Maintenance staff cuts aim for efficiency; 5,000 work orders yearly
Joy Pavelski
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: News
Since 2000, the number of Hillsdale College campus buildings has grown while the maintenance department has reduced its staff by 17 percent.
"As a department, they've gotten more efficient," said Vice President of Administration Rich Pewe. "There was definitely a paradigm shift."
The college's 2007 self-study report cites an annual savings to the college maintenance budget of between 15 and 20 percent because it consolidated the campus heating and cooling system and now gives better training to maintenance personnel. This means that its 69 current employees accomplish more than the previous 83.
The maintenance department fulfills more work orders each year, Péwé said, with the current annual number at about 5,000.
"They're pretty busy," he said. "If they had no special projects on their list, they would still have work orders come in from various departments."
Pewe drew a pie chart on a piece of scrap paper to illustrate how maintenance costs have remained constant at 9 percent while the college has expanded its size in nearly every area such as enrollment, full-time faculty, acreage and facilities since 2000.
"We're trying to send resources to areas that will make us have a great college," he said, expanding and shading in the pie slice marked "student affairs."
Maintenance completes most major campus renovations and updates over the summer, while students are away. This summer, Mauck Hall, the walls of Whitley Residence and several fire alarm networks received particular attention.
Maintenance repainted Whitley, renovated the solarium, drywalled, and replaced carpet in Mauck, and connected to the central campus network fire alarms in several dorms including Galloway and Koon halls.
Mauck Student House Director Leah Wild, a senior, said that the number of falsefire alarms in Mauck this year has reduced drastically because of summer maintenance work. Last year, she said, there were about nine fire alarms, mostly false, because of faulty wiring. This semester, there have been two fire alarms in Mauck, and both were because of smoke in the kitchen, she said.
"As a department, they've gotten more efficient," said Vice President of Administration Rich Pewe. "There was definitely a paradigm shift."
The college's 2007 self-study report cites an annual savings to the college maintenance budget of between 15 and 20 percent because it consolidated the campus heating and cooling system and now gives better training to maintenance personnel. This means that its 69 current employees accomplish more than the previous 83.
The maintenance department fulfills more work orders each year, Péwé said, with the current annual number at about 5,000.
"They're pretty busy," he said. "If they had no special projects on their list, they would still have work orders come in from various departments."
Pewe drew a pie chart on a piece of scrap paper to illustrate how maintenance costs have remained constant at 9 percent while the college has expanded its size in nearly every area such as enrollment, full-time faculty, acreage and facilities since 2000.
"We're trying to send resources to areas that will make us have a great college," he said, expanding and shading in the pie slice marked "student affairs."
Maintenance completes most major campus renovations and updates over the summer, while students are away. This summer, Mauck Hall, the walls of Whitley Residence and several fire alarm networks received particular attention.
Maintenance repainted Whitley, renovated the solarium, drywalled, and replaced carpet in Mauck, and connected to the central campus network fire alarms in several dorms including Galloway and Koon halls.
Mauck Student House Director Leah Wild, a senior, said that the number of falsefire alarms in Mauck this year has reduced drastically because of summer maintenance work. Last year, she said, there were about nine fire alarms, mostly false, because of faulty wiring. This semester, there have been two fire alarms in Mauck, and both were because of smoke in the kitchen, she said.
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