DEPARTMENT OF FACILITIES SERVICES August 1, 2021 – July 31, 2022 ANNUAL REVIEW
The next phase of the pandemic began in August 2021 when the campus opened again for in-person instruction. Bringing life back into the lonely campus proved daunting as the team was faced with myriad challenges—an acute staffing shortage, unprecedented systems failures due to the long dormancy, and the ongoing health threats. This annual review tells the story of these essential workers and their grit, determination, and commitment to the students, faculty, and staff of Pepperdine University.
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In March of 2020, classes were moved online and students moved off campus due to the increasing threat of the deadly coronavirus across the globe. Classrooms, offices, and residential halls emptied, and the campus became quiet and still. The workers at Pepperdine’s Department of Facilities Services (DFS) were deemed essential during this crisis, and dedicated employees continued their careful stewardship of the University’s campus.
Many of our facilities team members have served the University for decades, and it is my honor and privilege to work alongside them to further our mission. In fact, some of our longest-serving team members are the most open to adapting to new cleaning methods, equipment, and technology without hesitation. Their innovativeness is an Ininspiration.achieving the allure that is Pepperdine, the Department of Facilities Services plays a unique role. Some of our work is visible and some is, by design, invisible. Please join me in celebrating their achievements this year. Marilyn Koziatek Director of Facilities Services
During the darkest days of the pandemic and beyond, the essential workers that comprise the Department of Facilities Services at Pepperdine University demonstrated courage, grit, and determination. It is important to pause and reflect on their journey—and all of our journeys—after the conclusion of a difficult year. What we will find is a renewed sense of gratitude, optimism, and hope for the future. If the student is the heart of our institution, then our facilities team members are a part of the rib cage. We protect the students by ensuring their environment is a clean and safe home away from home. We support the instructional programs by maintaining the physical infrastructure, the grounds, and the building systems.
FROM OUR DIRECTOR
2 | Department of Facilities Services 2022 Annual Review
The Department of Facilities Services is composed of more than 80 dedicated individuals working in the following service areas: custodial, mechanical, plumbing and electrical, landscape and irrigation, structural, locksmith and access control, front office support, and project management. DFS employees have an established track record of serving the University: WHO WE ARE longest-servingTheDFSemployeestartedin197918% of DFS employees have served Pepperdine University for more YEARS30than 1,100 YEARS of cumulative service with an average length of experience of 15 years more than DFS employees have 3
4 | Department of Facilities Services 2022 Annual ReviewPROTECTING HEALTH
DFS staff members focused on safety for the campus during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to do so. They ensured that ventilation across our campus buildings met or exceeded the criteria for preventing the spread of COVID-19 by calibrating our system’s ability to incorporate outside air, exhaust, and increased filtration to the highest level possible in each system.
5 FURTHERING SUSTAINABILITY Our department members are committed to achieving a sustainable campus and Pepperdine’s conservation goals through: RETROFITTINGLED More than 10,000 inefficient incandescent bulbs have been replaced with LEDs throughout WATERCONSERVINGcampus. We prioritize water conservation. Ninety-seven percent of irrigation water is reclaimed water and administered by an automated central control system connected to a campus weather station, allowing adjustments based on climate conditions. All of Pepperdine’s water features are turned off to conserve water evaporation during the ongoing RECYCLINGdrought.
DFS personnel are frontline team members in our conservation efforts to recycle the waste generated on campus. Pepperdine has a precise recycling process through its partnership with our waste hauler, and we implement exacting standards including color-coded trash liners, cardboard compacting, and custom trash receptacles throughout campus.
PROMOTING SOUND INFRASTRUCTURE
PRIORITIZING SAFETY
6 | Department of Facilities Services 2022 Annual Review
Replaced more than 5,000 linear feet of aging cast iron pipes with state-of-the-art piping. That is the length of more than 13 football fields end to end.
Upgraded to a distributed loop for the HVAC system in some academic buildings to distribute the air load more efficiently, provide redundancy in maintaining operations, and ensure the mechanical system is not jeopardized during emergency shelter-in-place due to contamination from smoke and ash caused by wildlife fires.
DFS implements cutting-edge upgrades and repairs to Pepperdine’s infrastructure. Behind the walls, ceilings, and floors of every building is an intricate system of hidden infrastructure including ventilation, pipes, and electricity. This year, DFS staff members have:
The Department of Facilities staff participates in a total of 1,085 hours of safety training every year. This training includes a monthly safety class and additional specialized training to ensure occupational safety, including first aid fundamentals, COVID-19 prevention, ladder safety, industrial ergonomics, and more.
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- Daphne Green, Natural Sciences Division
I was walking along the edge of Mullin Plaza near the COVID-19 testing tent. I passed by and Benito Acosta was very friendly and said good morning to me as he was working emptying the trash can at the corner. I had gone to my car and when I returned, I was very impressed that Benito was taking the time to clean up some liquid (likely coffee) that had leaked down the side of the trash can cover and onto the concrete. I wanted to let someone know that I am inspired with the level of care and diligence Benito was exhibiting while doing his job. Rarely do we take the time to say ‘Good job’ and I wanted to make sure that I let someone know what a good job he was doing. Thank you for reminding me to always take care of the details when completing a task. You are appreciated.
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
8 | Department of Facilities Services 2022 Annual Review
Within three weeks, all areas were fully remediated and restored with new drywall, paint, and floors.
PREPARING FOR EMERGENCIES
DFS workers are first responders to protect our campus in the event of any natural disaster, weather event, or systems failure. For example, on December 30, 2021, Malibu received a recordbreaking eight inches of rain in 24 hours with the intensity of a 100-year storm. Our team members responded immediately and shoveled mud and shored up sandbags to minimize flooding throughout the baseball stadium, tennis stadium, fitness studio, and athletic departmental offices.
Our team is committed to our students as the heart of our institution. Glenda Arevalo, a longtime Pepperdine employee and a level-two custodian, embodies this value. During the first wave of the pandemic when some international students could not travel back home due to border closures, Glenda was intentional in building relationships with them. The students had to remain in the residential halls, isolated from their friends and family for their own health and safety. One particularly lonely student asked Glenda to have coffee with her. Glenda would take time out of her shift to sip “socially distanced” coffee with the student, curing the loneliness and bringing all of us together during one of the most challenging times in our history.
DFS employees focus on customer service to ensure that our students, faculty, and staff have a high-quality experience: SERVING OUR COMMUNITYEMPLOYEESPOTLIGHT4OUT OF 5 The average annualsatisfactionperformanceratingbasedonourcustomerservicesurveyis to ensure the infrastructure remains in excellent condition work maintenancepreventivefororders The team completed7,500nearly were submitted this fiscal year and more than half were addressed the same work13,000dayMorethanorders
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