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Find answers to your questions about the many functions of Facilities Management, including building and landscape services, fleet services, production management, customer service and maintenance requests, project management, and sustainability.
Q: Does Building Services clean every night, including vacuuming, emptying trash, dusting, etc.?
A: Yes, we do clean every night, but we perform different functions each evening. Refer to our List of UCSD Cleaning Services for a detailed daily schedule.
Q: Why do custodians throw recycling materials in regular trash cans?
A: Some custodians use gray trash cans or angled, wheeled receptacles called tilt trucks or “Queen Marys” to collect recycling materials and trash. If you see this being done on a Tuesday evening, which is recycling collection day, they are not mixing the 2 together. Trash is collected on Friday evenings. However, we know it does happen sometimes, and we are continuing to educate and train all custodians, including temporary staff, in the importance of recycling and following campus regulations.
Q: How do I get my floors refinished, my carpets cleaned, or my windows washed? Is there a cost?
A: Contact the Customer Relations help desk, (858) 534-2930, to have them assessed. If you would like to proceed, submit a work order requesting this service, and Building Services will provide an estimate. Your department will be charged accordingly. See the list of cleaning services for the most up-to-date information on services and rates.
Q: How frequently can I request landscape services, such as power washing or tree maintenance, without charge?
A: Refer to our List of Landscape Services for details. If you require any services more frequently than is provided, submit a work order through the Customer Relations help desk, (858) 534-2930, and your department will be charged accordingly.
Q: What is a bollard? Whom do I contact to unlock a bollard?
A: A bollard is a post that restricts traffic. Contact Susan Condra of Facilities Management, (858) 534-2927, to check out a key. The person requesting the bollard to be unlocked assumes liability for providing the access for vehicles to drive on walkways, plazas, pathways, etc.
Q: What is recycled water?
A: Recycled water is the product of a 3-stage treatment process in which municipal wastewater is settled, biologically oxidized, clarified, chemically coagulated, filtered and disinfected. The resulting water is clear and colorless. Although recycled water may have a slight chlorine smell, to the human eye it is indistinguishable from tap water.
Q: Where is recycled water used to irrigate the landscape?
A: We use recycled water on these landscaped areas:
Q: Is there a charge for cleanup after a special event held in a campus open space?
A: Yes. Since there is no way to know how clean an event site will be left, we charge by the hour for labor. A supervisor will view the area and determine the amount of cleanup time needed; you will be charged $15 per half-hour.
Q: Is it OK to use the concrete trash and recycling receptacles to clean up during and after a special event?
A: You may use on-site concrete trash receptacles if you pay to service them during and after your event. Or, you may order plastic trash and recycling receptacles from Special Events. Call the Customer Relations help desk, (858) 534-2930, or submit a Special Events Equipment Request online.
Q: How can I get irrigation turned off for my event?
A: Contact the Customer Relations help desk, (858) 534-2930, or e-mail wsc@ucsd.edu.
Q: Must I notify Facilities Management if I am having an event inside or outside?
A: Yes in both cases. Contact the Customer Relations help desk, (858) 534-2930.
Q: How do I dispose of old, nonworking electronic equipment or furniture?
A: Your nonworking electronic equipment or furniture may be disposed or recycled through Surplus Sales. Submit an equipment inventory modification request (EIMR) by fax or mail. See How to Complete a Printed EIMR for Equipment for Surplus Sales for instructions. Pickup will then be scheduled by the Surplus Sales staff.
Q: What should I do if I see an active beehive on or near a building?
A: Leave it alone and contact the Customer Relations help desk, (858) 534-2930, to remove it.
Q: Who pays for the work our building needs?
A: If the work involves a safety issue or a maintenance problem for a state-owned building, equipment or utility, Facilities Management covers the cost of repairs of basic building services, such as heating, air conditioning, gas, water, and electricity. If the job goes beyond basic building services, the department requesting the work pays.
Q: How long do repairs take?
A: Our work is done on a first-come, first-served basis, with jobs involving health and safety issues taking priority. Facilities Management makes every attempt to get the work done in a timely manner.
Q: How do I get a project started?
A: Call the Customer Relations help desk, (858) 534-2930.
Q: How do I know if you can do the type of work we need done?
A: Facilities Management does any type of work needed on campus. Depending on our workload and the size of the job, we may deem it necessary to hire an outside contractor, which we will oversee.
Q: During what hours will you work on our project?
A: We work between 6 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. weekdays. If the situation warrants, work can be done on an overtime basis.
Q: Does a person from my department need to be present during the project?
A: All we require is a contact name and phone number. If you would like someone to be present, then by all means do so.
Q: Who maintains the work after it’s complete?
A: If the work was done on a university-owned asset, Facilities Management will maintain it. If the work was done on department-owned equipment, the department is responsible for maintenance.
Q: Can my department place items in the space where mechanical equipment and building utilities are stored?
A: That space, called the core, can be dangerous and should only be accessed by Facilities Management personnel. Do not place any equipment there.
Q: Where can vendors park? How long can vendors park before getting a ticket?
A: Vendors may park at loading docks for 20 minutes. For longer visits, purchase a parking permit at a pay station in any parking lot or at one of the visitor information booths at the north and south entrances to the campus. Metered spaces are also available. Don’t park in a space reserved for UC vehicles; you may be ticketed. For more information, see the Visitor Parking.
Q: Do you have the keys to my office? Can you let me into a building?
A: Your department’s key control representative should have a key. If that person is not available, call the lock shop, (858) 534-2930, 7 a.m. – midnight weekdays. Between midnight and 7 a.m. and all day on weekends, call the campus Police Department, (858) 534-4357. You must show identification to both Facilities Management and the police.
Q: Can you help me with my personal vehicle (e.g., dead battery, keys locked in car)?
A: Fleet Services can only respond to calls regarding university-owned vehicles. However, the Motorist Assistance Program, (858) 534-8108, may be able to assist you.
Q: Can I rent a vehicle from Fleet Services for personal use?
A: No, university vehicles are to be used for official university business only.
Q: Can I drive a rented university vehicle into Mexico?
A: No, but we can help you rent from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which allows Mexico travel. UCSD doesn’t have the infrastructure to deal with Mexican travel.
Q: Can I park my personal vehicle at Fleet Services while driving a vehicle I rented there?
A: No, personal vehicles must be parked in appropriate spaces. A vehicle parked at Fleet Services is subject to parking citations. For more information visit What You Need to Know About Parking at UCSD.
Q: Can you order discounted auto parts for my personal car?
A: Fleet Services orders parts for university business only.
Q: Does Fleet Services accept cash, checks, or credit cards for vehicle rentals (and other services)?
A: Fleet Services accepts valid recharge index numbers only.
Q: What does Production Management do?
A: Production Management supports all Facilities Management departments with the execution of maintenance work by receiving, planning, estimating, scheduling, and coordinating work. For a more detailed description, see Facilities Management Project Management Group.
Q: What are metrics and benchmarks, and why are they important?
A: Production Management establishes measurements we call metrics so we may compare them to benchmarks, or standards. This allows us to assess the quality of our services objectively. To help improve performance, reliability, and client satisfaction, Production Management uses all available data, which includes researching best practices and establishing standards of performance.
Q: Does UCSD have a strategy for keeping its buildings in good repair?
A: Facilities Management maintains a long-range maintenance plan for major needs, which helps when projecting the appropriate funding for a budget year. The goal is to perform more planned maintenance, rather than reactive maintenance.
Q: What is CMMS, and why is it necessary?
A: CMMS stands for computerized maintenance management system, which tracks campus assets that Facilities Management maintains daily, including buildings, mechanical equipment, and linear assets such as tunnels, streetlights, and underground utilities. CMMS also records all work against assets to track frequency of repairs, determine equipment life cycles, and analyze costs. This system also tracks shop activity, such as how long it takes to complete a request and the backlog status.
Q: Why is your backlog so large?
A: Our backlog, or accumulation of projects yet to be performed, represents a variety of situations: Some projects are in a pre-estimate stage, in which planning and scope are involved. Some projects are waiting for customer funding approval or pending until parts arrive. Others, like simple trouble calls, are handled in the order they are received, with situations involving health or safety issues receiving highest priority.
Q: When can I call or visit the Customer Relations help desk?
A: Contact the Customer Relations help desk, (858) 534-2930, between 7 a.m. and midnight. Our office, in Campus Services Complex Building C (map), is open from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information about contacting us outside these hours, see How to Request Building Services.
Q: How many calls do you get a month?
A: Customer Relations receives about 3,300 calls per month. They include trouble calls, miscellaneous requests, and status inquiries.
Q: How many work orders do you process in a month?
A: Customer Relations processes about 3,500 work orders per month, including trouble calls, planned work, and preventive maintenance.
Q: Why does it take so long to get someone to come out?
A: We prioritize each work request according to urgency, using guidelines such as life and safety, the impact to programs or research, and building system failures. Nonurgent work is prioritized at the shop level on a first-come, first-served basis. Some shops have larger backlogs than others. The shop lead or supervisor can let you know when work should start and finish.
Q: What’s the status of my work request?
A: Call Customer Relations help desk, (858) 534-2930, between 7 a.m. and midnight to follow up on a request that has been submitted.
Q: Can I submit a work request online?
A: Yes, you may fill out this online form.
Q: What’s the difference between Facilities Design & Construction (FD&C) and Facilities Management (FM)?
A: FD&C generally handles large construction projects on campus, such as new buildings or major additions. Facilities Management’s project management group handles maintenance projects and smaller renovation and alteration projects valued up to $1.5 million.
Q: What does a Facilities Management project manager do?
A: The project manager, or PM, works with the client to develop the scope, budget, and schedule of renovation and alteration work. Once an agreement is reached, the PM manages the construction to final acceptance and beyond, facilitating any warranty work that may arise. See Facilities Management Project Management Group for a more complete description.
Q: What does my 15% charge pay for?
A: We add 15% to your project’s cost to cover the many expenses involved in managing it. For example, it pays for work service center contract processing and your project manager’s time throughout the process.
Q: When do I need an architect or engineer?
A: A licensed professional must be involved in projects that require plans and specifications or that present complicated issues, such as structural review or aesthetic appearance.
Q: What is the Stull Act?
A: The Stull Act, part of the California public contract code, limits university personnel involvement on projects more than $50,000 in value, and on painting projects worth more than $25,000. Scientific equipment installation is an exception to the Stull Act.
Q: When do you have to put a project up for public bid?
A: Projects need to go to public bid when the cost exceeds $100,000, per university policy and procedures. Projects cannot be split up to avoid the bid process.
Q: Can we get the same project manager for all our projects?
A: A project manager may be available upon request, depending on workload. Work assignments can also be made according to location, so someone already handling projects in an area will often be assigned to a nearby job.
Q: Will Facilities Management charge my department for an initial visit?
A: The first hour of consultation is free. If extensive pre-estimate work is required, you may be charged hourly.
Q: What does a typical construction schedule look like?
A: Construction schedules vary in detail, but the main components are start and end dates, critical path components — in other words, the significant steps that must be undertaken and the order in which they must be performed — and major milestone completion dates.
Q: What is UCSD doing to promote sustainability?
A: In an effort to reduce UCSD’s “carbon footprint,” a number of programs are under way that cut waste, increase energy efficiency, and reduce dependency on fossil fuels, including:
To learn more, visit sustain.ucsd.edu, and read about what Facilities Management is doing to conserve energy.
Q: Why don’t we have more solar energy or photovoltaics (PV) on campus?
A: Because of its high upfront cost, the university has only been able to install a limited amount of PV on campus. Our 2 PV systems contribute a combined power production of about 30 kilowatts. We do include the infrastructure for future solar power in new construction projects.
Q: What is LEED? Does UCSD follow LEED guidelines?
A: The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance “green” buildings. UC’s Sustainable Practices Policy (PDF) and related guidelines (PDF) require that all new construction and major renovation projects — except laboratory and acute care facilities — be built to a LEED “certified” rating. New laboratory buildings will meet the LEED certified rating as well as the Laboratories for the 21st Century, or Labs21, Environmental Performance Criteria, as appropriate, in the future. Our policy also requires that each campus complete one project for existing buildings by 2008, and that large interior renovation projects meet the LEED Commercial Interiors certified rating.
For more information, see Sustainable Building Design and Construction.
Q: Are there LEED-certified buildings on campus?
A: Although many newer buildings are constructed to standards equivalent to LEED certifications, none have been LEED certified.
Q: What is building commissioning?
A: “Total building commissioning” is a process for validating that facilities and building systems can be operated and maintained according to their design intent. The commissioning process begins at project inception and continues for the life of the facility, from schematic design through occupancy and operation.
This reduces costs by integrating the many interdependent systems associated with campus projects, which results in fully functional, fine-tuned facilities, with complete documentation and well-trained operating and maintenance personnel.
Q: What should I do when I see lights left on during the day, or when offices are not occupied?
A: Contact the Customer Relations help desk, (858) 534-2930.