Communicating Information to Building Occupants
One of the key functions of the Building Coordinator is to communicate information to and from the building occupants and Facilities. Facilities will assist with this process as much as possible by providing tools, opening communication pathways between departments and by increasing awareness of you and your role.
The following is a list of suggestions developed from meeting with current Building Coordinators. It includes programs that some buildings have in place, ideas that they suggested and things that other Universities have implemented. The staff at Facilities will assist you with the development of any of the following programs, or we will work with you to customize a program for your building.
1. Post signs in each entryway. These can be simple signs such as the one below, which indicates the Building Coordinator’s room and phone number as well as important emergency information. It has also been suggested that larger postings be placed in main entryways which could include such information as:
2. Develop a calling tree or email list. Included in this manual is a list of each department in the building and the spaces they occupy (see Chapter 9.) Facilities can assist you in developing a contact in each of the areas to create email notifications for non-critical information. We can also work with you and the departments to create a calling tree to pass on emergency information.
If you have an emergency weather pager in your area, a calling tree is strongly recommended to ensure that all building occupants are notified in the event of inclement weather.
3. Introduction at department meetings. One of the best suggestions from a Building Coordinator was to have the head of your department work with the other Department leaders to introduce you at their respective staff meetings. If a face-to-face introduction is not feasible, perhaps a simple announcement giving your name and where you can be reached would be sufficient.
4. Hand-outs for frequently asked questions. Another excellent suggestion from a current Building Coordinator was to develop hand-outs on how to request fleet vehicles and building keys. These pamphlets will be forthcoming. If you have suggestions for similar brochures to distribute to your building occupants, please let us know. We will be happy to accommodate you.
5. Comment cards or short surveys. It is important to solicit information on the concerns of the building occupants. Many times there can be a facilities issue that will continue to bother occupants, but they are either not sure how to get an item addressed or it is forgotten until the next time that area is used. In any case, the Facilities staff may be unaware that there is a problem. Are there light fixtures that continually go out? Is there a problem with the hot water in the bathroom? Is there a better time to perform routine maintenance?
A formal comment card or survey may not even be necessary. More often than not, each of us will comment on our day-to-day work environment, and you may pick up information through the course of conversation. Keep a list and as items are mentioned, add them to it. Facilities is here to maintain the campus environment, and while there may not be enough resources to allow us to address everything immediately, an item can never be addressed if we do not know about it.
