Department of Facilities Service Annual Review [FY23]

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Department of Facilities Services

ANNUAL REVIEW

August 1, 2022 - July 31, 2023

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

The Pepperdine Department of Facilities Services (DFS) centers its efforts on creating a clean, safe, and comfortable environment for the University’s students and all members of the University community. We strive to maximize the ease with which our stakeholders can enjoy our campus through careful planning, timely services, and honest communication. It is our goal to offer a beautiful and captivating impression for everyone that experiences Pepperdine and to honor the University’s legacy by careful stewardship of our campus. When students, staff, faculty, and the community step foot onto our campus, we want them to say “Wow!”

To accomplish this vision, we focused this year on delivering results, improving efficiency in our operations, and developing our staff’s skills (both technical and leadership abilities).

Join me in reflecting on the department’s successes through this annual review and celebrating our hard-working, impressive team.

In gratitude,

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WHO WE ARE

The Department of Facilities Services is composed of more than 90 dedicated individuals working in the following service areas:

• Access Control and Locksmith

• Custodial (cleaning)

• Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing (building systems such as ventilation, pipes, and lights)

• Landscape and Irrigation

• Structural (carpentry and paint)

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SERVING OUR COMMUNITY AND DELIVERING RESULTS

500,000

square feet of paint applied completed

28,000 More than work orders changed

1,500 lightbulbs

batteries replaced

1,500 unclogged drains in automated door-locking devices

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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Rodolfo went above and beyond helping me with the maintenance of my suite. He explained to me the problems and how he was going to fix them. He also showed me how to prevent such accidents from happening in the future. He was caring and considerate while I was working on final assignments. It was amazing to get to know him as a person when I took a break and started speaking with him in Spanish. Thank you again, Rodolfo, and I greatly appreciate all that the maintenance team does for students like me at Pepperdine.

Ethan Barrgán, senior majoring in political science with a minor in rhetoric and leadership

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CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS

KEY

In addition to our annual fall survey, we surveyed our customers immediately after work was completed at the end of the academic school year to determine their satisfaction. Both surveys were positive and helped us determine any areas of growth directly from our stakeholders.

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS

Every one of our 28,000 work orders is an opportunity to make a difference in our community. Some of the tasks are small, but it’s the accumulation of the work that makes a powerful difference and brings pride to our team.

Before After 5
Wall repaired at Drescher Parking Garage (Parking Lot Q) Grass planted in Alumni Park New flowers added to the planter outside the Pendleton Learning Center

AUTOMATION CREATES EFFICIENCY

The Department of Facilities Services increased its efficiency in both costs and effort by embracing new automation. New technology in the forms of machinery, software, and tools was introduced in the ventilation and landscape divisions, which enhanced our ability to serve our community with minimal errors.

ROBOTICS

Pepperdine hosts 96 athletic games per year on world-class fields. The Landscape and Irrigation Division conducted a study to evaluate the benefits of introducing robotics to the field striping. We determined that it would take nearly 1,300 hours to paint the fields by hand with the game strips according to precise NCAA-standards but a robot, aided by GPS technology, would require fewer than 300 hours. Now, our robot is deployed to create impressive and accurate field markings for our games.

EVENTS2HVAC

The energy management system at Pepperdine University entered into a pilot program that integrates with the space management software that reserves rooms on campus. The integration provides precise temperature control when the space is in use. The system automatically brings the room to a comfortable temperature for the event and returns it to the correct energy-efficient mid-point after it ends. During the nine-month pilot, the integration saved nearly 3,000 hours of air conditioning resulting in cost savings and furthering sustainability initiatives.

NANOBUBBLES

Pepperdine has a sophisticated reclaimed water infrastructure for irrigation that includes two water reservoirs. The maintenance of the reservoirs can be time consuming, but the installation of new technology increased maintenance efficiency by providing aeration with nanobubbles. This aeration method counteracts algae bloom causes and restores the ecosystem of the area, and the increased oxygen of the water has the potential to improve irrigated plants’ root health and nutrition uptake. The Landscape and Irrigation Division took careful measurements to document the decrease in sediment and increase in dissolved oxygen.

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INVESTING IN STAFF DEVELOPMENT

In order to offer excellent service to our stakeholders, DFS demonstrated our commitment to our team members’ growth and development by promoting eight team members.

Safety Training

Safety will always be our number one priority and our team conducts more than 1,000 hours of safety training, including driver and vehicle safety, hand and power tool safety, CPR/AED, and more. We are proud to report that workplace accidents have decreased by 36 percent from last year because of this continued focus on safety.

Conference Attendance

The Western Association of College and University Housing Officers hosted members of our custodial and structural services team in San Diego with other facilities personnel to discuss important issues and developments in the maintenance of residential halls for students.

A delegation from our Landscape and Irrigation team attended the Sports Turf Managers Association seminar at the University of Southern California to discuss best practices in athletic field maintenance, such as aerification techniques, irrigation timetables, and verti-cutting methods.

Partnership for Career Technical Certifications

Continued professional development and skills enhancement are goals for our department and beginning next school year, DFS will have employees enter the Career Technical pathway at a local adult education center for skilled trades to prepare them for career advancement.

Department leaders attended a peer institution roundtable on planning for capital renewals and deferred maintenance at Point Loma University in San Diego.

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LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY

English/Spanish Conversational Classes

In partnership with Seaver College, DFS employees attend class alongside undergraduates to accomplish dual-learning outcomes of increasing English and Spanish proficiency through conversation.

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Leadership Development

DFS worked with the Department of Human Resources and a professional trainer to provide workshops for technicians and managers centered on developing leadership, communication, and conflict resolution skills, while building trust and camaraderie within the team.

“I just wanted to send you a quick note to commend one of the facilities employees, Adam Lange. We often take our three-year-old down to the golf-hitting area on Alumni Park so he can chip and putt. One day, Adam showed up with a small wedge and a golf bag that he had found at a local shop. He said that while he was there, he thought about my son, and he decided to buy them as a gift because he loves how much my son loves golf. Needless to say, our son was elated to have his own golf bag just like Dad! He carries it around the house, as he refuses to put it down! Pepperdine is a special place for many reasons, but its people are right at the top. Adam is certainly one of them.”

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