CampusFacility.com |

Understanding how capital improvement planning relies on facility maintenance is integral to meeting and complying with the overall mission of a college or university. Pushing these types of programs forward may take time, energy and resources away from daily maintenance and routine tasks, but in the end, it's the FMs who have a vested interest in these new and renovated buildings. The best solution is to work together, forming a collegial atmosphere that will help lead the way for the school's advancement.

Campus facilities planning takes the reigns of a university capital project at the initial stages, when someone believes and reports that the facilities are not available to allow them to successfully complete their goals. They feel the solution to the problem is new or remodeled space that more fully meets their needs. These ideas come from a variety of sources including students, faculty, staff and the public.

Capital projects can often be the result of programmatic changes. For example, a particular department may have a problem with space as a result of changes in its program or deterioration of its current facilities, enrollment upswings may have spurred the need for new or modified facilities, or evolving research activities may be requiring different or additional space to support laboratory needs. Whatever the situation, the common thread all of these must possess is coordination and consistency with the overall capital management planning of the school as an entity.

CONSULTING AND QUESTIONING

Facilities departments usually help the investment decision makers define the scope of the project — weighing all options, and understanding the project in relation to other campus activities and previously reported needs. They also help define the problem and provide solutions where applicable, considering a comprehensive approach that includes all the facility needs: fire safety, deferred maintenance, accessibility and energy conservation.

Facilities also aid in the project development phase to assist the university community in understanding the relationship of problems, and pitting that against available or current space. The first step in finding a solution is to meet with the committee to fully understand the goal of the project before moving forward. Questions to ask: What space is currently available? How is that space being used today? How much space is needed? How should space be acquired?

Much of the information about capital investment comes directly from the department or committee that requests it. The facilities department will want to know what they want to accomplish: the how, why and where of it all. For the most part, they share the same mission, goals and objectives as the college or university they represent, and should fit that into the planning process.

Gathering information can be as specific as individual projects and activities, or as general as support provided to the entire university in meeting campus-wide strategies. The department should try to help FMs understand what resources are being used or are needed to accomplish their goals, including personnel, facilities and equipment.