Central Stores, Property Mgmt, Garage Revolving

What is the program’s mission statement or statement of purpose? Why does the program exist?

Our Mission Statement is “Facilities Planning & Management provides excellence in comprehensive facilities services that support the missions of the Business Affairs Division and EIU.”  Our Motto is “Service with Excellence.”

How does the program mission align with the university mission?

Facilities Planning & Management support services provide the supplies and clean places for the university mission to excel and for its students and faculty to thrive.

Whom does the program serve?

Facilities Planning & Management serves each and every campus unit and campus stakeholder, whether faculty, student, staff, alumni, visiting parent, or guest, in some manner on a daily basis.  Some services are directly provided and noticed while others indirectly provide value and go largely unnoticed until something goes wrong.  An example of the latter is the assumption that each time a campus customer reaches for a paper towel in the restroom the dispenser will be stocked.  Somebody has to provide that service every day.

What are the services provided? How do these services align with the university mission and program mission?

Facilities Planning & Management provides overall operations, maintenance, construction, renewal and continuous stewardship of the campus’ physical facilities.  Specific areas of responsibility for these organizations include central stores operations, property management and movers for campus events, garage/fleet operations, and building services workers (janitorial services) in administrative, classroom and athletics buildings.

Describe the program’s origins (e.g. year established, purpose, expectations).

Various elements of facilities maintenance and operations date from the original construction of the first permanent facility - somebody took care of cleaning Old Main the day it was occupied.

How has the unit changed or adapted over time?

As the footprint of the physical plant, grounds, and utilities have increased in size and complexity the unit has grown in numbers and technical expertise to address the needs of the campus community and programs.   A prime example is the garage's use of web-based computerized vehicle diagnostics that could not have been considered during the construction of Old Main but now require specialized tools, equipment, software, and personnel.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the program’s history and relevance to university mission.

Provide data, if available, on the numbers of students, faculty, staff, or others served by the program during the past four years. If no data are available, please estimate the numbers served annually.

Facilities Planning & Management provides services to each member of the campus community on a daily basis.  Those services include everything from issuing keys to cleaning the floors and emptying the trash to making sure the podium and audience chairs are in place for graduation.   

Does the program offer any co-curricular opportunities for students (e.g., internships, RSO support, service-learning activities)? Please describe.

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Does the program contribute to the delivery of academic programs (e.g., providing professional expertise, serving as adjunct faculty)? Please describe.

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If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the internal demand for the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., curriculum changes made by another program) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

Is the program accredited or approved by a recognized external agency or otherwise certified to meet established professional standards? Provide an executive summary of and link to the program’s most recent accreditation or certification report, if available.

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Is the program required to meet any regulatory or legal requirements? Is the program subject to any special auditing requirements?

Certain operations within Facilities Planning & Management are subject to state and federal regulations including the requirement for gasoline pumps to have an operator who is licensed by the state.  Garage mechanics require Commercial Drivers Licenses to maintain and service heavy vehicles.

What are the most important outreach or public service activities supported by the program?

The most visible activities are those provided by the building service workers and moving crew who make sure the stadium and arena are clean, set up, and ready for the myriad of activities that bring the majority of campus visitors to our great institution.

How do the local community and the region benefit from the program?

They benefit from having a clean and safe location to attend sporting events, graduation ceremonies, concerts, and camps.  It's difficult to imagine the negative publicity that would be generated if the restrooms were filthy, unstocked, and pest-ridden or the seating was in poor repair for public events.

If needed, provide supplemental comments or data sources to help the reader understand the external demand for the program.

What are the two or three more important measureable outcomes tracked to assess program quality? Does the program conduct an outcomes assessment, and if so, what has been the impact?

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What are the two or three most effective best practices that the program has implemented? What benefits have been gained from implementing these best practices?

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What external recognitions (e.g., awards, accommodations, professional certifications, references in trade publications) have the program and its staff received in the past three years?

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Is the program active with any regional, national, or international professional organizations?

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Note any presentations, publications, or offices held in the last three years.

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If needed, provide supplemental comments or data sources to help the reader understand the quality of program outcomes.

Note any special benefits (e.g., personnel support, equipment, permanent improvements) that the program has received in the past three years from its grants and other sponsored programs.

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How does the program benefit from donor gifts (e.g., scholarships, endowed chairs)? Does donor support provide a significant percentage of the program’s overall funding?

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List two or three key relationships that the program maintains with external constituencies (e.g., community colleges, other universities, government bodies). How do these relationships advance the university mission or otherwise benefit the university?

City of Charleston, including public works, police, and fire departments

State agencies; including Illinois Board of Higher Education, Illinois Department of Labor, Procurement Policy Board, Illinois Department of Transportation, Capital Development Board, Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, State Universities Civil Service System, Illinois Department of Human Rights

Trade unions representing EIU employees

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the resources generated by the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., revenue pass-throughs) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

Provide an executive summary of and link to any metrics or benchmarks that the program tracks to measure productivity.

Facilities Planning & Management provided information to APPA (Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers) for inclusion in the Facilities Performance Indicators (FPI) Survey and we compare our levels of staffing and expenditures with other public institutions of higher education.  As capital improvements are continually de-funded the natural progression has been a lower level of planned maintenance, campus customer satisfaction, and academic program effectiveness.

Each survey of effectiveness in comparison to peer institutions reveals we expend fewer resources per square foot and cover more square foot per FTE.

Building Services Workers are generally staffed to provide Level 3 or better cleanliness on a scale of 1-5.

What initiatives has the program implemented to enhance staff productivity (e.g., access to training, workflow improvements)? Briefly describe the costs and benefits of these initiatives.

Through the APPA Institute for Facilities Management staff members are exposed to best practices at other institutions nationwide and establish relationships with peers and industry professionals to further explore opportunities for improvement.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the productivity of the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., accreditation requirements, curricular changes, program restructuring) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the costs associated with the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., expenditures made centrally or externally, expenditures made on behalf of other units) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

The FY15 Resource and Management Plan, Table C107, identifies $6,675,500 in unfunded capital improvement projects.  Each of the projects was appropriated via public act and most were re-appropriated in subsequent acts.  The lack of state funds for execution of the work increases the deferred maintenance backlog and the likelihood of system failure.  Diversion of other unit and campus funds to address the shortfall will hinder improvement in each other business unit.

How does the program seek to distinguish itself from similar programs at other institutions?

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Note any unique and/or essential contributions that the program makes to the university.

Facilities Planning and Management is committed to providing facility services to assure cultural and educational opportunities are delivered to the region and which complement the tradition of distinguished teaching in undergraduate programs. In doing so, the unit strives to be a model of excellence for comprehensive state institutions of its kind in delivering effective and efficient services to the Eastern Illinois University community.  We keep the materials moving, gas pumping, trash emptied, seats unfolded, and doors open.

Provide any program-specific metrics that help to document program contributions or program quality. Examples of some commonly used program-specific metrics may be found here.

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If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the program impact on the university mission.

Provide a link to or listing of the program’s goals and/or strategic plan.

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What role will the program have in the implementation of the university’s strategic plan (provide link to strategic plan)?

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In the next two or three years, what best practices, improvements in operations, or other opportunities to advance the university’s mission are likely to be implemented?

Facilities Planning & Management has many challenges in the very near future, including:

Supporting faculty and student recruitment and retention in years of financial restrictions – doing more with less

Investment in personnel as the average employee age increases and the costs involved in training new employees.  The current trade union agreements in the private sector provide better benefits than the state so recruitment and retention of high quality employees may be difficult.

Further reduction in energy and utilities to redirect resources to academic programs – much of the low hanging fruit has been plucked.

Sustainability and carbon footprint reduction – enhancing recycling efforts and sustainable construction

Water conservation

Classrooms of the future which may not include as much brick and mortar construction and more technology to support distance learning

Limited financial resources will continue to surface in the form of reduced state budget availability and tuition caps – we must be affordable.

Public/Private Partnerships are utilized in many universities with increasing numbers and applications.  In times of shrinking budgets and funding streams we will investigate opportunities and take appropriate action.

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand future opportunities for the program.