Administration

Associate Vice Chancellor and Executive Director: Jeff Angiel

The Associate Vice Chancellor and Executive Director leads all physical plant, operational, and essential services in support of the research, teaching, and public engagement activities of the University of Illinois.

Customer Relations & Communications
Associate Director: Malikah Gordon
Departmental Areas:
Communications
Customer Relations
Service Office

Customer Relations & Communications (CRC) is the liaison between the campus community and all divisions within F&S. CRC is responsible for all internal and external communications, media relations, and customer relationship management. The Service Office serves as the initial point-of-contact for all maintenance and construction activities, as well as the “call center” for F&S that handles more than 180 work requests, 10 outage requests, and 15 locates each day.

Human Resources, Diversity & Strategy
Director: Angela Cravens
Departmental Areas:
Employee Relations/Human Resources
Inclusion & Organizational Development
Payroll

Human Resources, Diversity, & Strategy provides HR, Employee Relations, Training, and Payroll services to all the units within F&S. This is accomplished by interpreting university policies and procedures, developing internal processes to ensure compliance, and exercising sound judgement to position the department to recruit and retain a diverse and qualified workforce.

Strategic Initiatives & Sustainability
Director: Morgan B. White

The Associate Director helps incorporate sustainable practices into programs and operations, working with the university, student groups, and the community to meet target goals set forth by the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP).

Building Maintenance & Grounds
Director: Steve Bainbridge
Departments:
Building Maintenance
Grounds

The Building Maintenance & Grounds division is charged with maintaining the physical assets of the campus. General repairs to buildings and preventive maintenance of systems and equipment are the responsibility of Building Maintenance. To keep the outdoor spaces looking their best, Grounds trims hedges, fills flowerbeds and planters, mows grass, prunes trees, empties exterior trash containers, and coordinates and executes landscaping projects.  

Capital Programs
Director: Jon Hasselbring
Departments:
Contracts Administration
Division of Responsibility Coordination
Project Management
Project Planning
Transportation Demand Management

The Capital Projects division provides administration of capital improvement projects on the Urbana campus in support of the strategic objectives of the academic enterprise. They engage all stakeholders in the project delivery process, including campus units and administration, faculty, staff, students, and surrounding communities that may be affected and work in close association with the University Office of Capital Programs and Real Estate Services. The Capital Project Planning department focuses on planning and managing campus assets as outlined in the Campus Master Plan. Planners assist campus units with developing solutions for their facilities to meet their programmatic needs, secure appropriate campus and university approvals and employ all professional consultants for design of resulting capital projects. The Capital Project Management Department directs the design, procurement, and construction of large capital projects, including new construction, major renovations and essential campus infrastructure. The university is a leader in sustainable building design updating its requirements to LEED® Gold certification for all new construction and major renovations more than $5M. The Division of Responsibility coordinator creates DoRs for new buildings, reviews and updates DoRs for existing buildings, and ensures the DoR guidelines are consistent and fairly applied across campus. Construction Services provides oversight and delivery for projects ranging from the installation of a new room sign to the remodeling of a laboratory. Transportation Demand Management works with regional transportation planning partners to coordinate the networks for all forms of campus travel, including walking, bicycling, transit, and vehicles.

Engineering & Construction Services
Director: Jim Sims
Departments:
Code Compliance & Fire Safety
Construction Services
Engineering Services 
Facilities Information Resources

The Engineering Design and Quality Assurance departments provide analysis, commissioning and inspection, design, and review services. Facilities Information Resources maintains all documentation for buildings and infrastructure, the space database, and the geographic information system. Campus Code Compliance & Fire Safety is responsible for code compliance, fire, and life safety programs for the campus. Three delivery options are available to meet the campus demand for non-capital construction: Contractor Services, F&S Crafts & Trades, and Job Order Contracting.

Safety & Compliance
Director: Jeremy Neighbors
Departments:
Environmental Compliance
Occupational Safety & Health

The Safety & Compliance division assists campus units in fulfilling their responsibility to protect the environment and provide a safe and healthy place of employment and learning. The Occupational Safety & Health Department and the Environmental Compliance Department provide consulting and training resources, develop new programs, and oversee occupational safety and environmental management programs and policies for the campus community.

Shared Administrative Services
Director: Jenny Watkins
Departments:
Accounts Payable
Financial Operations
Information Technology Services
Purchasing
Stores & Receiving

The Shared Administrative Services Division supports all F&S business units by controlling costs and improving service delivery. The division develops business processes and procedures, provides timely and accurate reporting on management information, processes all user requests and provides our customers with quality products, competitive pricing, and timely pick-up and delivery services.

Transportation & Building Services
Director: Pete Varney
Departments:
Building Services
Transportation
Zero Waste

Building Services provides custodial services to campus general fund facilities. Transportation & Automotive Services consists of the Garage, Car Pool, and drivers. The Car Pool provides university vehicle rental and fleet management services. Staff also assist with repair university vehicles, equipment, or heavy machinery. Drivers are available to provide transportation for specific campus events and requests. UI Ride shuttle service to Chicago is also managed by the division.

Utilities & Energy Services
Director: Robert Roman
Departments:
Business Operations
Energy Conservation & Retrocommissioning
Energy Management System Controls
Energy Performance Contracting
Utilities Distribution
Utilities Production

The Utilities & Energy Services division manages and maintains campus utility production and distribution systems, including Abbott Power Plant, engages in a variety of energy conservation initiatives, responds to hot/cold customer complaints, and oversees utility rate setting and billing. The division provides environmentally compliant, reliable, and cost effective energy and other utilities to support the campus’ research and education efforts.

LEED® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Understanding customer needs and concerns and working to meet and exceed them builds trust and a good working relationship.

I build relationships with our customers/vendors by helping them through situations they have and/or providing adequate information when needed.

Treat customers with respect. Be honest and open.

I demonstrate customer focus by listening, understanding customer needs, treating them with respect, guiding them through processes and delivery methods, providing honest communication/feedback, and following through/up on my commitments. 

Communication, reliability, honesty, and availability.

I show customer focus by spending a little time getting to know customers as people, understanding their needs for a project, and alleviating stress around the service we are providing by staying on top of things and always communicating – both the good and the bad.

Building relationships with each individual customer that meets their needs and personalities demonstrates customer focus. By doing so, the customer feels welcome and respected.

I build relationships by listening to what the customer is saying, being empathetic to their needs, and understanding that their perceptions are the reality for them and what they are going through. By doing this, the customer understands that you really care and want to meet their needs in a timely fashion, in turn allowing them to gain respect for what you do.

I email customers.

I let the occupant know when the work is scheduled to be done.

For many jobs, I contact the requester, and on some occasions, such as with more complex work orders, I arrange a site visit with the requester to plan the work together in person.

Before the work begins, we meet with the person requesting the work to find out what they need done and make sure we know all of the needs of the customer before the work begins. Once the work is complete, I  inspect the work and speak with the customer to make sure it’s been done properly, meeting their expectations.

When I receive a work order request, I return the request with a call to ask the customer what their needs are and whey they need the request completed.

I speak to the customer in person or by email.

I give the customer a call and confirm that I received a work order. Then I ask if there are any concerns I need to address before completing the work order.

I demonstrate customer focus by going personally to the contact to see what their expectations are for the work order. This assures that it will be done in the manner in which they want.

If I have questions, I email the contact.

I email the customer to advise them I have the work order and that it has been/or is being scheduled.

With other than a routine request, I will let the customer know the progress of the work and when it is done. Sometimes I have included pictures.

I make sure the customer has my contact information and advise them to please contact me if they have any concerns.

I provide my contact information, including my Lync/Skype number and email address, welcome the customer to contact me at any time for any reason, and then I explain my offset schedule.

By letting them know we got the work order done, any problems we encountered, and that we value their business.

I will contact the customer to judge their satisfaction level.

Innovation is important because it can minimize injuries and save customers money. 

Innovation is important at F&S as it allows us to continuously improve the efficiency, timeliness, and quality of work that we can provide our customers.

F&S is not just a service provider; we are researchers as well. New products, equipment, tools, and techniques are continually being developed that can and will improve efficiencies and extend the useful life of the universities physical environment supporting our mission. We should embrace them.

Innovation is important because it encourages individuals to find new ways to solve problems, further develop their critical thinking skills, and also perform tasks more efficiently for greater benefits.

The absence of innovation breeds stagnation. Without open-mindedness towards new approaches to old problems, the problems become routine. And routine problems dampen and diminish work towards progress and growth.

Innovation allows for F&S to adopt efficiencies and provide better service to our customers.

Innovation is necessary to allow for continuous improvement to all the processes, procedures and programs we use and perform at F&S. It allows us to find more efficient & more organized ways to perform our work.

F&S faces many challenges across campus, and without innovation, it would be impossible to successfully handle some of these challenges.

An example of innovation in the workplace is finding new ways to more effectively track and schedule work. Combining this with customer communications allows for a greater understanding of job delivery capabilities.

In this day of fast-paced communication, it is critical that F&S look for innovative ways to communicate to our customers. In Capital Programs, our processes are complicated, and we need to continuously search for better ways to communicate the time it takes to plan, design and build a capital construction project.

Innovation is important because new ideas change the way we work and live, such as completing tasks more efficiently, being more environmentally friendly, setting up preventive maintenance to prevent breakdowns, and making jobs safer. If you are innovative, you can do more with less.

Innovation is important at F&S as we have limited resources with which to take care of a large physical environment as well as all of the Faculty and staff expectations.

Innovation at F&S is extremely important. Everyone here has an opportunity to make an impact throughout the whole campus and suggest creative improvements. I believe I provide innovative solutions on a regular basis as challenges are presented to me.

Describe a time you were innovative in your work?

A few years ago shop 23 built cast iron radiator movers which prevented injuries. When we heard about the latest technology on sprinkler systems, we asked for training. Now we can install Vicflex hoses on branch lines of fire suppression systems. This method is faster, so it saves the customer money.

Creating and implementing the Contractor Pricing Proposal app enables contractors in the Contractor Services Program to submit quotes electronically through the my.FS portal. This application provides consistency and reduces entry error. As we perform a proposal risk assessment and evaluation, it provides an avenue for us to electronically go directly back to the contractor for further documentation and answers. In addition, we now have greatly improved reporting on the contractor, divisions of work and trades being utilized in the Contractor Services Program.

I created a new method for my office to inventory accessibility deficiencies on campus using ArcGIS Online.

Yesterday I took an innovative approach towards a bike in the Campus Bike Center that I wasn’t able to fix. Instead of saying “no” to those who asked about the bike, I explained to a customer that it required certain tools and methods that I wasn’t familiar with. He was okay with that, and now he’s going to build the bike with some of his own tools. So instead of a bike gathering dust and an unhappy customer, we’ll both learn about the bike as we repair it together, and he’ll ride away happy. And we’ll have both broadened our mechanical skills.

I am working on being innovative in my work by looking at new ways to organize work across all F&S divisions so that projects are efficient, cost effective & not in conflict with one another. In addition, we hope that a new software program will help with the efficiency & organization of design submittal reviews for capital projects.

An example of innovation in the workplace is finding new ways to more effectively track and schedule work. Combining this with customer communications allows for a greater understanding of job delivery capabilities.

We are working to develop web-based tools for campus clients to use to gain a better understanding of the steps that are required in the life of a construction project.

With the FY17 budget recession, we reorganized to reduce positions and work within our budget constraints.

I deliver value to F&S customers by lending them a helping hand or just informing them of the projects that we have going on within the area.

I deliver value to F&S customers by scheduling work and providing resources such as tools, technical knowledge, and labor to accomplish work.

We deliver value to customers by responding promptly, leaving the job site clean, and communicating with customers.

I deliver value to our customers by working with a large team to execute service delivery in the most efficient manner. In that pursuit, we work on being responsive to customers as well as work to achieve effective communication that is desired.

I feel I deliver value to F&S customers when I provide solutions in the form of products and services which empower them to help themselves to the information they need and thus enabling them to work efficiently and effectively.

I believe value is delivered to customers through consistent quality service and communication that they have learned they can depend on.

I deliver value to F&S customers by always being prompt and efficient. Furthermore, I always try to make sure that I respond to customers with respect. Every question or request is important to the customer who asks it, so even if it’s something I’ve dealt with 100 times before, it’s still really crucial that I respond with consideration and due diligence.

Value is delivered by listening to the customer’s requirements and asking follow-up questions when necessary. I also do my research to understand the customer’s job duties. From that, I try to deliver data and information that will aid the customer in getting their work accomplished.

I deliver value to customers by giving them what they need in a timely manner to the best of my ability. I only focus on them when they ask a question and attempt to not only give them what they need but offer other suggestions.

I deliver value to customers by trying to get them at a minimum exactly what they want, when they want it, and in the format in which they want it. I try to add value by offering options that I think may meet their needs better, in case they didn’t know about those alternate options.

I try to deliver value to F&S customers by communicating with them to make sure their message comes across clearly, speaking to them in a respectful manner, and overall attempting to give my best work to them.

Delivering value to customers is to maintain the consistency of the service before and after the product has been purchased. We must understand exactly what the customer needs and must work to deliver a little more than what the customer asked for but still keeping the cost within the budget.

Delivering value means taking the time to listen to the customer and understanding their wants and needs.

Delivering value is about offering suggestions if you see a way to improve anything that would be of value to the customer.

“Operational Excellence” is the “glue” that holds F&S together and can be easily identified by our customers by the service level we provide. I deliver value by explaining our expectations and demonstrating excellent service delivery for customer satisfaction. To borrow a power pack phrase from George B. Wright, “you have to inspect what you expect” regarding what your service level should be and hold and maintain accountability. It’s the only way to bring sustainable change to the organization. Accountability must be part of the “Glue.”

Our mission and vision form a desirable foundation by encouraging us to give our best service to the university and all who use it.

Vision creates a high-level objective for the organization’s employees by helping to establish a foundation for where Facilities & Services is going and what the organization wants to become.

The mission helps guide employees in the organization, offering more specific, but general, directives for how the organization will achieve its vision.

The vision and mission, supported by values and guiding principles, help to establish a foundation for the organization and provide employees with the basis from which to build as they perform their duties and responsibilities for Facilities & Services.

Vision is something that is important to keep in mind when trying to uphold the Mission Statement. Customer service is extremely valuable, especially in Facilities Information Resources (FIR) where the work we provide to the rest of F&S is used to help other employees do their jobs more efficiently.

Since F&S is formed mainly for the University of Illinois, it really is our job to create a better environment for the students and faculty who are here on campus. The Mission Statement is truly the reason behind why F&S exists.

It seems like the vision relates to how we relate to our customers, and the mission seems higher level or an end goal. It a stating what doing our work will create for the university.

It serves to remind me personally that first and foremost we are here to support the physical infrastructure of the university, which is only here to support students and staff in their endeavors to learn, pass on knowledge, and push boundaries. And to do this, we provide our services in a quality manner so that campus “wants” to choose us (rather than outsource) to help build and maintain this first class institution. I keep in mind the final “customer” (who can sometimes seem pretty far away), and that everything I do plays a role in the quality of service F&S provides to those customers.

Our mission provides a foundation for how Facilities & Services should work together with the University of Illinois, while our vision is the foundation to what we as one group strive to do for our current and prospective clients.

I think F&S’s mission and vision form a basis for our work by providing us with the broader goal of providing a campus environment that benefits learning and research.

Our mission and vision form a foundation for our work in that they provide both a clear, concrete focus and a gold standard toward which to strive in our everyday tasks and interactions. By addressing the needs of the UIUC community in a timely, efficient, and accurate manner, we not only support the learning, discovery, engagement, and economic development of the community, but also demonstrate ourselves to be a valuable resource and active contributor to the betterment and support of the university.

The F&S mission and vision form a foundation for our work by providing accurate data and maintaining the various utilities that keep the campus running efficiently. The F&S Mission helps in the physical maintenance and development of the campus by directly engaging with the various departments and providing data/utilities. The F&S vision is a code for all F&S employees to be responsive and reliable to the customers, develop trust with the people we work with, and produce a high quality of work.

Our physical environment is well tuned for production and engagement. The community is linked at various points for efficient communication, be it over network infrastructure or physically next to each other, to promote teamwork and a group effort in continuing development of an atmosphere that promotes efficiency and mutual benefit. By working together, we ascertain the learning and discovery necessary to improve ourselves and the university.

Facilities & Services continues to prioritize its customers and the service it provides before anything else. We are here to be available and reliable for other members of the community, and our endgame relies on us maintaining the most efficient pathways for them to attain their goal.

The Mission needs to inform about not only the big picture but the small, day-to-day decisions, too. It is a supportive role, but also one that requires some effort and commitment. We offer hands-on learning in a less passive environment than the regular lecture-study-test-grade system. Without an eye toward our Mission, our work is rudderless, and our reputation and standing as an organization is jeopardized.

The “highly valued” qualifier is the most important part of our Vision statement. Being highly valued takes a commitment beyond simply completing work orders or service tickets, and that is, I think, where we want to be as an organization—valued because of and beyond the service we supply. That is achievable in the human element, engaging the people for which our services are provided, and is integral in the future of the organization.

Our mission and vision form a foundation for learning, discovery, engagement, and economic development in a number of ways. F&S has exemplified these characteristics through partnerships with industry leaders, businesses, and engagement with customers across campus and in the outlying community. Facilities & Services plays a vital role in producing the fruits of labor that result from these partnerships and also ensure positive economic development not just for the university as an organization, but its campus body and outlying community.

F&S impacts every part of campus and is relied upon to keep the core purpose of the university possible. If we lose sight of our mission and do not strive to meet it every day, in every project, and in every interaction with the campus community, we fail to adequately support the university.

The Mission is the reason we are here, as in defining why we exist. We exist to provide and maintain a physical environment that is conducive to supporting learning, discovery, engagement, and economic development at the University of Illinois. We provide the support of the physical facilities as a support component for all other departments on campus. We were hired and are paid to care for the physical facilities for this campus.

Our vision is how we desire for us as a unit to be. We want to see ourselves and be seen as a responsive, reliable, and highly valued service provider. We strive to achieve this daily.