APPA

FACILITIES MANAGER MAY/JUNE 2017 27 given the reported importance of campus elements, it seems to make sense that everyone becomes invested in the physical environment. In addition, university administrators may want to consider opportunities that could result from strategically managing the servicescape when prioritizing resources and developing strate- gic plans. Specifically, they could attend to the connection that appears to exist between the campus facilities and the teaching and learning process. At the University of Hartford, both students and employees reported that, among other things, their experiences were influenced by maintenance and cleaning issues, and that class- room functionality affected their academics. As each campus is unique, administrators could conduct similar examinations of the servicescape at their own campuses to better target funding of deferred maintenance issues and rehabilitation projects. In short, campus administrators could consider the role of the physical facilities as a more instrumental piece of organiza- tional strategy. THE FM STAKEHOLDERS Specifically related to FM, operations may wish to consider the perspectives of various groups of stakeholders (i.e., students, employees, visitors) when making decisions, such as those related to daily work priorities or targeting funds set aside for the rehabilitation of spaces. ey could establish systems that capture these viewpoints to positively influence the experiences of people visiting, working, and going to school there. Additionally, facility departments could emphasize procedures to regularly inspect all campus areas to identify and repair items in poor condition before community members notice them. e effectiveness of such efforts will be determined by how efficiently the identified work is processed and how thoroughly it is com- pleted. As reported by participants, such elements can influence the experiences of current students and employees, and can present a more inviting campus to potential students. Lastly, FM departments could consider prioritizing capital projects and renovation work that best addresses areas that most influence the experiences of campus stakeholders. While regular campus inspections and the stewardship of facilities staff can address the visual cues, the functionality of the cam- pus involves longer-term projects and planning. By incorporat- ing many perspectives, FM staff can more effectively determine areas of focus and maximize positive influence on students and employees. In sum, faced with current pressures, higher education institu- tions, particularly tuition-driven ones, may gain a competitive advantage if they can better understand stakeholders' percep- tions of how various elements of the built environment influence their campus experiences. A university's servicescape could serve to differentiate or distinguish the organization from similar entities, if university administrators and FM staff apply this information to planning and designing campuses, and managing their facilities. Jason Farrell is director of facilities at the University of Hartford in Hartford, CT; he can be reached at farrell@hartford.edu. This is his first article for Facilities Manager.

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