The Office of Facility Management (OFM) is responsible for the development, renewal, and operation of all non-residential College facilities. These activities include facilities planning, acquisition, design, construction, project management, maintenance, repair, operations, and regulatory compliance. OFM also coordinates facility matters with the city of Salem (fire prevention, water, sewer, public works, conservation), public utilities (electricity and natural gas supply, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (environmental management, public safety, occupational safety). Of particular importance is the role of OFM in coordinating the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management with the planning and construction of College projects funded directly by the State.

Administrative units with the OFM include Maintenance, Energy and Utilities, Custodial, Grounds, and Project Management. To improve the quality of service provided to the campus community and to better coordinate the services of OFM, a new Director of Physical Plant Operations position was recently established. The individual in this position oversees and coordinates the work of the Help Line, Maintenance, Energy and Utilities, Custodial, and Grounds. A total of 70 union employees and six supervisory personnel perform these functions. In addition, a Senior Project Manager directs the College’s health and safety program and the capital renewal program, including the supervision of project-funded project managers to oversee major renovation projects. The Director of Physical Pant Operations and the Senior Project Manager report to the Director of Facilities. Departmental support is provided by an Administrative Assistant and a Secretary.

• Improve the image of the campus buildings and environment to reinforce the sense of a distinct college setting and create better defined, more attractive, and more functional outdoor spaces.
• Address the causes of traffic congestion and eliminate the parking shortfall of 450 spaces on the North and South Campuses.
• Increase building area to adequately accommodate the campus programs. Consolidate campus programs which are scattered in many different buildings on campus.
• Correct physical deficiencies as they relate to code compliance, building repair, infrastructure and systems upgrades, handicapped accessibility, and energy efficiency.

Beginning in 1993, President Harrington created the Strategic Planning Council in order to "initiate a planning process, to steer the implementation of the process, and to provide the College with a written Strategic Plan." The two years of planning were marked by meetings with all constituents of the campus: faculty, administrators, classified staff, students, and alumni. Today, the College’s Strategic Plan is an ever evolving plan reviewed regularly for implementation and for any changes in strategy. Below are the goal, strategic objectives, and operational objectives identified in Section IV. Physical Environment of that document:

GOAL
Salem State will provide a physical environment in which all employees, students and alumni/ae are valued, productive and safe.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
1. To develop an organized and workable, five-year all college space needs/utilization plan which considers existing and future space needs in keeping with the College’s current and expanding mission.
2. To purchase/expand facilities when financially and strategically justified for improving teaching/learning and delivery of services.

OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES
1. To reallocate space with particular emphasis on proximity location for similar college functions.
2. To reallocate academic department space based upon current enrollment and future growth potential.
3. To improve the space for the college community through:

1. Allocation of appropriate office space for faculty.
2. Installation of air conditioning in faculty offices.
3. Provision of student study space in each department.
4. Purchase of new chairs/desks, furnishings.
5. Improvement of the lighting and acoustics.
6. Provision of basic materials like chalk and erasers.
7. Provision for employee lounge areas throughout the campus.
8. Creation of a faculty, administrative, staff house/club.
9. Addition of meeting rooms.
10. Improve copying facilities.
11. Improved theater facilities.
4. To develop yearly repair and maintenance schedules for all College facilities with particular emphasis on:
1. Improvement of the heating and ventilation systems in all campus buildings.
2. Improvement of the general cleanliness of classrooms and common areas.
5. To update the physical aspects of the College through:
1. Uniform quality and appropriate signage throughout the campus.
2. Uniform paint colors used in all campus buildings.
3. Improvement of handicap access and facilities
6. To improve the parking situation.
7. To provide for dormitory needs for international students.
8. To open off campus sites which provide access to underserved populations.
9. To improve the athletic center.
10. To improve/expand a student social center and gathering place.
11. To acquire GTE to expand facilities.
12. To implement more security measures on campus by placing a security office at each campus site.
13. To enforce strictly the "no smoking", drug free, and alcohol use policies on campus.
14. To institute educational programs to assure a safe and secure environment.
15. To improve the safety and health of employees by proper hazardous waste handling and reduction of other potential health hazards by surveying for asbestos, radon, etc.
16. To improve vehicle and pedestrian access and egress from South Campus.
17. To improve student/employee access to campus by:
1. Expanding the shuttle bus schedule.
2. Working toward implementation of a new MBTA station near the O’Keefe Center.
18. To improve services and response time to the College community in regard to custodial and maintenance.

Since that time, Salem State College has spent more than twenty five million dollars on capital acquisitions and renovations. These projects were implemented through annual allocations of funds provided by the College through its regular operating budget and by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (through the Division of Capital Asset Management). Some of these major projects are listed below:

The Administration Building was completely renovated and includes the new Dining Commons. This project has updated an outmoded facility while improving the sense of campus community by providing a high quality central dining facility for all members of the College (residential students, commuters, faculty, administrators, and staff). New fire alarm and sprinkler systems also greatly improve fire and life safety within this facility. Further, the renovated building includes features that make not only this facility accessible to individuals with disabilities, but is also provides an accessible link between upper and lower levels of North Campus.

The Sullivan Building, the 100-year old landmark and the oldest College facility, received substantial attention. The exterior brick masonry was restored, new fire alarm and sprinkler systems were installed, new electrical service was provided, and the elevator was replaced. These projects preserve the character and extend the useful life of the building, while providing a safer and more accessible facility for the community. A master plan was prepared for the reconfiguration and renovation of the interior spaces, to better support the curriculum of the College. A larger number of higher quality classrooms was provided on the first floor, as well as new faculty offices, restrooms, and environmental controls. The upper floors of the building will be renovated in a similar fashion as funding and schedule permit.

The first floor of the Ellison Center, the former location of the cafeteria for residential students, is now undergoing a major renovation and will be completed in January 2001. This space will include a new Career Service area, Health and Counseling Center, and Commuter Resource Area, including a lounge and computer access.

A new Aquaculture Center was developed by the College in a former State Division of Marine Fisheries Laboratory on Salem Harbor. The Legislature provided these funds to recognize the importance of aquaculture in the future of the domestic fishing industry and the leadership role played by the College in this field, as well in its ability to convert the lessons of the laboratory into practical commercial solutions for this troubled industry.

In 1997, the College acquired the former GTE/Sylvania Plant (Central Campus), a 400,000 square foot facility on 37 acres located equidistant between the Main and the South Campus. In anticipation of the redevelopment of this Central Campus property, the College formed an ad hoc space allocation committee and commissioned the preparation of the Three-Campus Reconfiguration Study. This document proposed the potential groupings of academic and administrative spaces that will take best advantage of the assets of the new Central Campus while optimizing the reuse of facilities on the other Salem State College campus sites.

A new Public Safety Building was constructed on the Central Campus site. This new building now houses for the first time all of the Salem State College law enforcement and security functions under one roof. The new location is convenient to all campus sites as well as to the general public. This project permitted the removal of the building that formerly served the dispatch function, a former service garage located in the heart of North Campus. The removal of this structure eliminated a visual eyesore, eliminated a huge volume of disruptive vehicular traffic in this area , and provides an opportunity for future student-centered landscape improvements in this important part of the campus.

In addition to these specific capital projects, the College has also embarked on a program to solicit input from faculty for small improvement projects. These requests are solicited from the academic community through the Deans and department chairs. Proposals include those projects that are too large to be performed as part of the routine work of the OFM, and yet are not large enough to comprise a freestanding capital project. Typical projects include painting and carpeting individual faculty offices, improving lighting, replacing window treatment, installing bulletin boards and display cases, replacing chalkboards, installing book shelves, and improving door hardware. Approximately 100 small projects have been implemented under this program for each of the past three summers. Improvements in the athletic facility include a new hardwood floor was installed in the gym, and a new Fitness Center was developed. Additionally, substantial structural, environmental, and computer upgrades have been completed in the Library, and an award winning campus-wide signage design was also adopted and implemented.

In the Fall of 1996, the College Administration realized that the act of moving selected departments into the new campus would provide a unique opportunity on two of the other existing campuses. The vacated space in North and South Campuses created by moving such departments as Music, Theater and Business (among others) into Central Campus could be seen not only as "swing space", but also as a key ingredient in a process that might result in improved facilities for many otherwise unaffected departments at Salem State. As a result, the College implemented a Three Campus Reconfiguration Study.

The intent of the study was to develop a consensus strategy for the allocation of "backfill space" created by the departmental moves to the Central Campus site. This strategy (or strategies) will serve as a planning tool during the approximately three-year process leading up to occupancy of the new campus. Part of the study process is to identify specific facility needs of those departments remaining at North and South Campuses, and how those needs might be met through re-assignment and/or reconfiguration of the vacated space. This committee will re-convene later this Fall to continue this process.

In 1999 the College applied for and received $4.8 million Title III Grant to be utilized over the next five years for the development of a "Smart Campus" at the Central Campus site. This project is broken down into five allocation areas:

Activity 1 -- School of Business Renovation Smart Building
To construct a "smart" School of Business facility that incorporates computer infrastructure, multi-media technology, telecommunications, information processing, electronic library, and knowledge resources. The project will include technology and its applications as an integral part of a strengthened School of Business in the planned renovation of an existing 30,000 square foot facility.
Activity 2 -- Center for the Creative and Performing Arts Smart Facility
To construct a "smart" Center for the Creative and Performing Arts that will provide for "smart" technology, telecommunications, information processing, and access to information resources in the areas of Music, Art, Theater, Dance, and Graphic Arts.
Activity 3 -- Multidisciplinary Environmental Smart Laboratory To construct a "smart" laboratory to meet the needs of an interdisciplinary Environmental Project utilizing the site closest to the natural wetlands of Salem harbor at the newly acquired Central Campus Facility. The laboratory will incorporate technology and its scientific application to environmental issues as an integral part of a strengthened curriculum in Environmental Sciences.
Project management, evaluation, and infrastructure development. While Activities 1, 2, and 3 primarily fund programmatic equipment related to the Central Campus development, the project will also require structural revisions and infrastructure upgrades to support the new technologies. This element of the allocation includes building specific technologies (e.g., lighting, HVAC, security), digital infrastructure (e.g., fiber optic backbone) throughout Central Campus, and the technical tie-in to related equipment on North Campus.

This year, in an effort to measure the level of deferred maintenance at Salem State College, the State contracted with Parsons Brinkerhof, Inc (PB, Inc.) to conduct a physical condition assessment of the Colleges facilities. A database containing this information will be developed and an enterprise asset management system will be delivered in the next year. This enterprise solution will enable the college to track its building systems through their life cycles, and anticipate and prioritize systemic replacements prior to failure. The audit will also provide much of the information required to appropriately depreciate our physical assets, thereby complying with new accounting standards. This software system will also empower the OFM to schedule and monitor service requests, warranty repairs, and preventive maintenance work on all of the College’s major building systems.

This past spring, Focus Group sessions were held to discuss issues that remain regarding the Physical Resources of the College. The group expressed concern regarding the funding levels for maintenance and upkeep of new and renovated areas. Maintenance of current operations is always a struggle and of major concern, and custodial services are at times short staffed. Additionally, increased levels of funding must be identified to reduce the levels of deferred maintenance that continue to grow.

Of greatest concern to the Focus Group was the need for classroom space that is conducive to learning. Some areas of concern regarding classroom space include:

• Adequate heating/cooling systems
• Adequate lighting
• Air quality
• Noise control
• Replenishment of equipment

The safety of the grounds was another area of concern. Some areas discussed were:

• Lighting
• Placement of emergency phones
• Adequate bus service
• Snow and ice removal
• Access to buildings for the handicapped is considered a critical issue
• The need for security at every building
• The need for standard signage and other wayfinding strategies should be developed

Parking concerns were also listed as a priority. The building of a parking garage at the O’Keefe Center was suggested in the O’Keefe Master Plan. However, the state does not tend to support parking garages for state colleges.

The recent reinvestment in the physical resources of Salem State College has resulted in substantially improved facilities for the entire college community. Improvements have been made in access for the disabled, in fire and life safety, in building envelope preservation, and in the configuration, appearance, and performance of spaces of all types (classrooms, faculty offices, student lounges, recreation space, dining halls, and administrative areas). Plans have also been prepared for the reallocation of space to best serve the needs of the College in the future. Systems are being developed that will help establish priorities for the periodic renewal of these physical assets to assure their quality performance over time and to prevent the accumulation of deferred maintenance obligations in the future. In addition, periodic renewal programs also are in place to address the daily facility requirements of the College, and the intermediate needs for minor improvements. The College and the Commonwealth have made sustained financial commitments to realize the progress in preserving and improving the physical resources of the several campus locations. These commitments-of both funding and personnel will need to continue to sustain this progress.