News

Almost fifty years ago, a high school student followed his appreciation of art and science to study architecture at UMD, where he took a part-time job in the Department of Physical Plant, the forerunner of Facilities Management (FM).

On a typical day, Facilities Management’s Space Management team is juggling space change requests, analyzing space-use data, and collaborating with campus partners to find efficient, data-informed solutions for evolving space issues. Part puzzle, part problem-solving, university space management is about making sure the rooms and buildings on campus, like classrooms, offices, study spaces, and labs, are being used in the best way possible. 

Lighting plays a critical but often overlooked role in making the University of Maryland campus safe and welcoming after dark. From pedestrian pathways to parking lots, Facilities Management’s (FM) Electrical Services Exterior Lighting team is responsible for keeping more than 2,600 pole lights operating smoothly across campus.

After five years of behind-the-scenes planning, testing, and teamwork, a new era of facilities service has officially begun. On April 7, Facilities Management and its partners in Residential Facilities, Dining Services, Recreation & Wellness, and STAMP launched SHIFT (also known internally as AssetWorks) through the new Facilities Service Central portal. This integrated system is already making it easier than ever to report and track facilities-related requests across campus.

On Wednesday, April 9, UMD's Arboretum held its annual Arbor Day planting ceremony. This year's tree was a Black Gum Wildfire cultivar, native to Maryland and featuring red leaf tips as they emerge, deep green leaves through the summer, and a brilliant red display in the autumn. The tree was planted at the northwest corner of the Clarence Mitchell Building. See the Photo Gallery here.

Water main breaks can be disruptive, but Facilities Management (FM) is always ready to respond. Here’s what causes them, how we handle them, and what we’re doing to prevent future issues. How common are water main breaks? UMD experiences 10 to 25 water main breaks each year. In the past two years (2023-24), we’ve been on the higher end of that range: 28 breaks in 2023 and 24 in 2024. (For comparison, the region’s water provider WSSC reports that they repair more than 1,700 water main breaks annually.)