Facilities Operations

Overview

Facilities Services provides comprehensive cleaning services to maintain a clean and healthy environment across the University of Chicago campus. Our team is dedicated to ensuring that public areas, office suites, and other designated spaces are serviced according to the highest standards.

Green Cleaning:

All campus buildings managed by Facilities Services use green cleaning supplies, including surface, floor, bath, glass, and multi-purpose cleaners. Restrooms are stocked with tissue paper (20% post-consumer recycled fiber), paper towels (40% post-consumer recycled fiber), and biodegradable hand soap.

Documentation

For further details, please refer to the updated Service Level Agreement and Custodial Specifications Sheet.

Need Additional Services?

Request extra cleaning or large bins via the Service Request page. NOTE: You’ll need to provide a departmental Charge of Accounts (COA) number to process.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or require further assistance, please contact the Facilities Services Team at work-center@uchicago.edu, and/or uccampusservices@teams.uchicago.edu.

The Energy Services and Sustainability sub-unit provides and oversees various facets of the University of Chicago’s complex utility infrastructure including its planning, development, construction, and operations.

Energy Services provides the following services:

Energy Management

• Strategic procurement of natural gas and electricity
• Management of natural gas, electricity, water and wastewater
• Energy conservation efforts
• Renewable energy portfolio
• Metering and master planning

Central Utilities Production

• Production of reliable and cost-effective building utilities (steam, chilled water, and compressed air) at three Central Utility Plants
• Support of the operations & maintenance of Building Automation Systems
• Oversight of building commissioning services

The Faculty Exchange is the University’s in-house mail delivery service. We handle both internal and U.S. Postal Service mail and offer pick-up and delivery service to designated buildings on campus. After processing through Faculty Exchange, mail is delivered to the departmental mail rooms or assigned drop-off areas the following day. Additionally, the Faculty Exchange is a central location for picking up or dropping off university keys.

The Faculty Exchange office is conveniently staffed on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and can be reached at 773.702.1911.

The Landscape Services crew provides an aesthetically pleasing landscape conducive to learning and leisure. The landscaping team provides basic services on campus, and supplemental services are available at a charge to campus customers.

Landscape Services provides a variety of outdoor maintenance services, though primary duties include litter collection, hard surface cleaning (power washing provided by the Paint/Decorator shop), and general garden maintenance. In addition, Landscape Services supports integrated pest management, minor irrigation repairs, and maintenance, as well as small landscape design, construction, and planting projects. Landscape Services also provides trash containers and clean-up services for special events.

Landscape Services participates in many activities that contribute to environmental sustainability, including:

• Maintaining native plant gardens. (i.e the Bioswale at the general campus as a botanic garden)
• Working with local vendors to purchase mulch from recycled trees
• Replacing synthetic fertilizer with compost and compost teas to improve water quality, when possible
• Utilizing Integrated Pest Management, an environmentally sensitive approach to pest control with minimal pesticides
• Composting 95 percent of our green waste (leaves and grass) and mulching removed trees
• Limiting the use of leaf blowers and meeting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's standards for emissions
• Implementing battery-powered equipment to reduce gas motors on campus
• Inventorying, mapping, and caring for all campus trees

The following services are provided by Landscape Services:

Turf Mowing, Edging, Trimming, Overseeding, Aerification, Reseeding, Sodding, Fertilization.
Mowing is performed on a weekly basis, excluding holidays and during inclement weather. The schedule may change due to staff availability.

Tree Pruning and Maintenance

Tree pruning is performed with the intent of developing structurally sound, healthy trees with a symmetrical appearance typical of the species. Tree pruning also incorporates proper safety clearance and access. Ideal times for tree and root pruning are November-February. For questions about identifying specific trees or planting memorial trees on campus, see our Functional Directory.

Shrub Pruning and Maintenance

Shrubs are kept in a healthy, vigorous condition, free from disease and large concentrations of pests. Shrubs are pruned with hand shears as needed to provide an informal shape, fullness, and blooms.

Pest Control and Weed Abatement

Landscape Services uses Integrated Pest Management, an environmentally sensitive approach to pest control with minimal use of pesticides to control insects, diseases, and weeds on and around perennials, ground covers, shrubs, vines, and trees. This includes frequent monitoring and spot treatment using the least-toxic, site- and plant-specific methods.

Hardscape Cleaning, Including all Walks and Recreational Courts

All hardscapes including stepping-stones and decomposed granite walks are inspected regularly and maintained in a neat, clean, and safe condition during normal maintenance. (Power washing provided by the Paint/Decorator shop.) Hard surface areas are inspected for uplifts and/or tripping hazards. Identified uplifts and/or tripping hazards are barricaded or caution taped off immediately until repairs are made.

Landscape Services clears snow and applies ice melt to all city sidewalks that fall within the campus boundaries and properties. The Midway is not owned or generally maintained by the University of Chicago, with the exception of a couple of key areas (North and South Winter Gardens). However, to allow for safe access throughout the campus, the Grounds department clears snow and applies ice melt on Midway sidewalks.

Submit a service request for assistance with additional landscaping or grounds needs outside of these regularly performed services.

Facilities Services does not provide grounds services to the following properties:

Chicago Booth - Graduate School of Business
University of Chicago Medical Center

Integrated Pest Management

The University provides pest control services to University buildings, residence halls, dining commons, graduate housing, and faculty/staff housing. Typically, both the interior and exterior of our buildings are serviced on a monthly basis. Additional services may be requested by submitting a Service Request.

Integrative Pest Management is an environmentally-sensitive approach to pest control with minimal pesticides. The University’s program is designed for achieving long term, environmentally sound pest suppression through the use of a wide variety of technological and management practices. Control strategies in our program extend beyond the application of pesticides by prioritizing structural and procedural modifications that reduce food, water, harborage and pest access points.

The typical pests covered are cockroaches, rats, mice, bees, spiders, centipedes, millipedes, flies silverfish and all other vertebrates. Wildlife services are also available through our pest control provider to manage such pests as squirrels, raccoons and birds.

The University provides refuse and recycle services to University buildings, Residence, Halls & Commons, and Residential Properties locations.

The University has a strong commitment to sustainability and uses a single-stream, throw-it-all-in-one-bin recycling program – meaning all recyclable items can be dropped into any recycling container on campus. On-campus, in University-owned residences, and in the House System, the following items may be thrown into the recycling bin:

• Aluminum food and beverage containers, including cans, foil, and pie tins
• Glass food and beverage containers – brown, clear, or green
• Iron cans
• Plastic containers – clear and pigmented
• Newsprint
• Corrugated cardboard (flattened)
• Magazines and catalogs
• Cereal boxes
• Telephone books
• Office paper
• Mail, including FedEx envelopes and envelopes with plastic windows

NOTE:

• All glass, plastic, aluminum containers, and tin cans must be empty and free of metal caps and rings and contain a minimal amount (less than five percent) of food debris
• Tissues, paper towels, or other paper that has been in contact with food is not acceptable
• No wax-coated paper or carbon paper
• No plastic bags or Saran Wrap

In addition, we offer the use of 96-gallon totes for bulk recycle materials for use when cleaning out an office space, for example. You can obtain these totes by submitting a Service Request.

The University currently recycles 36 percent of its waste through its recycling and waste management programs. We strive to continually increase this number through active participation with our students, faculty, and staff.

Fluorescent lamps and batteries:

Facilities Services manages the disposal and recycling of lamps — primarily the fluorescent tubes used in overhead lights. To dispose of fluorescent bulbs, contact the Facilities Service Center. Facilities will remove the bulb within seven to 14 days.
Facilities Services operates a free recycling program for non-rechargeable batteries of all shapes and sizes. We accept all household batteries (except cell phone batteries). Batteries can be dropped off in the lobbies of residence halls and in the kitchen of the Young Building.

When snow and ice hit campus, Facilities Services Landscape, Residential and Campus Services partner to ensure the well-being of students, faculty, staff, and visitors. As campus workers clear sidewalks, steps and parking lots, cooperation from the University of Chicago community is key in keeping snow removal safe and swift.

Helpful hints for a safe winter at the University of Chicago

In order to minimize the risk of slip and fall injuries due to icy and slippery surfaces, the following measures are in place:

Landscape Services remove snow and apply ice melt to campus sidewalks, parking lots, and building entrances. Campus and Residential Services clears snow and applies ice melt to entrances and ADA ramps at Residence Halls and Residential properties.
Landscape Services and the Transportation & Parking Department clear parking lots and apply ice melt.
Call 773.834.1414 to report an area in need of snow or ice removal on campus.
Employees are encouraged to use the main entrance of a building during a snow event, which will be the ADA entrance as these are cleared as a priority.
Safety is our priority during inclement weather. Use caution when navigating campus during a snow event.

Simple ways to help the snow and ice removal process

If possible, park in the already plowed areas to help snow removal workers quickly clear the unplowed areas without navigating around vehicles.
Avoid chaining bikes to signs. Not only is doing so illegal on campus. It also creates obstacles for snow removal equipment.
The ice melt application takes some time to take effect. It is an effective method, but the results are not instantaneous. In times of extreme cold (below -6 degrees Fahrenheit), ice melt’s efficacy may be delayed.
City Owned Sidewalks

Landscape Services clears snow and applies ice melt to all city sidewalks that fall within the campus boundaries and properties. The Midway is not owned or generally maintained by the University of Chicago, with the exception of a couple of key areas (North and South Winter Gardens). However, to allow for safe access throughout the campus, the Grounds department clears snow and applies ice melt on Midway sidewalks.

There are multiple trades within Facilities Operations providing a wide variety of services.

• Building Envelope: The physical components of a building envelope include the foundation, roof, walls, doors and windows.
• Carpenter Shop: Fabricates, installs, repairs, alters and maintains building components such as ceiling, floor, wall, window, door and other building and related institutional components.
• Electrical Shop: Maintains, repairs, alters, and installs electrical systems and components from low- to high-voltage distribution and end-usage devices. The Electrical Shop restores power to tripped circuit breakers, repairs lighting and makes small modifications to existing electrical systems. The Electric Shop also provides emergency generators and related systems controls and associated preventive maintenance and repairs.
• Elevators: Elevator service technicians of our vendor partners inspect, repair, maintain, modify and fabricate electrical and electronic circuitry and electrical, electronic, hydraulic and mechanical equipment of passenger and freight elevator systems and power lifts.
• Glass and Glazing: Replaces, installs, repairs and maintains all types of glass and glass substitutes.
• Keyshop/Locksmiths: Provides combinations and lock and key service involving the repair, installation and maintenance of locking systems.
• Masonry: Performs work in the fabrication, maintenance, repair or alteration of brick, tile, stone and prefabricated components.
• Metal Working: Fabricates, installs and maintains sheet metal, machined and plastic parts and equipment.
• Paint Shop: Prepares and coats interior and exterior surfaces of buildings, structures, fixtures and furniture and performs a variety of related operations.
• Plumbing: Assembles, installs, repairs and performs maintenance to piping, fixtures and equipment used in the distribution, drainage and ventilation of water, water-carried waste, air, gas and other liquids.