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CUSTODIAL STANDARDS: FROM BETTER TO BEST ARE GREASY CAFETERIA FLOORS GIVING YOU THE SLIP? PHOTO © BRIAN BLALOCK/SHSU BLOOM ING , CL E A N, A N D GR E EN Sam Houston State University TAKING 'THE BEST' OUTSIDE TOUGH JOBS DEMAND SMART SOLUTIONS NI-20372 50 Whether it's the manicured green hills or the azalea blooms that make an appearance each spring, the Sam Houston State University (SHSU) campus in Huntsville, TX, has a reputation for turning heads. Dedication and hard work goes into keeping the campus clean, blooming, and of course, green. The Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS, www.pgms.org) encourages and recognizes outstanding landscape maintenance, and it recently awarded the SHSU grounds keeping crew with an Honor Award in the society's Green Star Awards competition. The award was given in the "University and College Grounds" category for exceptional grounds maintenance. "There are several hundred colleges in the organization. I don't know how many apply each year, but I thought it was great to get an award the first time we applied. Everybody was pretty excited about that," says Scott Dolezal, manager of grounds and custodial services. The PGMS gave the award to the SHSU grounds crew based on its ability to "maintain a beautiful campus despite many maintenance challenges, such as a very congested campus, litter cleanup, and utility vehicle traffic on the COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / MARCH 2013 landscape." "The picture and write-up are what the PGMS sees when they select winners, but it's the hard work behind those photos that brings the award home," says Doug Greening, associate vice president for Facilities Management. That hard work begins at 6:30 every morning, before most students and staff ever make it to campus. "We have 20 crew members who spend at least an hour a day picking up trash, and that's not including tailgate cleanups or other events," says Dolezal. Once the litter is removed, crewmembers begin their assigned duties, whether it's mowing, weed eating, mulching, or irrigating the landscaping. And in all areas of groundskeeping, Dolezal says they do everything they can to stay "environmentally friendly." "I think our crew really enjoys what they do and are efficient. Our employee turnover rate in grounds keeping is also very low, and that's a good indicator. Sam has a long tradition of outstanding grounds care," says Greening, who added his favorite area of campus is "anywhere our signature azaleas are blooming." CPM WWW.PLANNING 4EDUCATION.COM