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"To Maintain or Not to Maintain: A Common Sense Approach to Facilities Management"
Author: Wagoner, Gregory A.
Published In: Facilities Manager
Date: November/December 2004

Describes the aggressive approach to managing and maintaining facilities taken by the University of Southern Indiana which goes beyond the work-order-when-it's-broke approach to maintenance. Offers the Residence Life program as an example of how they moved from a reactive to a proactive mode of operations. As a new employee, Wagoner was able to observe and evaluate the annual summer campus apartment rehabilitation effort as an outsider and develop new ways of handling the activity.  Result is team approach by Residence Life, Physical Plant, and Purchasing Departments to provide best facilities and furnishings for residents.  Wrote "Resident's Guide to Self-Help Maintenance" and offered training to empower students to do simple tasks such as plunging a toilet and checking a circuit breaker.  Reduced the number of work order requests from 10,000 to 4,800.

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