Each week we’ll be sharing the upcoming training and professional development opportunities available here at GW.
Monday 12/4
AiM Query Training Are you looking to expand your knowledge of AiM? Join Adam Poplin as he provides training on how to set up queries. During this training, users will learn how to create and set up search parameters for queries on their AiM logins. Adam will also go through building widgets and dashboards from these queries with participants walking away with newfound knowledge.
Time: 1pm-2pm
Location: Support Building 211
Wednesday 12/6
Procurement Services 101 Training Session The Procurement Services 101 Training is designed to help new and experienced personnel gain a deeper understanding of the procurement process, compliance guidelines, and effective routing processes. In this training, participants will understand the importance of strategic sourcing and vendor management, discover best practices to navigate the procurement process to save time and resources, and learn many more strategies.
FBG Quarterly Safety Training Join us for this quarter’s safety training, which will focus on Lockout Tagout Red Tag. Lockout Tagout, or LOTO, is the de-energizing and securing of equipment, machinery, or processes so hazardous energy isn’t re-introduced during servicing or repair. This includes closing electrical circuits and valves, neutralizing extreme temperatures, and the process of affixing a label, or tag, that communicates information about what’s being done to the machine or equipment and why it’s important. This training will specifically focus on Red Tag; alerting employees not to operate tagged equipment.
Jose Melgar for replacing a microwave in a Mitchell Hall dorm room: “The request was completed in less than 24 hours, very efficient! Thank you so much.”
Roderick Garrett Jr. for replacing interior lights in Shenkman Hall: “It went pretty much perfectly”
Charles Johnson for replacing a shower curtain at West Hall: “I really appreciate how fast the issue was solved in regards to the matter.”
Tim Lindsey for restoring power to an Enterprise Hall Cubicle: “Prompt, friendly, and very helpful! Thanks so much!”
Michael Akyea for replacing lamps and restoring interior lighting around District House: “Professional Work”
Our top Service Priority here at GW is Safety. Each day, we seek to create an environment on our campuses that protects us from hazards and accidents, but what about when we’re off the clock? The need to implement safety protocols extends even into our personal lives.
The DC area has seen a huge increase in carjackings over the past year and at least a couple of our staff have recently been targeted at their homes. Luckily, no one was hurt in either instance, but it’s a good reminder to all of us to keep our heads on a swivel and to observe some basic precautions. The tips below were pulled from a number of sources we’ll list at the end of this post if you’d like to learn more.
Remember, anyone can be a carjacking target. Carjackers are more often looking for anyone who is distracted or alone, not a specific demographic. Carjackers target areas like self-serve gas stations, deserted intersections, parking garages, residential driveways, and highway exit ramps.
Before You Go:
Plan your route wisely, opting for well-lit and well-traveled streets.
Keep your vehicle well-maintained and ensure your fuel tank is at least half full.
Travel with a companion whenever possible.
Lock doors, roll up windows, and keep valuables out of sight.
Avoid leaving items with your home address in the vehicle.
Getting There:
Stay alert to your surroundings and pay attention to people close to your vehicle.
Travel in the lane closest to the center of the road when legal, leaving room for an escape route.
Park in well-lit, busy areas.
Upon Your Arrival:
Be aware of your surroundings before turning off your engine.
If in doubt, drive away and park elsewhere.
Turn off the engine, lock your vehicle, and take your keys with you when exiting.
Returning to Your Vehicle:
Walk with purpose and stay alert.
Be on the lookout for anyone loitering nearby.
Check your vehicle for signs of tampering. If suspicious, notify the police.
In a Carjacking Situation:
Prioritize personal safety; surrender the vehicle if threatened.
Note physical characteristics of the assailant.
Notify the police promptly with detailed information.
Final exams are coming up quickly for our stressed out students and that means Midnight Breakfast is also right around the corner on Monday, December 11. Midnight Breakfast is an annual GW tradition where students are encouraged to take a break from studying for final exams with food and fun activities. This event is a great collaboration between faculty and staff as we all work together to show support to the student community during final exam season. A significant number of DSF staff members have typically volunteered in the past to help make this event a huge success.
During the event, volunteers are expected to be available from 8pm until 12:30am. This time includes on-site arrival check-in and training at your stations, as well as clean-up after the event has ended. If you’re interested in volunteering (and supporting our DSA partners!), please fill out the form!
Today we’re introducing a sporadic feature we hope you’ll help us with in the future. We’ve got old-school DSF photos to share! Today’s offering is two large photos that have been floating around the Support Building for some time showing off previous editions of the Grounds Team. These two images are ripped and water damaged, so through the magic of amateur Photoshop editing and AI generation, we’ve restored these as best we can. You might see some familiar faces in the crowd! Send us an email or comment on this post and let us know who you recognize!
We’ve got more pictures in store for you, but if you’ve got throwback pictures of yourself or of the DSF team here at GW, please share! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is a special holiday for me. It is a time to reflect on and celebrate life’s many blessings. And one of those blessings is to be a member of this incredible team that does so much to improve the lives of the entire GW community.
And it is a time to express my sincere appreciation for all that you do to make GW a truly great university. Your hard work over the past year has been instrumental in elevating our standards of customer service and creating a positive and safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. I couldn’t be prouder of your efforts and I am grateful for your dedication and commitment to excellence. You are making a difference!
As we gather with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, let us take a moment to cheer our shared successes and recommit ourselves to our mission: Fostering an inviting campus environment through exemplary delivery of facilities services.
Enjoy this well-deserved break, celebrate the fruits of your labor, and anticipate the exciting opportunities that lie ahead!
Each week we’ll be sharing the upcoming training and professional development opportunities available here at GW.
Monday 12/4
AiM Query Training Are you looking to expand your knowledge of AiM? Join Adam Poplin as he provides training on how to set up queries. During this training, users will learn how to create and set up search parameters for queries on their AiM logins. Adam will also go through building widgets and dashboards from these queries with participants walking away with newfound knowledge.
Time: 1pm-2pm
Location: Support Building 211
Wednesday 12/6
Procurement Services 101 Training Session The Procurement Services 101 Training is designed to help new and experienced personnel gain a deeper understanding of the procurement process, compliance guidelines, and effective routing processes. In this training, participants will understand the importance of strategic sourcing and vendor management, discover best practices to navigate the procurement process to save time and resources, and learn many more strategies.
The FPCM Forward Awards only take place a few times a year, but now you can submit your nominations whenever you’d like! As always, we’ll comb through all the submissions with a committee before each All Hands to pick the winners. So submit your nominations at go.gwu.edu/forwardawards whenever you think of a colleague who deserves major recognition!
And now those who win not only get a trophy, they’ll also be placed in our special Forward Awards Gallery in the first floor Support cafe as seen below! The last set of winners was as follows…
This week’s kudos are throwbacks from earlier in the year that we need to catch up on! Have more you’d like to share? Send them to us!
From Emily Dieker to Monet Ballard, Greg Brooks, Adam Poplin, Sonny Saadi, Natalie Addison, Jason Neves, Hilda Merche, Joseph Chavis, and Rosa (whew!):
I wanted to send a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you and your teams for your assistance in the GWorld relocation and renovation efforts this summer. I know none of this was in our summer plans, but you all responded quickly and efficiently to our emergency needs and requests and we couldn’t have gotten through this summer without you. Your efforts ensured that the GWorld Office was able to stay open and fully functioning all summer, and we were able to move back into a renovated office just in time for students returning. It’s truly remarkable to realize that the GWorld renovation was fully planned and executed in only 3 weeks, and despite all the work and disruption to our space we never had to close or turn away customers.
Specific Thanks to:
Monet, Greg & Moving Masters for your help moving the GWorld Office in June and August
Adam & Sonny for your oversight of the GWorld renovation and making sure the renovation stayed on schedule
Natalie for your design efforts and making sure the renovation stayed on schedule
Jason, Hilda, Rosa, & Joe for your repeated cleaning and help with bulk trash and recycling
Baxter for your high level support and appreciation of the urgency of our needs, and for assigning the right people to get the job done.
My apologies if I’ve missed anyone.
Your efforts are a reflection of the outstanding work and leadership of FPCM and I’m truly grateful!
From Emily Dieker to Diamond Newman:
I wanted to pass on Kudos to Diamond from Facilities Central. She noticed all MVC GWorld readers were offline (very soon after the network went down) and did the exact right thing of calling the GWorld emergency line. Her quick response altered me to the issue, and I was in turn able to alert Housing, Facilities, and GWIT leadership to the issue in the very early stages.
From Zoe Saunders with Chartwells to Erika Argueta, Cecilia Melendez, and Corrina:
I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the ladies who are maintaining the restrooms and the dining area floors and tables each day. They shocked me when they cleaned the bases of the high-top tables. I had been looking at them and made up my mind to have one of my utility workers do a deep cleaning project and detail the table bases. When I walked him over to show him what I wanted done I had to take a step back. They were already spotless. I told him never mind and had him clean something else.
These ladies are fantastic! Please thank Erika, Cecilia and Corrina for me. They’re amazing!
From CLRE’s Lacy Myrman to Eric Hamilton and Roland Brown:
I just wanted to share my appreciation for how Eric and Roland have been super helpful for events recently. They have taken initiative, been eager to assist, made themselves available, and quick to respond. On two occasions, they’ve really shown up and helped with last minute asks, which has really taken the pressure off of me and allowed me to focus on managing other aspects of the events I was managing. They’ve made sure the experience of our attendees was positive and seamless and all of the minor details were attended to, and guests and attendees have shared that feedback with me as well. Please extend my gratitude to them for all they do. 🙏
From Hellen Olumilua with SMHS to Kathya Rodriguez:
I am joining other teams on the 4th floor to give a shout-out to Kathya, the housekeeper on the 4th floor. She goes above and beyond to keep the 4th floor clean. Jackie(copied on this email) stopped by and expressed how detailed Kathya’s cleaning is, and I echoed that. Her attention to detail is a breath of fresh air coupled with her sunny disposition… She is definitely a great addition.
The long-running DSF Thanksgiving Potluck tradition continued in impressive fashion last week, with folks contributing all manner of delicious dishes. It was truly an embarrassment of riches and all who participated left with full stomachs and satisfied taste buds. Thanks to everyone who took part and a BIG shoutout to, well, the BIG Administrative Team for organizing! And of course kudos to all the servers!
