UCO receives best practices award for ‘green sustainability’ proposal
The University of Central Oklahoma was recently honored with the best practices award by the Southern Association of College and University Business Officers (SACUBO) for its “Green University: Changing Tomorrow, Today” sustainability proposal.
“Green University: Changing Tomorrow, Today” focuses on UCO’s innovation and progress in moving towards becoming a “green university.”
UCO was selected as one of the five finalists to attend the 2008 SACUBO annual meeting in New Orleans.
UCO will send two of its faculty to New Orleans in April to present the best practice proposal at a special session during the meeting.
This is the third time in four years that UCO has received the award from SACUBO.
"UCO continues to be among the leading universities in the world in promoting a green and sustainable campus. It is an incredible honor to be named a best practices award finalist three of the past four years,” said Steve Kreidler, UCO Executive Vice President.
“To have been included as a winner along with Florida State University, University of Maryland and the University of Tennessee is a testament to our role as a leader in university operations."
Established in 1928, SACUBO is an association that aims to foster, develop and promote improved principles and efficient practices in the business and financial management of colleges and universities nationwide.
In December, Keep Oklahoma Beautiful (KOB) honored UCO with the Vanguard Award for becoming 100 percent Green Energy dependent through wind power, producing and using bio-diesel fuel, making energy efficient improvements to its physical plant, moving to paperless processes, and comprehensive campus-wide recycling.
KOB commended UCO for becoming an overall environmental steward and being an exemplary mentor to its student body by working to carry environmentally friendly ethics into the future.
In addition to its green power purchase, UCO also has onsite bio-diesel production, works with a performance contractor to increase energy performance and employs ENERGYSTAR-labeled products.
UCO’s biofuel program was recently honored with the 2007 National Association of Fleet Administrators award for “Quality Fleet Management Idea,” recognized for the bio-diesel production process that turns UCO’s used cooking oil into an eco-friendly fuel for campus vehicles.
For more information, contact Lane Perry at (405) 974-2556.