Effective and Innovative Practices

APPA’s Effective & Innovative Practices Award recognizes programs and processes that enhance service delivery, lower costs, increase productivity, improve customer service, generate revenue, or otherwise benefit the educational institution. Award nomination entries must describe either a new program or significant restructuring of an existing program or process. Winning entries will receive special recognition on both APPA’s website and in APPA’s Facilities Manager magazine.

Nominations and Application submittals for the 2021 year will open immediately following the APPA Annual Meeting & Exposition for both Institutional and Individual Awards. Final submittals for both will close November 30th 11:59pm EST.

To complete a submission, please log into your myAPPA account.

Criteria

Projects displaying a high level of innovation and adaptability/transferability for implementation at other schools have the best chance of being favorably ranked.

Up to five ranked submissions will be eligible for an award.

Entries are judged on a point system based on:

• Institutional Benefit (100 pts)
• Innovativeness, Creativity, and Originality (300 pts)
• Portability and Sustainability (300 pts)
• Management Commitment and Employee Involvement (150 pts)
• Documentation, Analysis, Customer Input, and Benchmarking (150 pts)

Past Recipients

2020

• Oklahoma State University, (Culture of Collaboration for Student Success)
• University of Nebraska at Kearney, (3D Printing: Rethinking Inventory Management)
• University of Massachusetts Lowell, (U Mass Lowell’s Campus Viewer)
• University of Virginia, (Recognizing UVA’s Silent ‘Ambassador’)
• Purdue University, (Light Level Meter)

2018

• Brown University, (Preventive Maintenance Program Journey)
• Georgia Institute of Technology, (Smart Restroom Technology)
• University of Iowa, (Fault Detection and Diagnostics Program)
• The Ohio State University, (Employee Video Archive)
• Santa Clara University, (Asbestos Documentation)

2017

• University of British Columbia (UBC Wifi)
• Penn State University (APPA Credentialing Cohort Program)
• The University of Texas at San Antonio (The Development and Use of Portable Variable Frequency Drives (VFD’s))
• Grand Valley State University (Electric Solar Panel Array Garden)
• Oklahoma State University (The Next Level Project)

2016

• Emory University (The WaterHub at Emory University)
• Michigan State University (Infrastructure Planning and Facilities Emergency Response and Business Continuity Program)
• University of Alabama (The University of Alabama Pest Management Operations)
• University of Colorado Boulder (University of Colorado Boulder Facilities Management Mentor Program)
• University of Texas Austin (Implementing an Interactive Campus-Wide Office Cleaning Schedule)

2015

• Western Michigan University (Building Information Modeling for Skilled Trades)
• University of California San Francisco (Promoting Water Conservation in Research Laboratories)
• University of Texas Austin (Surplus Property Retail Store or S.M.A.R.T. Store – Surplus Management Asset Recovery Team Store)
• University of Colorado Boulder (Labor, Trades, and Crafts Trainee Program)

2014

• California State University San Bernardino (Most-Open Valve Heating & Cooling Strategy in Design and Practice Attachment 2)
• Saint Louis University (Strategic Planning and Culture Change Practice, Improving Waste Management, and In-House Construction Program) 
  
• University of Pennsylvania (Innovation using Lean Processes at the University of Pennsylvania’s O&M Department)
• University of California Berkeley (Providing Financial Incentives to Promote Energy Conservation by Building Occupants)
• Xavier University of Louisiana (Pervious Pavement and Solar PV Panel Parking Lots: Storm Water Management and an Alternative Energy Resource)

2013

• Carleton University (Rating The Sustainability Of Campus Facilities Management: A Foundation For Action Using ESAT)
• North Carolina State University (NC State Facilities Management Feedback & Coaching Initiative)
• Seattle University (Professionals Without Borders (PWOB))
• Stanford University (Stanford Energy System Innovations (SESI))
• University of California/Irvine (UC Irvine Field Laboratory For Energy Studies)

2012

• University of Texas at Austin (Innovative Practices Submission:“Warm Up Program for Custodial Services”)
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Innovative Practices Submission:“Removing/reducing the size of the bin has created less trash, more recycling, efficient housekeeping and a “greener” UNC Charlotte campus”)
• University of Iowa (Innovative Practices Submission: “The University of Iowa Energy Control Center”)
• Western Michigan University (Innovative Practices Submission: “Steam Trap Management Program”)
• Purdue University (Innovative Practices Submission: “Warehouse and Surplus Sustainability Program”)

2011

• Medaille College
  The Medaille 100
• UC Irvine
  Smart Labs Program
• San Diego Community College District
  Lean Enterprise Processes in Facilities Management
• Georgia Institute of Technology
  SMART Measurement & Verification Process
• Purdue University
  Brine/Beet Juice Application System 
  Brine/Beet Juice Application System II

2010

• Purdue University
  Building Services Sustainability Program
• University of Iowa
  University of Iowa Energy Hawks
• UNC Charlotte
  Take It or Leave It Tour
• University of Southern California
  Maintenance Parts and Materials Process Reengineering Case Study
• California State University, Northridge
  Student Design Team Program 
  

2009

• University of North Texas 
  Guarantee Contract Pricing
• University of Texas at Austin
  Employee Recognition SITES Award
• Weber State University
  Safety Training Game
• Western Michigan University
  Western Michigan University
• Valparaiso University
  Natural Gas and Med Voltage Dist Systems 
  

2008

• Montana State University 
  Facilities Condition Index
• San Francisco State University 
  Accessible Landscape
• University of Missouri 
  Inspection by Trades Program
• Union College 
  Excellence Program
• West Virginia University 
  WVU Environmental Conservation Awareness Now (WE CAN)

2007

• Arizona State University
  Goals Tracking Application
• Grand Valley State University
  Quality Improvement Initiative
• University of California, Davis
  Olive Oil
• University of Iowa
  Route 66 Safety Program
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte
  Construction and Demolition Waste Management Program

2006

• Brown University
  Safety Fair
• Bryn Mawr College
  An Innovative and Collaborative Approach to Storm Water Management
• Georgia Institute of Technology
  Building Services Customer Achievement Program Award
• California State University, San Bernardino
  Comprehensive Energy Services Master Enabling Agreement
• University of British Columbia
  In-Vessel Composting Facility and Organics Collection Program

2005

• University of British Columbia
  UBC Campus Sustainability Office
  Sustainability Coordinator Program
• University of Hartford
  Resident Facility Assistant
• University of Iowa
  Biomass Fuel Project
• University of Miami
  How the University of Miami’s Facilities Administration Department Uses CustomizedFinancial Reports to Manage Costs
• University of Victoria
  Water Reuse Initiative

2004

• Brigham Young University
  Capital Needs Analysis
• Dallas Theological Seminary
  An Army of One: Multi-Department Development of Custodial Services Training Video
• Illinois State University
  A Town and Gown Effort That Turns Bulk, Wood Waste Into Savings
• Penn State University
  Trash to Treasure
• Queensland University of Technology
  Facilities Condition Audit