UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Physical Plant

Physical Plant Fall Operations

Welcome back to the Bluff! Throughout the pandemic Physical Plant services have changed many times to keep up with best practices and campus activities. Please read our update below with information on our fall operations, as well as answers to frequently asked questions. Thank you in advance for your patience and partnership. 

  1. During the month of August, the Physical Plant is focused on completing summer projects, essential maintenance and cleaning, setting academic and residential spaces, and supporting all of the many events surrounding student move-in and orientation. Requests outside of this scope are currently experiencing lead times of 3-6 weeks. 
  2. While we recommend you keep some stock on hand, if you have cleaning supplies or PPE for which you no longer have a need, please place a work request through https://workrequest.campus.up.edu/ for Physical Plant to pick them up! We would love to return these items to inventory and redistribute them as needed.
  3. Physical Plant will continue supplying hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes to departments until inventory is depleted, at which point this will be a purchase made independently by each department. Please place requests through http://workrequest.campus.up.edu/
  4. Departments are responsible for procuring additional items they deem necessary for their operations, including masks, gloves, and plexiglass.
  5. Physical Plant staff may continue wearing masks if they choose. Please respect their decision.
  6. Physical Plant Custodial staff will continue with many of the enhanced cleaning protocols implemented during the pandemic. Details can be found at https://www.up.edu/physicalplant/.
  7. Physical Plant will continue with many of the enhanced HVAC protocols implemented during the pandemic. Details can be found at https://www.up.edu/physicalplant/.

Custodial Services in Offices to Resume Again

On Monday, May 10, Physical Plant’s Custodial Night Staff will resume weekly custodial service to private offices. If you would like to opt out and NOT have custodial service provided starting May 10, please complete the survey linked below by Thursday, May 6th.

https://uportland.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1OlRSvZ9q8RfBj0

Please note:

  1. You should still place your trash and recycling outside of your door if you wish them to be dumped. A communication will be going out in August to resume service, but if you wish to op back in before then, you can email luna@up.edu
  2. For those who complete this survey because they want to opt out, a small red dot sticker will be placed on the door just above the knob, this denotes offices which custodians should not enter.

For questions, please contact Marissa Grice, physical plant, at grice@up.edu.

Parking Alert for Dec. 14-Jan. 15

If you plan to leave your car parked on campus for more than 24 hours anytime between December 14 through January 15, please park it in the main parking lot on campus. All other parking lots and all streets, besides N. Strong Street, will need to be clear of any long term parking.

Over the holiday break, physical plant will be accessing building roofs and trimming trees with a high lift which requires access to parking spaces around most buildings on campus. This will also help in case we need to treat areas for snow and ice.

We apologize if this causes any inconvenience, and we appreciate your partnership in helping us keep our campus safe, clean and beautiful!

For more information contact the physical plant at x7306 or physicalplant@up.edu.

Custodial Services Reminder

The physical plant’s custodial staff are continuing with cleaning and disinfecting inside all campus buildings. Custodial services is also taking the time to perform deep cleaning, and each employee has received training and is equipped with necessary tools and products to perform their job, including germicidal cleaner.

To prioritize the health and safety of everyone, custodial services will still discontinue cleaning private offices. This will allow custodians to prioritize disinfecting frequently touched surfaces. If you would like trash or recycling service, please place it outside your office by 9 p.m., Sunday – Thursday. Custodians will continue to service reception and shared areas. Office suites will be provided cleaning solution should you wish to clean your space. The service of cleaning private offices will be reassessed as the situation evolves.

Frequently touched surfaces will be disinfected multiple times a day. Custodial services has purchased additional disinfecting equipment, including electrostatic spraying systems to clean areas more efficiently and effectively. Hand sanitizer stations have been added throughout campus as well.

For more information contact Marissa Grice, physical plant, at grice@up.edu.

Campus Cleaning Update from Custodial Services

Throughout the campus closure, custodial services personnel have been performing cleaning and disinfecting in all campus buildings. Custodial services is also taking the time to perform deep cleaning in all residential spaces and academic buildings. Each worker has received training and is equipped with necessary tools and products to perform their job, including germicidal cleaner.

To prioritize the health and safety of everyone, custodial services has discontinued cleaning private offices. This will allow custodians to prioritize disinfecting frequently touched surfaces. If you would like trash or recycling service, please place it outside your office by 9 p.m., Sunday – Thursday. Custodians will continue to service reception and shared areas. Office suites will be provided cleaning solution should you wish to clean your space. The service of cleaning private offices will be reassessed as the situation evolves.

As the campus opens back up, frequently touched surfaces will be disinfected multiple times a day. Custodial services has purchased additional disinfecting equipment, including misting systems to clean areas more efficiently and effectively. Hand sanitizer stations are being added throughout campus as well.

For more information contact Marissa Grice, physical plant, at grice@up.edu.

Physical Plant Survey: Tell Us What You Think

people exchanging informationThe physical plant would like to learn more about faculty and staff experiences with campus facilities and services. Your feedback is an important element of their efforts towards continuous improvement. Please help the process by clicking this link to a 13-question survey. Responses are anonymous and the survey will close on Friday, January 10.

Please direct any questions to Laurie Tull, physical plant, at tull@up.edu.

Prayers, Please: Peng “Mona” Wang

A note to the UP community from interim physical plant director Joe Cates:

“I am very sorry to inform everyone that Peng (Mona) Wang recently passed away while she was on leave. Mona was respected and appreciated by all who knew her. She held herself to the highest standard, and had a way of winning over even the most challenging of people.

“I reflect back to just over a year ago when Mona was walking across the stage at the Christmas luncheon to accept the Deiss/Dodson award. Her excitement and enthusiasm lit up the room as her friends in Physical Plant all cheered her on. I am grateful for this memory, and for the opportunity to know Mona, and share in her light.

“Mona was a wonderful member of our community, a beloved wife and mother, and we are fortunate to have had her in our lives. Please keep Mona and her loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.”

Andre Hutchinson Farewell Gathering, March 29

After seven years at UP, physical plant director Andre Hutchinson is leaving for a new position as assistant vice president for facilities management at the University of San Diego. Andre’s colleagues will be gathering in the Pilot house on Friday, March 29, from 4 to 6 p.m., to thank him for his service on The Bluff and wish him well as he begins this new chapter. All are invited to attend.

For more information contact Jim Ravelli, University operations, at landtise@up.edu.

 

 

 

Physical Plant Successes in Energy Efficiency for 2018

In 2018 the physical plant department continued its commitment to strategic energy management through a program of monitoring and improving energy efficiency throughout campus. In partnership with the Energy Trust of Oregon, the efforts made by physical plant staff resulted in a significant reduction of kilowatts of electricity, thermal units of natural gas, and over $25,000 of savings in combined utility costs.

Major efforts such as renovations to Buckley Center and Waldschmidt Hall, the decentralization of the campus boiler system, and systematic change to LED lighting across campus are prominent examples of sustainable energy management. Just as significant are the seemingly small but progressive changes such as adjustments of boiler set points, sealing of windows and doors to minimize air leakage, and systemized maintenance of HVAC equipment to increase efficiency.

The momentum of sustainable energy management continues into this year. Energy assessments of academic and administrative buildings, dormitories, athletic, and recreational buildings continue to provide a detailed perspective of the University’s energy usage and further action is currently under development to increase efficiency and savings.

For more information contact Todd Yuratich, physical plant, at x7308 or yuratich@up.edu.

An Earth Day Challenge: What Can You Do To Help?

This April, Fr. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C. and the Presidential Advisory Committee on Sustainability (PACOS) are challenging the students, faculty, and staff of the University of Portland to make a commitment to take at least one tangible step that is within your own control toward increasing sustainability on campus.

Turn off your office lights? Use a reusable container for your lunch? Recycle your bottles and plastics? Adjust your thermostat? Regardless of your academic major, or whether you work in a classroom, residence hall, the Commons, or in the field or in an office, you can make a difference.

All through the month, we’re asking you to make a commitment and share it with us. It might be something you choose to do individually or a challenge you take on as a team within your dorm or department. Inspire others! Share your commitments via sustainability@up.edu. Then we’ll share them with the rest of the UP community through The Beacon, upbeat, and on our website.

At the end of the month, the most impactful sustainability commitment will be recognized and the individual or team who made the commitment will be featured in various campus media. Have questions? E-mail us or look for the PACOS table in the Bauccio Commons on Earth Day, April 22.