Facilities Management

Customer Service

Customer service is responsible for greeting and directing anyone who visits facilities management, answering all phone calls, processing and routing work orders for any maintenance issues as well as dispatching any emergencies. Customer service is also in charge of ordering office supplies, programming pagers and scheduling vehicle requests and drivers.

Storeroom

The storeroom provides supplies and materials required for the daily operation of Smith College. In addition to maintaining an inventory of facilities supplies, the staff receives, transports and ships items for academic and academic support departments.

Building Services

The full-time custodial staff members in the building services division are assigned to four shifts and work in 58 buildings throughout the campus. The series of shifts starts at 5 a.m. and finishes at 2 a.m. Staff clean and maintain the academic and administrative buildings and assist with special events, trucking requests, office moves, snow removal, special projects and scheduled maintenance projects.

Residential Services

The residential services division is staffed with full-time custodians who are assigned to the student houses, including undergraduate apartments, Ada housing and a graduate house. This group supports dining services and the academic-year housekeeping positions in the 39 houses. The custodial staff is responsible for waste, recycling, laundry areas and snow removal as well as small and large maintenance projects. The housekeeping staff cleans all bathrooms, common rooms, corridors and staircases. This group also supports summer programs and completes maintenance projects in the houses during the summer months.

Financial Services

The financial services division is responsible for the administration, analysis, monitoring, forecasting and reporting of financial and budget information associated with facilities management. This includes managing the processing of accounts payables, receivables and payroll for facilities management. The staff monitors and facilitates energy procurement for the college and works closely with various college offices to develop and maintain financially sound and efficient business practices.

Capital Projects

The capital projects department coordinates and manages campus projects involving renovations and major construction of facilities from concept (initiation) to occupancy (completion). The department functions as a liaison between the college and our consultants, guiding the process and ensuring that the college's priorities and interests are properly represented throughout the planning, design and construction of new facilities or the renovation of existing ones. The department provides technical expertise and support to other departments within facilities management and the college in general concerning architectural and engineering design, building code compliance and construction management.

PROJECT MAP

Central Power Plant

The Smith College power plant was built in 1946 to provide steam for heating most of the buildings on campus. The steam, also used to create domestic hot water, is distributed through an extensive network of underground tunnels. The plant is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by licensed operators.

Over the years the power plant has undergone many upgrades. Our new cogeneration power plant more efficiently produces steam as well as electricity used throughout the campus.

HVAC

The HVAC department is responsible for the heating, cooling and ventilation requirements and all associated temperature controls in most of Smith’s buildings. The department operates a large computerized energy management system (EMS) and maintains the hardware and software of the entire system. The department is responsible for the preventive maintenance of air handlers, fans, pumps, air compressors, chillers, condensers and some boilers. This maintenance involves belt replacement, oiling and greasing of bearings and all air-filter replacements on a regular basis.

The Smith HVAC department also maintains the Dalton Pool mechanical equipment and daily monitoring of pool water chemistry. HVAC operates and maintains a chilled water plant, and monitors the corrosion control levels of 300,000 gallons of chilled water and dozens of closed heating system loops.

Plumbing

The plumbing department’s duties include plumbing, steam heating and sprinkler system repair, maintenance, alteration and installation. The plumbers take pride in a job well done and provide the best service for their customers, to make their time at Smith as comfortable as possible.

Carpentry

The carpentry group comprises six shops: carpentry, locksmith, paint, sign, window and sheet metal. On a campus containing more than 16,000 doors, a greater number of windows, and acres and acres of roofs, it’s impossible to walk anywhere without seeing the results of the talent and hard work the carpenters at Smith bring to the college on a daily basis.

Electrical

The electrical department is responsible for maintaining all electrified equipment, including all fixtures and devices throughout campus. Many of these systems are critical, including fire alarm systems, standby/emergency generators and elevators. The department also maintains infrastructure systems that you don't see, such as transformers, medium voltage distribution and building power systems. The electricians are responsible for campus lighting, emergency phones and the main timekeeping system that programs most campus clocks and repairs clocks as needed. They also support the electrical requirements for special events.

Grounds

The grounds department consists of groundskeepers, truck drivers, a loader operator, mechanics and laborers. The department maintains more than 33 acres of campus grounds and 15 acres of athletic fields, all of which require mowing, spraying, fertilizing, lawn repairs, leaf removal, mulching, tree work, snow removal, ivy and hedge trimming, irrigation repairs, drainage work, field prep, sidewalk and parking lot maintenance. The department is responsible for all recycling and waste removal and maintaining the equestrian indoor and outdoor riding arenas. The garage mechanics maintain more than 100 pieces of equipment and vehicles.

Health and Safety

The health and safety department is responsible for health and safety issues and regulatory (state, federal and local) compliance within facilities management and throughout the college. Their duties include asbestos inspection and removal, lead inspection and removal, indoor air quality investigation, fire extinguisher and kitchen suppression system inspection, campuswide annual building inspections, campus fire permits and inspections, hazardous waste management and cleanup, universal waste management, state diesel fuel taxes, Spill Pollution and Countermeasures (SPCC) Plan, record keeping and training.