SRU was given an award from the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS), scoring 74 of a possible 100 points across a variety of categories.
The award was a Green Star Professional Grounds Management honor award. The points were given based on a variety of categories, including turf, landscape, budget and sustainable practices. The PGMS awards recognize grounds that are maintained with a high degree of excellence, appearance of landscape and individual professional efforts that lead to high maintenance standards.
Scott Albert, assistant vice president of facilities and planning, said the award validates the efforts and improvements that the team has made to the campus over the past four years. He said the only other school in the PASSHE system to receive this award was Kutztown in 2010, the year the program started.
Dallas Cott, assistant director for campus services, said a PowerPoint presentation is made each summer with photos and information required for the Green Star Award. The PowerPoint presentation is then reviewed by a panel of judges selected by the PGMS.
“We won the Honor award in 2015 with a score of 73.25 and again in 2016 with a score of 74, which shows we are continually making improvements,” Cott said.
Cost said the award is a great way for SRU to stand up against competing schools across the country.
“My goal is to reach the grand level at some point, but that will be a challenge as we are not just a grounds staff,” Cott said.
Cott said he is always looking for ways to improve the appearance of campus grounds, landscaping and athletic fields, and that crews keep the campus clean and professional looking on a daily basis.
