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The University Grounds Paradox: Meeting Greater Expectations With Decreased Funding07-31-06 | News



The University Grounds Paradox: Meeting Greater Expectations With Decreased Funding

By Ellen Newell, CGM, PGMS President, Assistant Director of Facilities Grounds Services, Arizona State University






To help keep the campus grounds looking fresh and well-maintained, the grounds crew installed hanging baskets filled with wave petunias on rows of date palms. Budget cuts have forced university grounds crews to come up with creative ways to spruce up the landscape with less funding.


While we may not generate headlines or star on television specials like David Blaine and David Copperfield, being a grounds manager at a large university is akin to performing magic. I haven?EUR??,,????'???t wowed crowds with acts of levitation, but I have been in the grounds management profession for nearly 30 years and can attest to the phenomenon of the disappearing grounds budget.

A year and a half ago I was named assistant director of facilities grounds services at Arizona State University (ASU) after 28 years in the Grounds Department at Utah State University. The horticultural environments at the two universities are vastly different, but the management challenges are very similar.

Both of these universities, along with many others, are aggressively recruiting high tech researchers with the ability to attract grants and endowments to supplement the dwindling percentage of state funding in the face of increased operating costs. One important factor in attracting researchers and new endowments, as well as prospective students, is the appearance of the campus buildings and grounds.

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Sprawling bougainvilleas cover a simple wood trellis outside of the Hayden Library on the campus of Arizona State University. When dealing with an increasingly limited budget, plants that provide high impact color and low maintenance help stretch your dollars.


A well-maintained, attractive campus provides the impression of a community that values quality and professionalism. However, the grounds and custodial departments are usually the first victims of university budget hits and asked to do more with less. This is where a conflict arises; a higher standard of maintenance is expected while operating budgets do not increase, and in many cases actually decrease.

Remedying such a juxtaposition requires the grounds management professional to examine the entire grounds operation and take a close look at how existing funding is being utilized. Are there long established ways of doing tasks that have not taken into account new scheduling or patterns of use on campus or new technologies and equipment? Has the department given up trying to change resistant workers? The first step in answering such questions is to meet with key team members and then the whole crew, examining how tasks are scheduled, accomplished, the type of equipment used, and where time is lost. Involve everyone, keep them focused and on task and ideas will emerge. Not everyone will agree with all of the changes but at least there will be an understanding of how they came about.






The grounds maintenance crew at Arizona State University maintains the campus collection of date palms and even harvests and sells their dates. Ellen Newell, PGMS president and assistant director of facilities grounds services at ASU feels that this task is a great source of pride and accomplishment.


Do some research yourself. What are your president and key administrators looking for? What do they possibly see as grounds issues?

It is easy to say more funding is the answer, but first do an honest assessment and become as efficient and effective as possible with the existing level of support. Have the crew spend some time planning future improvements; for example, deferred maintenance projects or new equipment that will save time or add quality.

In my case, the crew at ASU was able to look at all of the operations and develop some new programs and processes to run more efficiently without additional funding. One involved simply shifting some schedules to ensure litter pickup throughout the day. Litter on campus was a real concern with administrators and this made an immediate improvement that was noticeable and appreciated. Focusing and coordinating the efforts of several crews enabled them to renovate and add color to several high visibility planters and get a lot of bang for their efforts.

As these changes were presented to the ASU administration and they were able to see positive improvements with existing funding, additional funding and support have come our way. Additional funding then becomes viewed by the administration as an investment to support their goals.

All of this may sound great, but it will not happen if your crew is not on board.






Maintaining the appearance of a university?EUR??,,????'???s buildings and grounds is an essential part of attracting researchers and new endowments, as well as new students.


Be honest with the crew and let them know what the challenges are. Is outsourcing a possibility? Are they expected to continue to do more with less? Or, are they willing to become more involved and committed as professionals? Make sure everyone is trained and cross-trained. Not only will this allow them to make informed decisions and assume ownership of their jobs, but will add to self esteem and crew morale.

For years I have been able to take a crew member with me to the annual PGMS School of Grounds Management and Green Industry Expo. This perk not only serves as a tool to increase my team?EUR??,,????'???s collective knowledge, but is also seen as a reward for professionalism among team members.

So how can you get your crew members involved? Have them review building and landscape plans and tap into their knowledge to see if appropriate plants are being requested and if the design is maintainable. Take before and after pictures of renovation projects the crew completes, and post them prominently along with any positive feedback from the campus community.






By focusing and coordinating the efforts of several crews and adding color to a few high-visibility planters on campus as well as shifting schedules to ensure litter pick-up, the administration was able to see positive improvements with existing funding. As a result of the improvements, additional funding has been made available to the grounds maintenance department.


Allow individuals to use their expertise and give them some room in their job for individual growth. At Utah State we had a team member who had a real interest in dwarf conifers. He was able to get donated plants and plant a small dwarf conifer garden on campus. This garden not only furthered his professional development, but also became a popular attraction on campus.

?EUR??,,????'??A crew that is truly valued and appreciated will turn out a quality product.?EUR??,,????'???EUR??,,????'??+Ellen Newell

The crew at ASU maintains the campus date palm collection which also includes producing, harvesting and selling the dates. This is a source of great pride and accomplishment with the crew. Remember, you get what you reward. A crew that is truly valued and appreciated will turn out a quality product.

Our profession needs to disprove some of the old stereotypes such as ?EUR??,,????'??we just mow the lawn?EUR??,,????'?? and show that high quality landscape maintenance is a profession with educated, multi-talented individuals. Coming up with innovative programs and ideas to create more from less, is one big step in that direction.


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