culture of collaboration for student success

OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

Culture of Collaboration

For Student Success

APPA: Effective and Innovative Practices Award Application 2020

COLLABORATION “Working together in support of a shared vision”

1 APPA: Effective and Innovative Practices Award Application

Statement of Program

We have all heard the phrase that “oil and water” doesn’t mix. It means to be very different, having a natural tendency to separate or cannot be mixed with each other successfully. It sounds a lot like facilities and academics, does it not? Academics have traditional roles of teaching and research whereas facilities have support roles like maintenance and operations. The current thought was we have very separate identities that “cannot be mixed successfully.” At OSU Facilities Management (FM), we have challenged that thinking and believe we have a lot to offer academics and ultimately student success. We have embraced the belief that student success is a shared responsibility.

Within this application, you will read how FM has successfully pushed the boundaries of traditional thinking and established a new way of working that collaborates with the Oklahoma State University academic community and is the basis of our application for the APPA Effective and Innovative Practices Award.

Culture of Collaboration

For Student Success


Institutional Benefit

The mission of Oklahoma State University (OSU) is to promote learning, advance knowledge, enrich lives and stimulate economic development through teaching, research, extension, outreach and creative activities. At FM we asked ourselves, how could we contribute, what difference could facilities make to academics and ultimately to student success? As it turned out, we found that we have a great deal to offer that could affect research, learning and contribute to student success. When we embraced our role in collaboration, we discovered the institution was awakened to the benefits of using the resources within facilities and the campus to enhance academic research projects and give students tangible learning opportunities. The institutional benefits of this initiative are documented in both bulleted items below and statements from the university provost and our own FM employees. Additionally, throughout this document you will find support from deans, professors, students and employees that show the benefits to all institutional stakeholders. “Facilities Management (FM) provides ongoing and meaningful opportunities for collaboration within the academic community at OSU. This collaboration has provided invaluable opportunities for the students to use the campus as a real-world learning lab. Professors are able to blend in real-world applications such as the behind the scenes student class tours and student involvement in concept design projects. FM provides an innovative roadmap for others to follow.”

Dr. Gary Sandefur, Provost and Senior Vice President

• The campus, facilities, and grounds can be a cost effective “learning lab” • Hands-on learning opportunities enrich the student experience • Provide academics with ready access to conduct industry research and classwork training • Promote positive relationships between facilities and academics • Build a mutual understanding of each other’s roles in higher education success • Assist with student recruitment, retention and graduation rates • FM viewed as aligned with the university core mission and an “asset” rather than an “expense” • FM employees gain a greater understanding of student and academic needs and help create

environments that engage students and aid research • FM is viewed by academics as a partner in supporting college missions and goal

Robert Bradley, FM Automation Systems, conducting a student tour.

“Every year, students tour the mechanical and electrical rooms on campus in order to see the equipment responsible for the operation of the buildings. Students learn a lot when they see boilers, chillers, air-handling units, and emergency generators. It is important to them to see what is behind the scenes. Such an invaluable educational experience cannot happen without the help of Operations and Maintenance. I always appreciate the personnel who kindly lead these tours, take the time to interact with the students, and share experiences with them. A big thank you to Operations and Maintenance!”

Khaled Mansy, Ph.D., OSU School of Architecture


Innovation, Creativity, and Originality What is innovative about this initiative is that it clearly shows how FM stepped outside of the normal facilities comfort zone. The point of stepping out of your comfort zone is to embrace new experiences, change the status quo of traditional roles and to reap the benefits for all university stakeholders. FM successfully changed their role within the academic community and built a “collaborative spirit.” In order to accomplish this, FM forged a new partnership within the academic community slowly and purposefully. We had to get academics to “know they needed us in non-traditional ways. “ Additionally we challenged the FM organization to embrace seeing their role as partners in student success, and not just as a support function. Below we highlight actions we took to successfully create a new way of working together.

• We worked to develop collaboration internally among our FM employees. o Communicated the benefits of collaboration. Talked about “why” it was important; i.e. aligns

FM with university core mission, identifies FM as an academic partner, creates opportunities for employees to “showcase” their skills to students, and helps employees understand the needs of students and academics which in turn helps FM to create spaces to engage and interact with students.

o Communicated how FM would directly benefit from working with academics by leveraging their resources to help solve facilities issues, such as using drones to survey building roofs, perform campus nighttime aerial lighting surveys, and monitor the spread of invasive vegetation at the university owned lake. This encouraged employees to think outside the norm and to utilize the vast knowledge and resources that surround them every day!

o Asked employees to get involved by brainstorming ways students could participate in their work. This allowed employees to be involved and not just regard this as a management project.

o Recognized employees for their collaborative efforts with highlights in the FM Newsletter, displays on facilities bulletin boards and special call outs in meetings, etc.

• We reached out to the university community to show our willingness to share our resources and strengths to build the collaborative relationship with academics.

o FM Chief Facilities Officer personally visited college deans and shared ways we already collaborate and to seek additional opportunities.

o FM reached out to departments where there was already an established relationship and began a dialogue of “how can we help you, what projects/research can we partner on?”

o FM took advantage of opportunities to make presentations to deans and department heads to share what facilities does and to generate new ideas.

o FM Operations and Maintenance managers visited with customers while in their buildings performing work to solicit additional opportunities to collaborate.

o FM established quarterly meetings with academic college facilities managers to seek their input on how we could assist them in meeting their needs.


Portability and Sustainability

The initiative described in this submittal is very portable to other institutions. Universities can use the methods described in the earlier section to begin a simple collaboration outreach program. By starting small with simple projects like educational tours of mechanical spaces, universities can branch to larger projects as their initiative matures. Another small way we started was to volunteer to be judges on student class projects. We sat as judges on projects ranging from art to sustainability. This also allows the FM employees to gain exposure to students in their environment. The simplicity of this initiative is that the costs are minimal by using the strengths and skills already within facilities today and sharing with the academic community. As the academic community becomes knowledgeable of facilities willingness to collaborate, they will in turn bring projects to facilities. Many of the projects we have documented were brought to facilities once we opened the door to collaborate. Academics are constantly looking for ways to add practical applications to the standard classroom lecture to enrich the learning process. Facilities is rich with a broad spectrum of practical operational opportunities! This initiative will be sustained by the success FM has achieved of engraining collaboration into the culture. Additionally, it is incorporated into our annual FM Operational Plan that establishes goals for the fiscal year. FM has shared the information in this initiative with several university peers. FM has also submitted requests to present this information at future 2020 APPA and CAPPA events.

Spring 2019, FM hosted the Oklahoma Association of College and University Physical Plant Administrators (OACUPPA). During the conference, FM Landscape Director Steve Dobbs presented on how landscape planning can create positive first impressions thereby benefiting university success through student recruitment and retention.

FM presented “Collaborating for Student Success” at the fall 2019 OACUPPA meeting. This presentation shared the benefits of collaboration and ways we developed the collaborative culture.

“Collaboration for Student Success” proposals are submitted for presentation consideration at the 2020 APPA Conference in Boston, MA and the 2020 CAPPA Conference in Tulsa, OK.


Management Commitment and Employee Involvement

Collaboration is supported from all levels within the university and the facilities division. Ron Tarbutton, FM Chief Facilities Officer, and the management staff proactively seek opportunities to collaborate. Employees are very active in working with the students and enjoy demonstrating the work they perform. College deans and senior university executives overwhelming support the efforts of FM to assist with the strategic plans of the university colleges.

“Facilities Management has made a powerful commitment to the students at OSU through a unique partnership with academics. This collaboration has built positive relationships between FM and the academic community all while aligning FM with the University mission. Facilitates Management has been very proactive in reaching out to academic leaders to secure opportunities to partner. They have worked on many academic projects, including student class instructional tours of the Energy Services Central Plant equipment, CEAT aerial drones for surveys, and incorporating landscape architecture students input on major landscape projects. I fully support the organizational changes made to create the “collaborative spirit” within Facilities Management.”

Joseph B. Weaver, Jr. Sr. VP Administration and Finance

Pictured: Ron Tarbutton presenting to the OSU Faculty Council on Collaborating for Student Success. In attendance: Burns Hargis, OSU President; Joseph Weaver, Sr. VP Administration and Finance; Gary Sandefur, Provost/Sr. VP; and members of OSU faculty. Steve Ledbetter conducting a “behind the scenes” tour of the mechanical operations in the Human Sciences building with the International Facility Management Association student chapter.

“I felt appreciative for speaking with the students and giving me the opportunity to share my experience in maintaining OSU buildings and explaining how it takes a lot of people in the different trades to keep it functioning and safe. It was rewarding and made me feel valuable as a facility staff member that the students would want to see and know more about how the HVAC units work, what equipment is needed for operations and how the design choices they could make in the future would affect the people that do maintenance and upkeep to the building.”

Steve Ledbetter, FM Zone 2


Documentation, Analysis, Customer Input, and Benchmarking

This initiative is based on creating a new culture, changing perceptions, challenging traditional roles, and working relationships to collaborate and create a shared vision of student success. Documentation and analysis is measured by the feedback we have received from university deans, professors, students, FM employees and the comprehensive collection of collaboration projects listed in the Appendices. The feedback in this document shows the positive impact this initiative has on enriching the student learning experience, supporting research programs, giving students tangible experience in their field of study and how they look forward to a continued partnership in the future with FM. On the previous page, FM employee Steve Ledbetter shared his experiences working with students as rewarding and felt valued that students want to see and know more about the work he performs. The depth and breadth of collaborative projects listed in the Appendices further document the level of partnership between FM and the academic community. In conclusion, we have shown that while both facilities and academics will always have specific roles in their institution, this initiative also shows the vast rewards of collaborating and supporting one another for a shared vision of student success. Maybe, “oil and water” can mix!

“The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources includes an undergraduate degree program in landscape architecture. The college’s partnership with the Office of Facilities Management, particularly with the Landscape Services Unit, has resulted in the incorporation of student landscape design elements into the college’s building projects. For both the Equine Teaching Center and the Greenhouse Learning Center, students worked in design charrettes to develop and then pitch landscape plans to Facilities Management staff and to other constituents. What impressed me most was how the Landscape Services Unit was committed to incorporating recognizable elements from each student group’s design into the final landscape installation. They provided students with real-world feedback and with encouragement and praise for their potential. This approach has now become a regular part of our academic building process and I look forward to continuing this partnership on future projects.”

Dr. Cynda R. Clary, Associate Dean for Academic Programs College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

“Working with Facilities Management has been nothing short of a blessing to me. I have been able to develop and practice both my technical and communication skills in a diverse number of environments. Working alongside professional engineers as well as surveyors, project managers, and maintenance workers has been an essential supplement to my education. I have been able to watch the leadership deal successfully with problems not only of a technical nature but also within the context of a team. I have no doubt that my experience with Facilities Management has made me a better student and prepared me for a career in practical engineering. My team has not only invited me to work alongside them but has made an investment in my future.”

Seth Durham, Biosystems Engineering Undergraduate Oklahoma State University


Appendices

“The College of Engineering Architecture and Technology and Facilities Management have been collaborating for our mutual benefit for years. Each semester Facilities Management provides tours of mechanical spaces to architecture students and many class tours of the central plant. These “real world” tours enrich the student learning experience that is invaluable to their success. FM has entered into several Memorandum of Understanding agreements for support of Civil and Environmental Engineering research opportunities. CEAT has also provided FM with expertise to solve and monitor issues using our Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering aerial drones when they needed our support for inspecting the Lake Carl Blackwell dam, thermal imaging of buildings and aerial nighttime lighting surveys.”

Dr. Paul Tikalsky, Dean College of Engineering Architecture and Technology


“Dr. Jamsey and I want to thank FM for graciously hosting the Chemical Engineering Senior Design Class on a tour of the new Energy Services Central Plant. Such tours are always beneficial to the students. It gives them a welcome and realistic perspective to the material we teach the students in class.”

Professor Ken Dickson, OSU School of Chemical Engineering

New FM Energy Services Central Plant that opened in 2018 produces and distributes campus-wide steam for heating and chilled water for cooling to the OSU Stillwater campus. The design of the new plant had student collaboration in mind as it includes an instructional classroom in the administrative wing. The classroom has the latest A/V technology, multiple wall-mounted monitors, moveable furniture for breakouts, Wi-Fi and many power outlets to enhance student learning. Professors have the opportunity to use the classroom to enhance student learning in an operational plant.


Landscape Services worked with students to name a major landscape project on campus. The new OSU

Welcome Plaza was dedicated on October 28, 2016. The design contains two bronze statues of a mare and foal. The mare represents alumni, staff and faculty keeping a watchful eye while the foal represents the eager freshmen ready to run out and change the world. In a collaboration with OSU students, the mare and foal were named Loyal and True by the students.

FM offered suggestions to CEAT for areas to conduct aerial drone research. Below are (left to right)

nighttime aerial imagery which show areas on campus that have poor nighttime lighting, building roof that identifies “hotspots “of possible poor insulation, and dam spillway during spring flooding event.

Collaborative project with CEAT to convert the crane into a large 3D concrete printer. Pictured are FM

employees working with students to change the controller to allow for software-controlled movement.


The OSU Native Plant Corridor. As part of a Green Student Initiative, students and FM Landscape Services personnel collaborated to plant an Oklahoma Native Plant Corridor that serves as an example of sustainable landscape and serves as a place where students can find live specimens of native species for research. Pictured are students learning how to install the plants on the day of the event from FM Landscape personnell and the completed planting of the Native Corridor.

Collaboration project with School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Boone Pickens School of

Geology for use of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) technology for locating non-traceable campus utilities. This benefits FM due to a growing need to detect and locate underground utilities as the OSU campus continues to expand. Pictured (left to right): FM Campus Surveyor, Robert Bartmess, with geology student, and Dr. Ahmed Ismail. Dr. Julie Ann Hartell and Phil Curley, FM Utilities Engineer, with Civil Engineering students.

FM frequently hosts sustainability tours to student groups at the FM Recycling Center.


Each year students participate with Landscape Services employees in the Arbor Day and Earth Day tree planting events. Students also helped for two years with Campus Beautification makeover projects as part of Earth Day events.

Students from a Talent Acquisition Management class developed job descriptions and recruitment plans for FM Plumbing Supervisor and Electrician positions. The professor, Dr. Evan Davis, wanted the students to work on real projects that could benefit OSU. Additionally, this was a dual benefit for FM by providing FM with up to date job descriptions that appeal to younger generations and aided in efforts to recruit employees into facilities.

OSU Strategic Communications students worked with Energy Services to develop and execute a wind

energy education and promotion campaign during the first year that the campus started using wind power. This greatly increased awareness of OSU’s use of wind energy among faculty, staff, students, and the surrounding community.

FM supported CEAT Professional Development students by allowing them access to FM Warehouse #5 for

students to survey, measure and sketch the fire sprinkler system in the warehouse. This allowed the students hands-on experience for use in a hypothetical warehouse evaluation.

FM established quarterly meetings with academic college

facilities managers to seek their input on how we can assist them in meeting their building maintenance needs and make spaces more engaging and supportive to students. This has been very successful in building a relationship with the general academic colleges.

FM is collaborating with a graduate student on a research project to study and reduce the number of bird

deaths and injuries that occur when birds fly into glass structures and buildings. FM assisted this project with identifying high impact areas around campus and installing protective film and other bird deterrent materials identified by the research group.


The College of Arts & Sciences Plant Biology, Ecology & Evolution graduate students aided FM with research of the invasive non-native Yellow Floating Heart water lily pad populations at the university owned Lake Carl Blackwell. This research gave students a chance to study the issues the lily pads present to lake water.

Professor Tim Hardin and his Engineering Technology Management students work with the Central Plant in

a collaboration to study the relationship of distance and noise levels. The class used equipment to measure db levels at varying distance from the boiler/chiller equipment. This project allowed students to use actual operating equipment to take measurements as well as helped FM with information required about employee noise exposures per regulatory agencies.

FM Utility Engineer collaborated with Civil Engineering to provide a senior design project for analyzing the

storm runoff and existing storm sewer system north of the Library in the International Plaza.

FM Energy Services collaborated with Civil Engineering on a potential research project to install seismic monitors on the OSU water tower and Lake Carl Blackwell dam for seismic research in elevated structures.

Landscape Architecture students participated in design charrettes and offered multiple student group

designs. Projects included the Equine Center landscape and Physical Sciences building landscape.

Students participated with Landscape Services on forestry service projects for OSU Tree Campus USA accreditation like the Ridge Road tree planting, Tree Value signs and mulching of trees.

Landscape Services staff frequently present programs to various student clubs regarding the role of

landscape services on campus. Some of the clubs presented to were the Horticulture Club, Landscape Management Club, American Society of Landscape Architects OSU Student Club, the Botany Club, Society of American Foresters Club, etc.

FM collaborated with the Department of Wellness to develop a Work Readiness program with pre-work stretches and visual aids to reduce worker muscle strain and over exertion injuries. The Work Readiness program is well received by FM employees and adopted throughout the facilities departments. This collaboration was shared with Ohio University Safety Department to assist with their work readiness program


Technical Writing classes have used Landscape Services for interviews on the following subjects; wind tunnel effect on landscaping, tailgate impacts on campus, litter, campus trees, and Theta Pond development and maintenance.

Landscape Services utilizes students in paid roles who have an interest in landscaping. Examples are

Architecture summer interns, Urban Forestry summer interns, Landscape Management summer intern, Landscape Maintenance summer intern, CADD student support for acreage updates, irrigation mapping and tree inventory.

Landscape Services collaborated with the Child Development Lab to design playground improvements

including a decorative windmill, barn and raised planters for children to have direct exposure to plant and vegetable growth education.

FM created Memorandums of Understanding with Geology and OSU Museum to store core samples,

provide analysis space for students and storage of art pieces.

Spring 2017, Environmental Science students replicated a 2013 OSU waste stream analysis with 6 campus buildings. They proposed practical ideas how to increase the recycling rate and decrease the amount (volume and weight) of trash OSU sends to the landfill each year. This was a collaboration with FM Recycling and FM Sustainability, Sustainability interns, Dr. Cobb and 21 students.

Culture of Collaboration for Student Success

culture of collaboration for student success

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