Oklahoma State University
OP-17: Guidelines for Business Partners

All of OSU's business partners must adhere to minimum environmental standards and standards governing employee wages, benefits, working conditions and rights per both state and federal statutes, municipal regulations, as well as University policies and procedures. In terms of minimum environmental standards and practices, business partners must adhere to the City of Stillwater’s Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) plan as well as regulations set forth by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and US Environmental Protection Agency. Construction contractors are also guided by OSU Building Design Standards that include requirements regarding hazardous materials as well as code minimums or best practices for ventilation, filtration, and pollutant control. Specific statements include: “Manufacturers will comply with all environmental laws, regulations and ordinances”; and, “Manufacturers will implement an environmental policy to be upheld by all employees and processes used in manufacturing the products.” Requests for Proposals include general language such as, “The vendor shall follow all US EPA, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and any other mandated environmental requirements.” More specific passages, such as in the RFP issued for a universal waste vendor, include: “Vendor shall provide labels for all containers in accordance with the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality rules and regulations concerning universal waste”; “The vendor will follow all OSHA and other mandated safety requirements and provide suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) for their personnel”; and, “All materials will be managed in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.” Other RFP statements or vendor guidelines state, “The contractor shall abide by all federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations regarding protection of the environment.” Minimum standards governing employee wages, benefits, working conditions and rights that OSU follows and requires of its business partners include these federal laws: Americans with Disabilities Act, Employee Retirement Income Security Act, Equal Pay Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, Family & Medical Leave Act, Occupational Safety & Health Act, Title 7, and Title 9. In accordance with federal law, Oklahoma State University has an Affirmative Action Plan and is committed to the concept and practice of equal opportunity and affirmative action in all aspects of employment. These standards and practices are consistent with fundamental International Labor Organization conventions. Specific RFPs, for instance the one issued for custodial services, include this language: “The bidder agrees to comply with Equal Employment Opportunity requirements as stipulated in Executive Orders 11246 and 11375 and all subsequent amendments thereto and superseding orders”; “If this purchase involves information technology products or services, they must be in compliance with the accessibility to information technology standard of Section 508 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998,”; “This contract and the rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall be governed by and constituted in accordance with the laws of the State of Oklahoma,”; and, “Subcontractors are subject to all of the same rules and regulations of Contract employees.” Contracts contain performance clauses as a measure to ensure guidelines are followed, such as, “Violation of applicable laws, rules or regulations may result in the termination of this contract.” Furthermore, the Board of Regents for OSU recognizes its obligation to students, faculty and staff and other stakeholders to maintain the highest ethical standards. To facilitate this, a third-party entity, EthicsPoint, has been selected to provide a simple way to anonymously and confidentially report activities that may represent issues of concern, misconduct, breaches of environmental or human resource standards, or violations of law or institutional policies and procedures by OSU employees, business partners, and students.