Maintenance and Operations Updates

08/30/02: Construction Update #2

Colleagues,

Introduction

All continues to go smoothly with the College's Fire Lane Project, or so my daily observations and the lack of complaints tell me. The contractors are working after 10 p.m. and they are gone before most of us arrive on campus. They remain ahead of schedule and are working hard to maintain this lead.

Red and Blue

For those of you who missed Update #1, the link below connects this message to the campus construction map. Red lines or areas represent construction activity in and around a particular building or area (demolition, debris removal, concrete pours, resodding, irrigation and lighting installation). Blue lines or areas represent completed projects (clean sidewalks and quiet). Click on now for a quick look. http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/index/campus.cfm?see=Construction

Construction Highlights - August 31 to September 13

• The sidewalk west of the Business (B) Bldg. running from the pick-up and drop off area to the center mall has been completed.
• One lane of the sidewalk connecting the Testing and Disabilities Services (TDS) Bldg. to the B Bldg. has been completed. As promised in Update #1, this will maintain uninterrupted east west access to this area of the campus.
• Sidewalk replacement between the TDS Bldg. and the B Bldg. continues. The focus now shifts to the pick-up and drop off apron on the south side of the north south mall. We will maintain access until it is absolutely necessary to restrict passage, then minimize impact to those days when there is the least amount of student and employee activity.
• Sidewalk replacement on the east side of the TDS Bldg., from the pick-up and drop off apron to the center mall will commence.
• The small picnic pads between the 01 and 02 Bldgs. and the 02 and LA Bldgs. remain out of service. Concrete pouring will occur in four to six weeks, concurrent with the pouring of other areas.
• Sod removal and irrigation installation continues along the north south mall from the Life Science Bldg. (LS) south to the center of campus. Sidewalk access is not affected at this time.
• Electrical work (light poles) and irrigation replacement activities continue along the edges of the north south and east west malls. Access or sidewalk use is not affected.
• The East Side renovation of the SPS Bldg. will begin on September 9th. The project is scheduled for completion on February 6th. The contractor will begin staging later next week. There should be no additonal disruption to campus access or to instruction.

(Like a syllabus, this schedule is tentative and activities may conclude early)

Who Is Dick Fosbury?

Some of you asked who Dick Fosbury was and his relationship with fences. Dick attended Oregon State University in the late 60's and revolutionized the high jumping world with a technique known as the "Fosbury Flop". Dick won a gold in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City with this technique. See Dick in action at http://alumni.oregonstate.edu/famous/f.html. No one has yet tried to flop over the orange fences, or to use the old straddle technique, and we thank you. The students have been equally helpful in this regard and deserve high praise. Please take a moment to thank them.

Facilities Inspections

I promised a quick discussion on what the College is doing to insure that classrooms, offices and common areas are clean and serviceable. Essentially, the College has six levels of inspection:

1. Custodial Team - The College has a two Custodian II's who oversee the Custodial Teams. Each Custodian II is responsible for one half of the campus, divided by the north south mall. The Custodial Teams have checklists that they follow, and should clean each classroom and office according to that checklist. Custodian II's assist members of their team and ensure that checklist standards are being met. The Custodian II's are the first level of quality control.

2. Lead Custodian - The Lead Custodian is the Custodial Teams' supervisor and checks areas randomly for cleanliness and reporting building discrepancies. He is the second level of quality control.

3. Building Maintenance Technician - The College has one Building Maintenance Tech assigned to swing shift whose responsibility is to repair facility discrepancies reported in the evening or those that can not be completed during the day. In addition, he checks classrooms for functional items, and if necessary, generates work orders. These include missing/damaged ceiling tiles, inoperative door hardware, missing switch plates, burned out bulbs, etc. The BMT is not concerned with cleanliness, only functional items.

4. Facilities Manager - Al Gonzales arrives before 6 a.m. each morning and allocates the first hour to classroom only inspections. His inspections usually end at 7 a.m. so that he does not interfere with instruction. Al normally visits 30 classrooms per day, more if time allows, and checks to ensure that rooms are being cleaned to standards, that building discrepancies are reported and repairs are made. In the event that significant problems are noted during his walk-thrus, Al will meet with the Custodial Team (respective Building Custodian, Custodian II and Lead Custodian) to discuss what circumstances prevented the team from meeting checklist standards.

5. Classroom Evaluations - As part of the classroom evaluation process by the Dean and Associate Deans of Instruction, a classroom inspection form is completed. This form is turned into M&O and serves as a fifth level of quality control. Approximately 30 such inspections occur each year.

6. Employees - As a GCC employee, you are also a part of the process. Many of you generate work orders or email the College administration with concerns and suggestions. We appreciate your efforts, take these concerns/suggestions seriously, and are taking steps to simplify and expand the process.

Tree Huggers Wanted

Al Gonzales has been busy researching replacement trees for the two Ficus nitida trees removed for the Fire Lane Project. Al and his staff will continue to narrow the candidates, and we will announce finalists soon. Each will be a 48 inch box tree. This means they are adolescents, or like some of you said at Convocation, "college trees." They'll be 10-14 feet tall when planted. A key concern is that they grow so as not to impede emergency vehicles, are clean and provide plenty of shade. You'll soon receive candidate photos and profiles. Much like a Faculty Senate election, you will have the opportunity to vote for the successors.

Again, thank you for taking the time to remain up to date on the College's construction projects and maintenance procedures. Your patience while we improve GCC is appreciated. If you missed Update #1, please email me and I will provide a copy, or log on to the College's website under Info for Employees - Construction Updates, where each update is archived.

Charles F. Jeffery
Construction Liaison