The logistics of keeping Southern Utah University’s bustling campus running probably aren’t something that its roughly 13,000 students think about very often, and that’s great. At least, that’s according to Facilities Management Senior Managing Director Ben Johnson.
“If you don’t think about facilities, that’s a good thing,” said Johnson, explaining that if a student notices a facility matter, it’s likely because something isn’t working properly.
Johnson began his career with Facilities Management back when he was a student majoring in construction management. He started out working as a painter and later became a full-time locksmith. Since then he has moved through the ranks to his current position.
Facilities Management is responsible for everything on campus from groundskeeping and custodial services to utility management and construction, such as the recently christened Bristlecone Hall.
Recent projects
The completion of Bristlecone Hall this past April marks the newest building on campus since the Center for Health and Molecular Sciences was dedicated in late 2011. The art and design; history, sociology, and anthropology; mathematics; and parts of the aviation departments’ offices and classrooms were moved to Bristlecone Hall, allowing the spaces they previously occupied to be remodeled and utilized by other campus organizations, such as SUU News, the Social Branding Lab and the eye-tracking lab.
Facilities Management is constantly on the lookout for ways to enhance the campus in a cost effective and efficient manner. One example that Johnson provided was the natural light that’s now prevalent in the Sharwan Smith Student Center. Historically, it wasn’t always so lit up.
Although the center was originally designed to include a skylight in its central hallway connecting the Student Center Rotunda to the Living Room, the skylight wasn’t initially installed. While reviewing the plans during a roofing project, Johnson noticed the design discrepancy and was able to modify the project to install the long-overdue skylight. Although students may not realize it, the natural light makes the space feel larger and more inviting in addition to saving the cost of running electrical lights.
“Facilities is much more student-focused than I think a lot of people understand,” said Johnson. “It is very much about the student and the student experience.”
Dedication to students
Students play an essential role in the continued operations for Facilities Management. Johnson and his team make a point to listen to the insights that students provide about potential improvements to the campus that might not otherwise be considered.
“Everyone [within Facilities Management] is all about the students. We get to work with departments to come up with what better meets the needs of the students, and we’ve grown significantly with the students that we’ve had,” Johnson said. “We had students that were involved [with a campus walk-through] talk about bikers’ experience on campus, pedestrians walking to and from campus and where housing units are going. We try to master plan all of these things out to make it the best experience that we can for the students.”
Johnson, who also teaches some courses on campus, was informed by his students that some degrees offered by SUU require 800 hours of job or internship experience. In response to this, he began a push to increase employment opportunities within Facilities Management for students.
“We have some international students that can’t work off campus; they can only work on campus. I didn’t recognize this before,” said Johnson. “We want to find opportunities that they can come and work for us. Those students get their hours, what they need for them to be successful in their degree, and that fulfills a need for us.”
Even though the results of student recommendations might not be seen for a couple of years, feedback and advice from the student body is a core aspect of improving the quality of future students’ time with SUU.
The future
The work is never-ending for Facilities Management. Between maintaining the state of campus garden beds, buildings, quads and other infrastructure, there’s always plenty to do. And yet, on top of their already overfilled schedule, new projects are constantly in the works.
“We will take the projects as they come. We want to create a quad; we’re wanting to build additional parking,” said Johnson. “But what I don’t want to lose sight of is the whole purpose: we’re here for students.”
Facilities Management is constantly committed to improving the campus in ways that benefit students. With their wide variety of responsibilities, they have found that the best way to maintain a properly running campus is to identify and correct potential problems rather than wait around until something breaks.
This includes predicting the needs of SUU departments before they become too critical. “We try to kinda create a five-year plan,” said Johnson “So, as departments are growing and we start to see needs that are there, we meet with leadership and see where the pinch-points are at.”
Although Facilities Management doesn’t get very much recognition for their constant labors to improve and maintain campus, the work they do is invaluable in creating a positive experience for students, faculty and staff. As part of their continued mission of listening to students, Facilities Management works with the student government, and Johnson encourages any student with questions, comments or concerns to reach out to student leadership.
