This time of year is always exciting here on campus. First year students arrive on September 1, Welcome Week activities begin September 2 and returning students move in on the fifth. Meanwhile the State Fair is in full swing and in a couple of weeks football returns to campus.
We want to make sure we’ve got the campus ready for the new school year so please focus on completing your classroom PM’s and get ready to welcome the class of 2013. As the campus population swells for the Fall semester, do yourself a favor and allow extra time to both arrive at and leave from work during the next several weeks. Please remain patient and lend a hand to those folks who are lost.
The start of the school year is also a good time to remind everyone to make campus safety a priority. Please help keep yourself and the campus safe by using common sense measures such as securing your tools and valuables, being aware of strangers and unusual activities. If you observe anything suspicious or out of the ordinary, don't hesitate to dial 9-1-1 and contact the University Police Department.
Great Performance – Andrea Goodenough, Larry Van Grootheest and crew, North-West District
One thing that FM does well is to adjust to the unexpected. Fires, floods and snowstorms seem to bring out our best. While we try to plan as much of our work as possible, sometimes things just pop up. A good example of this occurred during the July move of the U’s Technology and Training Center. Here’s how a satisfied customer described it.
“The week of July 29, we had a major project moving computer classroom furniture and equipment out of the Eddy Hall Annex and into our classroom in Blegen Hall 90. In the midst of moving things around in Blegen, we quickly discovered the carpet was filthy (FM does not normally have access to this room). We had a very brief timeframe in which to clean the carpet - it was a short week and we had classes starting again the week following. Andrea had a fabulous can-do attitude, and quickly arranged for a Tuesday and Wednesday night cleaning. Larry provided great support to us in our work of getting the room set up for the clean. Everything came off without a hitch. The carpet now looks ten times better, and the whole room seems fresher. Thank you, FM, for a last minute efficient and effective job, and for employing such pleasant to work with people.”
How we react under pressure says a lot about our work. Andrea and Larry brought a customer-focused approach, quickly adjusting to new information and graciously putting a plan in place. Thank you Ms. Goodenough, Mr. Van Grootheest and crew members!
Keep up the good work.
Mike
