From Backlogs to Breakthroughs: Overcoming Facilities Challenges in Higher Education
Universities and colleges today face complex challenges in managing their facilities, driven by financial constraints and aging infrastructure. Deferred maintenance backlogs, which exceed $2 trillion nationally, significantly hinder campus operations and student experiences. Staffing shortages in facilities management further exacerbate these issues, as institutions struggle to attract and retain skilled workers. However, by adopting best practices such as proactive maintenance, sustainable initiatives, and advanced facilities management technologies, institutions can better manage their resources. Success stories from universities like the University of Virginia and Moorpark College highlight innovative solutions that have significantly reduced deferred maintenance backlogs and improved operational efficiency.
Overview of Challenges
Universities and colleges face a complex set of challenges related to their facilities in the current economic climate. These challenges can be broadly categorized as follows:
Financial Constraints:
Public institutions are grappling with decreased state support, while the need to maintain affordability limits tuition increases amid declining enrollments.
Private institutions, although less reliant on public funding, are also facing budgetary pressures.
These financial constraints are compounded by the rising costs of construction and renovation, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic.
Deferred Maintenance Backlog:
The lack of adequate funding and reactive facilities management practices have resulted in a significant backlog of deferred maintenance projects across higher education institutions.
This backlog is estimated to cost over $2 trillion nationally, with public four-year institutions accounting for $76.1 billion.
As these backlogs continue to grow, addressing them becomes increasingly expensive and challenging, assuming they have not already reached a state of disrepair that would make maintenance repairs cost prohibitive.
Aging Infrastructure:
A significant portion of existing higher education infrastructure is decades old and requires substantial renovation or replacement.
Approximately 35% of facilities in the U.S. were built between 1960 and 1975, a period characterized by lower building standards and less emphasis on energy efficiency. Conversely, newer "smart" buildings, constructed after 1995, necessitate more frequent upgrades and specialized maintenance.
This mix of old and new infrastructure presents a complex challenge for facilities managers who often lack the personnel and resources needed to proactively address this issue.
Adapting to Evolving Needs:
The higher education landscape is constantly evolving, with the growth of online learning, changing student demographics, and the need to integrate new technologies impacting historical approaches to campus infrastructure.
Institutions must create more flexible and adaptable spaces that can accommodate these changing needs while maintaining safety and comfort.
Impact on Recruitment and Retention:
The condition of campus facilities directly influences an institution's ability to attract and retain students, as prospective students and their families often factor in the appearance and quality of campus buildings when making enrollment decisions.
Outdated and poorly maintained facilities can create a negative impression and deter students from applying or lead to transfers, resulting in a loss of tuition revenue and subsequently fewer resources to address these pressing maintenance issues.
Deferred Maintenance: A Growing Crisis
The issue of deferred maintenance is particularly pressing in higher education. Years of underfunding and competing budgetary priorities have contributed to the current state of disrepair. Recent research identifies several key factors that have led to this crisis:
Declining State Support: Public institutions have faced significant cuts in state funding over the past few decades, leaving them with fewer resources to allocate to facilities maintenance. Similarly, private institutions have experience reductions in net revenue resulting in similar backlogs.
Focus on New Construction: Higher education has often prioritized new construction projects over maintaining existing buildings. This is partly due to the prestige associated with new facilities and the pressure to compete for students in a competitive market.
Lack of Depreciation Funding: Many institutions have not adequately planned for the long-term costs of maintaining their buildings. They have often failed to set aside sufficient funds for depreciation, leading to a shortfall when major repairs are needed.
Inadequate Data Collection and Analysis: Many institutions lack integrated decision support systems for tracking maintenance needs and prioritizing projects. This makes it difficult to allocate resources effectively and can lead to further deferrals and catastrophic building failures.
Deferred maintenance has serious consequences, including escalating repair costs, increased risk of system failures, and disruptions to essential services. It negatively impacts the learning environment and deters prospective students, ultimately hindering recruitment and retention efforts for higher education institutions.
Challenges in Hiring and Retention of Facilities Workers
A growing talent crisis in the facilities management sector exacerbates the challenges facing higher education institutions. Attracting and retaining qualified facilities workers is becoming increasingly difficult due to:
An Aging Workforce: Many experienced facilities professionals are retiring, creating a shortage of skilled labor.
A Shrinking Pipeline of Skilled Tradespeople: Fewer young people are entering the trades, making it difficult for institutions to fill vacant positions.
Competition from Other Sectors: The private sector often offers higher salaries and more attractive benefits packages, making it difficult for universities to compete for talent.
The Increasing Complexity of Modern Facilities: New technologies and sustainability initiatives require facilities workers to have a broader range of skills and knowledge.
The talent shortage in facilities management has several negative consequences, including increased workload for remaining staff, leading to burnout and turnover. It also causes delays in completing maintenance tasks, both routine and emergency. Additionally, institutions face higher labor costs due to the need for competitive salaries and bonuses.
Best Practices for the Future
To effectively manage their facilities in the face of these challenges, universities and colleges should adopt a proactive and strategic approach. The literature suggest several best practices available to higher education community to include:
Develop a Comprehensive Facilities Master Plan:
This plan should outline the institution's long-term vision for its facilities, including goals for sustainability, accessibility, and technological integration.
The plan should also include a detailed assessment of the condition of existing buildings and a prioritized list of capital renewal, demolition projects, and lease options.
Prioritize Deferred Maintenance:
Institutions should develop a systematic approach to addressing their deferred maintenance backlogs. This may involve setting aside a dedicated funding stream, implementing a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), and developing clear procedures for prioritizing projects.
Institutions can strategically categorize their deferred maintenance backlog into components like long-term needs, non-critical work, donor-funded projects, and mid-term funding requests.
Invest in Proactive Maintenance:
Shifting from a reactive to a proactive maintenance approach can significantly reduce long-term costs and extend the life of key assets.
Institutions should dedicate teams specifically to preventive maintenance.
By using data from documented assets and work orders, facilities teams can ensure the right type of maintenance is delivered when needed.
Optimize Space Utilization:
Institutions should regularly assess the use of their space to identify opportunities for consolidation, repurposing, and even selling off surplus property.
By using a sound decision support approach to track how space is being used, colleges can make informed decisions about renovations and new construction projects.
Implement Sustainable Practices:
Institutions should prioritize energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction in their facilities operations.
This not only reduces operating costs but also enhances the institution's reputation and attracts environmentally conscious students.
Institutions can consider co-generation systems that utilize natural gas for heating and electricity generation.
Invest in Technology:
Modern facilities management systems (FMS) can play a crucial role in tracking maintenance needs, optimizing resource allocation, and enabling data-informed decision-making.
Universities can implement computer-aided facility management (CAFM) systems and integrated workplace management systems (IWMS) to efficiently manage space use and track capital planning.
Address the Talent Crisis:
Institutions should explore creative strategies for attracting and retaining qualified facilities workers.
This may include offering competitive salaries and benefits packages, providing professional development opportunities, and partnering with the community to develop a pipeline of skilled workers.
Universities and colleges face significant challenges in managing their facilities, primarily due to financial constraints, aging infrastructure, and extensive deferred maintenance backlogs. Rising construction costs, coupled with limited state funding, exacerbate these issues, while staffing shortages add further complications. Institutions must adopt comprehensive strategies such as deferred maintenance prioritization, proactive maintenance, and sustainable practices to address these problems effectively. By embracing these best practices, institutions can ensure more sustainable, adaptable, and efficient campus environments for future generations.
