Commencement often signals the start of the summer season – a slower pace and a chance to catch up on work that may have been pushed aside during the spring semester. But for Facilities Management (FM), summer is rarely slow. It is rather a time to take advantage of fewer people on campus and complete projects that could be more difficult or impossible to address during the fall and spring semesters. 

You may have noticed key kiosks popping up at City Hall and the Severn Building. This is the first step in the implementation of a new system that will provide key access for Facilities Management (FM) staff and contractors 24/7.

Facilities Management (FM) and the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOSC) are teaming up to install rooftop weather stations as part of an exciting new project. This collaborative effort aims to build a weather network that will provide detailed, real-time data on weather conditions across campus and provide a better understanding of the impact of global climate change.  This micronet of weather data stations across campus will aid forecasters, students, and FM workgroups.

Facilities Management’s (FM) Landscape Maintenance team has accomplished the long-awaited switch from gasoline-powered to electric leaf blowers. Completing a transition that began in 2018, FM eliminated the last of the gasoline-powered equipment at the start of this year. Outside contractors are also required to use electric blowers when working on the UMD campus.

Facilities Management (FM) appreciates our working relationships with academic partners across the university, bridging the gap between administrative operations and academic pursuits. Below, we highlight some of the dynamic partnerships that have emerged between these two distinct realms.

It is important to take precautions to avoid heat-related illness in unusually hot conditions when working outdoors or in unconditioned, indoor environments. Though the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not have a heat stress regulation, employers are responsible for providing workplaces free of known safety hazards. This includes protecting workers from extreme heat.

UMD has been honored with 2022 Tree Campus Higher Education recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management. The University has received this honor each consecutive year since the inaugural year of the program in 2008 – one of just 25 campuses to do so. Huge thanks to the staff of Arboretum and Landscape Services and members of the Arboretum and Botanical Garden Steering Committee.

Hundreds of UMD students and other volunteers contributed almost 6,000 volunteer hours to the UMD Arboretum in 2022.

In response to student requests, Facilities Management’s (FM) Building Services is rolling out the installation of new no-charge menstrual product dispensers in women’s and all-gender restrooms across campus. This project is the culmination of an effort that began in 2021.

The Incident Response Unit (IRU) stands ready to deal with campus emergencies, 24/7/365.