University Business - April 2007 - (Page 60)

Facilities Directors Speak Out that they’re not infringing upon the other needs of the institution. dates—how has your role as facilities director evolved? RUBERTONE: Education consumers are very security con- Sometimes because of the sheer cost they do bleed over, but our scious. They’re interested in fire protection in residence halls, goal is to try and manage them within their own boundaries. security phones in the parking lot, escort services, and busing programs. It sometimes forces universities to offer these services. What challenges do you see in preparing the next generation And they are utilized. of facilities department leaders? Are you grooming promisThe Jeanne Clery Act [originally passed in 1990 and then ing yet less experienced staff for leadership roles? amended in 1992, 1998, and 2000] certainly raised sensitivities CHRISTENSEN: That’s the biggest challenge. I’ll put in the on campuses across the country. And clearly the building codes word ‘‘qualified” leaders. Every campus is unique. So it’s proband the fire codes have caused us to upgrade facilities when we’re ably inherent for facilities leaders on every campus to find their doing renovations. We’ve upgraded our lock systems, keeping own succession plan and their own direction. The one thing we’re buildings locked 24 hours, and we have a card access system. The noticing future leaders need to have that in the past we could get improvements are put together with our capital budget. by without is not only management skills but leadership skills. VALENZUELA: Our new buildings have proximity card readers They’ve got to learn to deal with people, as well as change, just as and camera systems. One of the benefits of our campus is that it they do the buildings and facilities. I often say we are really in the is compact—94 acres. Our police department does a great job of people business and not in the facilities business. providing a safe environment through closely working with the [With BYU’s] student Facilities Management degree program, campus. We also benefit from living in San José, one of the safest we watch graduates, see the experience they get, and keep them cities in the country. in mind for opportunities we have. We’ll never have the ability to PIFER: We find ourselves working more closely with our Envi- bring a lot of extra people in to succeed people. It’s who we know ronmental Health and Safety staff and our Security staff to ad- and how prepared they are that matter most. dress issues ranging from good chemical hygiene and lab safety PIFER: The facilities world has evolved over the past 20 plus plans to more emphasis on cameras, access control, and lighting, years from being seen and treated as a “seat of your pants opto the identification of risk factors. Our staff must think more eration” to an area recognized by faculty and senior administraglobally and communicate more broadly and more frequently. tors as worthy of continued investment. The next generation will And we must work more collaboratively to identify and fund appropriate priorities. “We focus a lot on the idea that we don’t want CHRISTENSEN: [Mandates have] cost a lot of extra money. We think most of the changes to be a disruption to the learning process.” are needed, and that most of them, especially —Douglas Christensen, Brigham Young University the safety requirements, will just pay off in the long run. Security is not under our department. We do support the security police. We’ve got a pretty low rating in have to be better versed in a broader spectrum of university operaterms of crime statistics. tions than were their predecessors. Finance, planning and project management, automation, sustainability, human resource manageWhat have you done to plan for safety- and security-related ment, communication, public relations, and all the other facets of a facilities job will require comprehensive knowledge. expenses? Our young superstars will have to move from one organization PIFER: For us, good planning is the key. We develop our capital plans and work to incorporate near- and mid-term safety and secu- to another to climb the ladder with any degree of speed. They will rity needs. We divide the big requirements into fundable chunks, need excellent formal education supplemented with broad-based put them in the plan, and execute them over time. We reserve a experience that will be difficult to obtain at one school or through supplementary education offered by NACUBO, APPA, Internacontingency to address immediate and unforeseen needs. CHRISTENSEN: We do a good job of keeping a certain amount tional Facility Management Association, or participation in any of of funding available each year to get ahead of the mandated and the many excellent seminars now available. We need to help those compliance issues. We track by line item the needs from new superstars develop a personalized professional development plan. laws, directions, or compliance issues and prioritize annually. We We have to fund it and, more importantly, be willing to help them fund accordingly and get as much done as we can. We’ll never obtain the experience that will be a critical part of their success. VALENZUELA: We have made employee development and succeshave enough money to do them all. We try and keep these kinds of issues in their own category so sion planning a key strategic initiative for Facilities, Development, 60 | April 2007 universitybusiness.com http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - April 2007

Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Stats Watch
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Admissions
Independent Outlook
On The Hill
Future Shock
Spellings Lessons
Identity Mangaement
Getting A Bigger Picture
Facility Directors Speak Out
Internet Technology
Working the Web
What's New
Calendar of Events
Direct Connect
End Note

University Business - April 2007