The mission of the Facilities Department at West Chester University is to operate and maintain a high-quality physical environment. In the spirit of this mission, in 2006 the University commissioned us to assess the grounds maintenance division. The primary goals were to increase the efficiency and productivity of the grounds maintenance operation and to enhance the appearance of the campus.

The plan was developed after much consultation with all the persons involved with grounds maintenance, the Director for Facilities Management, and the Vice President for Administrative and Fiscal Affairs. Two workshops were also held with the crews. The most important recommendations were to contract out the athletic facility maintenance, reorganize the grounds maintenance division and set different maintenance standards for spaces on campus, with those spaces most used and visible receiving the highest degree of care.

We also developed a number of plans to improve campus spaces, including the Quad, the front lawn of Admission, Sykes Student Union and Tanglewod, the President’s home.