Author: Costanzo

Move-In Accomplished: A Look at DSF’s Successful Preparation

Published by Costanzo on August 25, 2023

The reviews are in: Fall Move-In 2023 was a tremendous success. Baxter and Sharon have already shared their praise for all the work that went into getting our campuses ready, but we thought we’d add a little more context with numbers and pictures. The effort and thought that went into the whole process is truly impressive, especially when compared to years gone by. Thank you to everyone who contributed!

Over 2,200 student FixIt requests have been completed since August 16.
Over 3,500 cards issued in person by the GWorld Office.
Another 2,500 cards preprinted and issued through Housing check-in sites.
About 1,300 VEX trips during move-in.
Nearly 1,500 meals served by the BIG admin. That includes about 500 breakfasts and almost 1000 lunches.
Almost 200 sets of windows replaced in residence hall student units.
Almost 130 beds added to Guthridge.
Almost 400 new lower bowl seats added to Smith Center.
1 new grocery market and 30 new banquettes added to District House.
3 new food venues, 70 new tables, and over 200 new chairs added to USC.
Over 700 shoppers at Sustainability’s first ever Reuse Market.
Almost 4,000 items given away at the Reuse Market. That’s nearly 6,000 pounds of home essentials, clothing, and kitchenware.

And here’s a quick look at busy DSF staff across campus, with special appearances by President Granberg and Vice Provost Coleman.

From the Desk of Baxter Goodly: An Extraordinary Move-In

Published by Costanzo on August 25, 2023

Team,

I want to take a moment to recognize your efforts and express my sincerest appreciation for a tremendously successful move-in. The planning, collaboration, hard work and, most of all, your dedication made this a truly extraordinary experience for our students and families. Compliments for this year’s move-in have been pouring in. And, importantly, the data shows that we are improving our performance year over year. As an example, let’s look at our move-in urgent and emergency work order phases. The number of phases reflects our level of readiness. During the 2021 move-in, we responded to 1,628 urgent & emergency work order phases. In 2022, we serviced 1,189 phases and this year, our move-in phases dropped to 884. That is a decrease of 46% since 2021 and is a clear indication of how much we have improved!

That level of improvement only happens through exceptional leadership, working towards a common purpose and a relentless pursuit of excellence. And I firmly believe that the Zone structure we established nearly two years ago is paying dividends. This year’s results prove that “Own Your Zone” is not just a slogan — it’s key to proactive maintenance, efficient customer service and continuous improvement. Equally important are the many building improvement projects (large and small) that occurred throughout the summer.

Of course, accomplishing such a feat is never about one department — it takes the entire FPCM team moving together towards the FPCM Mission: “Fostering an inviting campus environment through exemplary delivery of facilities services.” And this year’s move-in was truly a team effort. Facilities, Buildings and Grounds (FBG), Transportation and Logistics (T&L), Construction Management and Campus Planning (CM/CP), Utilities, Energy and Engineering (UEE), the Business Integration Group (BIG) and our ABM partners all played critical roles. Thanks to all of your efforts, the Academic year is off to a great start.

WELL DONE!

All the best,

Baxter

Event: George Talks Business Featuring President Ellen M. Granberg

Published by Costanzo on August 23, 2023

DSF: Here’s an opportunity to learn about our brand new President, Ellen M. Granberg, from her own point of view. Learn more about her professional journey in academia and industry, her early impressions and discussions with the GW community, and what leadership means to her at this pivotal moment in higher education. Dean Anuj Mehrotra will serve as moderator. Registration is required to attend.

Wednesday, September 6
6:30 – 7:15 p.m. EDT
Jack Morton Auditorium

Register

Goodbye and Good Luck to John Kane and Steve Ferrara

Published by Costanzo on August 20, 2023

Two more valuable FPCM teammates are leaving us for new beginnings. John Kane was always a friendly face during his 46 years at GW and he knew every inch of our campuses. He’s headed into a richly deserved retirement, though we’re sad to see him go. Meanwhile, Steve Ferrara had a much shorter tenure as part of FPCM, but he made his mark by shepherding us through the major Thurston renovation. He and his family are off to Brown University where he’ll no doubt once again prove himself to be a major player in construction management. Below you’ll find photos from their goodbye parties.

From the Desk of Sharon Reich Paulsen: Well Done

Published by Costanzo on August 18, 2023

Dear Safety & Facilities Team –

August always ushers in the busiest time of year for this team as you all diligently prepare to welcome our students back for the new academic year. I wanted to take a few moments to say the campuses look great, inside and out! Thank you for all your work and effort this summer to get us to this point.

Today we are ready to welcome new and returning students alike, as well as their families. We are ready because of you. Thank you for all you have done individually and collectively throughout each unit and department of Safety & Facilities to prepare for the fall semester while still maintaining excellent daily operations. You have truly made a difference.

There is still much work to be done, especially over the course of the next few weeks. Based on all that I have seen I know this team will continue to deliver and help make our entire community comfortable and happy to be back, and proud to be GW Revolutionaries. Raise High!

I look forward to seeing you during move-in!

With thanks and appreciation,
Sharon Reich Paulsen
Executive Vice President and Chief Administration Officer

DSF Field Trip to Nats Park

Published by Costanzo on August 18, 2023

DSF went out to the ol’ ball game this past Tuesday after giving away about 50 tickets to staff. A fun time was had by all despite the Nationals’ on-field performance (they lost 5-4). Thanks to those who stopped by to enjoy a night outdoors before move-in got into full swing!

GW George cheers on Nats George as he crosses the finish line to win the presidents race.

Free Move-In Meals Friday through Sunday!

Published by Costanzo on August 17, 2023

DSF and DSA are pleased to provide breakfast and lunch to all staff working during move in. Please cascade the following information to your teams.

Meals will be provided on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (August 18, 19 & 20) according to the schedule outlined below.
All meals will be provided at Support Building room 211 and are designed to be grab and go.
Limited seating will be available in empty conference rooms on the 2nd floor of Support and in the Support 1st floor kitchen.
Lunch times will be staggered by groups on all three days. Please adhere to the schedule.
A foot traffic plan will be used on the 2nd floor of Support to help with an efficient distribution of meals.
Vegetarian options will be available.
Meals for MVC are being delivered directly to the campus.

Continental Breakfast, Juice, Coffee

Friday, August 18: 7am – 9am
Saturday, August 19: 7am – 9am
Sunday, August 20: 8am – 9:30am (note time change)

Boxed Lunch Friday, Saturday & Sunday:

11:30 am – Custodial Teams
12 Noon – Grounds/Pest Control, Transportation, CLRE, and FBG
12:30pm – GWorld, Colonial Parking, Post Office (MPS), and Health & Safety
Staff working in the Support Building are welcome to arrive at their convenience.

In addition, the Refueling Station, located in the Support 1st floor kitchen, will be serving morning, midday, and late afternoon snacks and beverage options throughout the week, including weekends, from Wednesday to Wednesday, August 16-23. Please have your teams stop in, refuel and rehydrate on a daily basis — this is for them.

Thank you for your cooperation and best of luck this week! Please direct any questions to Jenni Williams or Rose Dunnegan.

Upcoming Big Move-Ins for 2023

Published by Costanzo on August 9, 2023

Below you’ll find details on the largest Foggy Bottom move-ins by building on each day based on the data available on 8/9/23. Amsterdam, District House, Guthridge, JBKO, Madison, Potomac, Shenkman, South Hall, and Thurston are displayed in the table. Data for buildings with under 90 move-ins on a particular day are not displayed.

On the Mount Vernon Campus, Somers will have about 100 move-ins on Wednesday, 8/16 while West Hall will have about 100 move-ins on Thursday, 8/17. Keep in mind that move-ins will also take place in other residence halls not shown here. If you need additional data, please email KC Costanzo.

Event: Using GW Tuition Benefits

Published by Costanzo on August 9, 2023

Have a Junior or Senior High School Student?

Learn How to Use GW Tuition Benefits! For those of you with rising high school juniors or seniors in your household, you may be having conversations at home about college and next steps. DSF has partnered with Benefits, Admissions, and Financial Aid to assist you in learning more about how your student can attend GW or another institution using your GW Benefits. You and your student are invited to attend an in-person question and answer event arranged especially for us. You can also hear from colleagues who have used the benefit and how they navigated the process.

Thursday, August 24 at 11am
Support Building Room 211

Managers and supervisors, please make sure to mention this opportunity to your staff and give them the details above! Questions can be directed to Rose Dunnegan. We look forward to seeing you there!

Questions and Answers from July 2023 All Hands

Published by Costanzo on August 9, 2023

We’re following up on a few questions that were asked and not addressed at All Hands because we either didn’t have the answer on hand or we ran out of time. You can always ask questions of leadership by using the DSF Digital Comment Box.

Can we do away with the self assessment?

The self assessment is a chance to tout your accomplishments and remind your supervisor of the work you’ve done throughout the year. Your supervisor should also spend the year charting your progress, but it can be helpful to them to be reminded of specific accomplishments they may otherwise not think to include in your evaluation. You can choose how much effort you’d like to put into it, but keep in mind that the self-assessment is your final opportunity to boast before merit is determined.

It seems most of our CLRE staff and community coordinators have left or will be leaving. Will these positions be filled before move-in?

CLRE has had some turnover of late in key roles, but most community coordinator positions have been filled already and folks have stepped in to help with important tasks like move-in preparation in the interim.

Is it possible to extend the rollover days to September 30th due to the blackout days in August?

Unfortunately this is a university policy that we are unable to alter, but we look forward to receiving a policy update from our HR partners in the coming months.