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APPA News

Webinar: Reducing Greenhouse Gases & Achieving Climate Neutrality

On Wednesday, June 18 APPA presented the first in a series of free webinars on the topic of sustainability. Sponsored by Haley&Aldrich and presented by Walter Simpson, editor of APPA's publication entitled The Green Campus: Meeting the Challenge of Environmental Sustainability, the webinar explored the organizational ingredients necessary for building a successful campus energy program, emphasizing energy conservation, green building design, green power purchasing, and renewable energy generation -- strategies central to any campus effort designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or achieve climate neutrality. Other topics covered included energy policies, green computing, energy awareness, working with ESCOs, obtaining top level support, the key role of facilities managers, and developing climate action plans. Lessons learned from the University at Buffalo's nationally recognized successful campus energy program were also shared.

For those who were not able to sit in on the webinar live, or if you wish to see it again, a recording can be viewed here. A PDF of the slides is also available for download through the recording's player console. If you already registered for the webinar, simply enter your email address to view the recording. If not, you will need to register to view the event.

Study Shows School Cleanliness Affects Learning

A recent national study of college students determined there is a correlation between the cleanliness of a school’s facilities and students’ academic achievement. Entitled Cleanliness and Learning in Higher Education, the study was based around the five levels of clean identified in APPA’s Custodial Staffing Guidelines for Educational Facilities.  

The study was conducted through the Center for Facilities Research (CFaR) at APPA – the association promoting leadership in educational facilities – and co-sponsored ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association. The researchers on the project were Jeffery L. Campbell, Ph.D., chair of the Facilities Management Program at Brigham Young University and Alan S. Bigger, APPA’s president and director of facilities at Earlham College.

Of the 1481 students polled, 88 percent reported that the lack of cleanliness becomes a distraction at APPA Level 3 (Casual Inattention) and Level 4 (Moderate Dinginess). Eighty-four percent reported that they desire APPA Level 1 (Orderly Spotlessness) or Level 2 (Ordinary Tidiness) standard of cleanliness to create a good learning environment. Eighty percent of the students surveyed reported that they should be involved in keeping campus buildings clean. Seventy-eight percent reported that cleanliness has an impact on their health. Learn more about the study.  

The final report is available free to APPA members and for $30 for nonmembers through the APPA bookstore and free to ISSA members through the Member Lounge at www.ISSA.com and for $30 by request to nonmembers.

NPR Broadcast Focuses on Sustainability and Buildings...The Gifts that Keep on Taking

Terry Ruprecht, Director of Energy Conservation, Associate Provost and Vice Chancellor-Academic Affairs-Facilities & Services, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and one of the primary investigators behind APPA's publication Buildings...The Gifts that Keep on Taking, recently did an interview on NPR.

The live talk show, which focused on the relationship between deferred capital renewal and energy-inefficient systems was broadcast to all of Illinois and Indiana, as well as parts of Wisconsin and Iowa, can be heard here. (Scroll down to the June 2, 10:00 am show).

Deferred Maintenance the Topic of Chronicle Article

Read an article written by Scott Carlson for the Chronicle of Higher Education about the state of deferred maintenance in the U.S. The article features information and quotes from several APPA members and a mention of APPA's study and publication: Buildings...The Gifts That Keep on Taking.

Earn LEED Points with APPA Custodial Staffing Guidelines

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently revised its LEED-EB standard to make green cleaning a prerequisite. Now all buildings seeking LEED-EB certification must have a green cleaning policy.

As an incentive, education institutions can earn up to two LEED points for using APPA's Custodial Staffing Guidelines, which will reward buildings that have superior cleaning programs. The APPA guidelines cover "the five levels of clean" and include information on such specialized facilities areas as dormitories, health care facilities, and more. Thirty-three room categories in all are covered by the APPA staffing guidelines.

LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance Rating System (LEED-EB) can help K-12 and higher educational institutions reduce its energy consumption, water consumption and solid-waste disposal—all of which save money. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org/leed/eb.

2008 APPA Election Results

APPA is pleased to present the newly elected officers for the 2008-09 administrative year:

	President-Elect Polly Pinney Executive Director of Facilities Management Arizona State University
	Vice President for Information & Research Randolph Hare Associate Director of Physical Plant Washington and Lee University
	Vice President for Professional Development David Gray Associate Vice President Middle Tennessee State University

These new officers will be inducted at the APPA 2008 conference in San Antonio, Texas in July. Thank you to all who voted.

APPA Forwards Environmental Sustainability with New Publications

APPA recently published two books on environmental sustainability and green practices. This is a hot topic, as administrators on college and university campuses earnestly seek to reduce their campuses’ carbon footprint and enhance environmental stewardship in effective and financially efficient ways.

The anthology, The Green Campus: Meeting the Challenge of Environmental Sustainability, explores the meaning of genuine environmental sustainability—in global and local terms—while profiling excellent campus environmental programs. Editor Walter Simpson—a 25-year veteran of green campus advocacy—includes essays from top campus environment leaders and advocates, addressing various opportunities for campus greening and offering guidance and inspiration to those who promote sustainability within institutions of higher education. View the table of contents and read the introduction to The Green Campus. Read the review by Scott Carlson of the Chronicle for Higher Education.

The second edition of the Environmental Compliance Assistance Guide for Colleges and Universities, updates the key environmental rules and regulations affecting the physical surroundings of educational institutions. Published in partnership with the Campus Safety Health and Environmental Manage­ment Association (CSHEMA), this comprehensive guide includes abstracts of 32 programs derived from eight environmental statutes that have been the focus of EPA inspections on college campuses in recent years. The guide also provides elements of an effective program for environmental management and compliance; a regulatory and campus programs matrix; and legislative/regulatory program summaries for the Clean Air and Clean Water acts, CERCLA, EPCRA, FIFRA, RCRA, and more. View the table of contents and read the introduction to the Environmental Compliance Assistance Guide.

Education Associations Launch Campus Environmental Resource Center

An online environmental resource center, “CampusERC,” was launched today by several higher education associations including APPA.

Accessible at www.campuserc.org, the site is designed as a multifaceted library of resources for college and university environmental officers to keep up with the latest news and information on environmental issues, study best practices in environmental management, view case studies, and better understand what institutions must do to comply with environmental regulations issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Current news about environmental events and programs related to higher education is featured on the home page of CampusERC to keep it timely and relevant to campus environmental professionals and administrators. In addition, the site hosts a campus tour organized around nine typical areas on a campus that are subject to environmental regulations, and an updated compliance guide that assists colleges and universities in meeting the basic requirements of environmental regulations. The site also showcases model practices from colleges and universities that are often the best resource for achieving a strong environmental program.

CampusERC was developed by and in partnership with the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) the Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA), the Campus Consortium for Environmental Excellence (C2E2) and APPA. The EPA provided funding for CampusERC and many of the resources on the comprehensive site.

APPA Launched Transformational New Brand Identity

After a year of exploration, contemplation, and creative innovation, the APPA Brand Team introduced the organization’s new logo and tagline, representative of APPA’s new brand personality, at the APPA 2007 conference in Baltimore on July 15. The new APPA brand logo and tagline are meant to capture what our organization is all about and are the foundations for the accomplishment of the first of APPA’s 7 Key Strategies – the development of a clear brand personality.

For more information, and to view the brand launch Flash presentation visit: http://appa.org/AboutUs/brandIdentity.cfm

APPA's EFP Credential Creates Leaders in Educational Facilities

The Educational Facilities Professional (EFP) credential was developed in response to APPA members’ demand as a way to validate the unique knowledge and competence required of an accomplished professional in the field.

EFP preparation guides educational facilities professionals to a holistic, systemic mindset that is the key to progressive development in educational facilities. Those who earn the designation grasp the interdependence of each structure and space and the ways in which every building at an institution communicates a sense of place, history, and real connection with its purpose and those it serves.

Those interested in pursuing the EFP can take the preparatory course on February 8, 2008, in Newport Beach, California.  The exam will be offered two times – on February 8 and then again February 9 in Newport Beach, California.

For eligibility requirements, more information, future dates, and to register for the preparatory course or apply for the exam, visit www.certification.appa.org or contact APPA at 703-684-1446 or suzanne@appa.org.