.4 The institution has made the initiative available to other institutions.

• 4.0 Institutional and Community Benefit
  • 4.1 The initiative provides direct benefit to the institution.
  • 4.2 The initiative provides a direct benefit to the institution’s constituents.
  • 4.3 The extent of the benefit to the institution is clear.
  • 4.4 Results and outcomes are clearly described and documented.
  • 4.5 Results are factual and supported by data.
  • 4.6 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion illustrated demonstrated.

• 5.0 Management Commitment and Employee/Student Involvement
  • 5.1 Institutional management commitment to the initiative is evident and documented.
  • 5.2 The initiative is aligned with institutional goals.
  • 5.3 Stakeholder involvement is described and documented
  • 5.4 Employee involvement and participation is evident at all levels of the organization.
  • 5.5 Post-initiative feedback is provided and documented.

• 6.0 Documentation and Analysis
  • 6.1 Information analysis is used to evaluate performance.
  • 6.2 Information analysis is used to drive future performance improvements.
  • 6.3 Types of analysis tools used are described and demonstrated.
  • 6.4 The narrative describes how tools are used to enhance the success of the initiative.
  • 6.5 Documentation is factual, clear, logical, and well developed.

Congratulations to our 2023 Sustainability Innovation Award Recipient

University of California, Davis – Small Workplace Automation & Remote Monitoring Program (SWARM)

Past Institutional and Individual Award Recipients