The world is complicated, but thanks to numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 campus facility managers can know exactly what level of cleanliness to expect of building service workers (BSWs) in their public spaces. BSWs clean across all three shifts, day and night, in 223 campus buildings.
Pete Varney, director of Transportation & Building Services (TBS), references the five standardized levels established and maintained by APPA, formerly the Association of Physical Plant Administrators and the leading organization in the field of facility cleaning, HVAC, grounds, and other academic building maintenance.
- Level 1 – Orderly Spotlessness
- Level 2 – Ordinary Tidiness
- Level 3 – Casual Inattention
- Level 4 – Moderate Dinginess
- Level 5 – Unkempt Neglect
So, Varney and Macie Sinn, assistant director of TBS, wanted to figure out two things: 1) what level of cleaning they estimate to have established on campus, given all current conditions, and 2) what level of cleaning they have the employees to support, according to APPA calculations. Basically, the more employees dedicated to cleaning, the cleaner the building.
Varney and Sinn estimated that the campus APPA level is approximately in level 3 or 4, depending on the specific responsibility, like floors or restrooms, classrooms or offices. They also did the math and figured their staffing level is that of a very high level 5, nearly to level 4.
“Knowing what your expectations are is vital,” said Sinn. “We want to just make sure facility managers and department heads understand what we are funded to provide to campus.”
A third element, customer desire and service satisfaction, is almost always the same: every facility manager and department head wants their facility as clean as possible. And getting buildings in bright, shining condition is a major factor in decisions made by visiting prospective students, families, donors, peers, and community members. Sinn does believe many in the cleaning crew have a greater job satisfaction and overall pride on the job, working at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a world leader in higher education, research, and discovery. This confidence and sense of ownership may influence a higher level of competence.
“Why send your kid to a university that doesn’t clean up after themselves? Why, as a researcher, would you want to work in this lab with old equipment and trash all over?” Sinn said. “We have to be the renowned leader we say we are. Our output and accomplishments are well above our expectations based on a head count and we are proud of our performance.”
Part of Larger Picture
Additionally, Building Services has been undergoing an operational ‘transformation’ over the past few years, including promoting this ‘APPA level’ information directly to facility managers and other campus leaders. Many cleaning practices are from the previous generation, while technologies and strategies have changed to get work done more efficiently.
Building Services also instituted a pilot program in which they change their cleaning practices and tools at five buildings on campus to reflect ISSA standards, the leading trade association in cleaning; the project is ongoing, and results have been positive.
These programs have dovetailed, so a more complex examination could be made of the cleaning levels at those five buildings with better strategy and higher staffing. In all of them, their graded level has been much better, achieving a level 2 at Grainger Library and Campus Instructional Facility, while Lincoln Hall went from a graded 5 to a 3. Staffing levels increased at each building as part of the pilot, growing from 15 to 35.
There’s also re-instituted teams in both window washing, and floors. A green cleaning program is on the way, and more resources are being dedicated to employee safety and well-being.
To learn about campus cleaning and the APPA levels being achieved at your building, contact Macie Sinn sinn1@illinois.edu.