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SOP for Building Coordinators

SOP #10042019


1. Purpose

Standard Operating Procedure # 10042019 discusses the delegation of responsibility to unit building coordinators and the pertinent position responsibilities and duties.


2. Delegation of Responsibility

To ensure the efficient communication of information, consistent and safe management of space and facilities, and effective response to emergency situations the College recommends that each unit identify a primary point of contact for matters related to the physical plant. 

The College recommends that each chair designates one faculty or staff member to externally represent his or her guidance concerning these matters. Internal to the unit, the chair may delineate certain responsibilities to more than one person, but for the sake of continuity and efficiency, the College recommends bundling these responsibilities and duties and assigning to a single person. For consistency this document refers to all such designees as Building Coordinators.


3. Building Coordinator Responsibilities

3.1. Each Building Coordinator will be the primary contact person for the specified responsibilities.

3.2. Each unit Building Coordinator will fulfill the specified responsibilities for all assigned space that the unit operationally controls whether it applies to one building or multiple buildings.

3.3. The salient responsibilities involve:

  • Maintenance of buildings and associated service requests
  • Monitoring, tracking and representing the unit during construction and renovation projects
  • Utilization of space
  • Security procedures to include key and Carolina Card access control
  • Relocations and moving
  • Emergency preparedness and notifications
  • The communication of applicable information internally and externally


4. Building Coordinator Duties

The Coordinator for Space Planning, Office of the Dean, College of Arts and Sciences will schedule a Building Coordinator Training Seminar at least annually.

 

Maintenance and associated reporting for mechanical systems, plumbing, utilities, electrical systems, property conditions and damages of walls, ceilings, floors, and building automation systems.

Service requests (SRs) to University Facilities and related communications to institutional or off-campus agencies should be routed through the Office of the Dean, Attn: Coordinator for Space Planning, College of Arts and Sciences. CAS Units should not send SRs directly to FMCNotify. The CAS Office of Space and Facilities Operations will screen all SRs from Building Coordinators and then send to FMCNotify. Units will be copied on these messages. Please contact Gary Bennett for an example email SR message. John Moring, Gary Bennett and Brian Grabski are happy to teach you by telephone or in person concerning SR procedures.

 

 
 

The Office of the Dean, College of Arts and Sciences must be able to contact building coordinators at all hours, and building coordinators must be able to respond within 2 hours of notification by land line telephone, mobile phone, email messaging, text messaging or a combination of communicative methods. The Office of the Dean, College of Arts and Sciences will periodically verify notifications capability and procedures.

4.5.1. Violent incident mitigation
The most effective way to minimize the impact of violence on campus (active shooter, explosion, use of weapons or physical force, etc.) is to reduce the impact of startlement. Surprise and shock are often key elements for those who plan to commit violent acts on campus. Therefore it is important for building coordinators to remind their faculty and staff that deliberate, proactive and iterative assessments of their situations and surroundings do more to neutralize the effects of violence and associated startlement than anything else. Reaction time matters in such instances, and even momentary paralysis in action can be costly.

Also, a future violent incident may have some similarities to the most recent episode, but in all likelihood there will be stark differences in the next. For instance locking students in classrooms could be the correct defensive measure, but there are ample scenarios that call for doing the opposite action. Installing locks on all classroom doors is not only infeasible, but it might be procedurally detrimental.

Increasing situational awareness and predictability against the unknown is a process of asking yourself this question:  What can I (we) do now?

  •  Do I know my surroundings?
  • Do I have emergency phone numbers posted and readily available?    911 and 803-777-4215
  • Have I reviewed the Carolina Alert website?   http://carolinaalert@sc.edu
  • Have I requested a Carolina Alert pamphlet for each faculty and staff member?
  • Have I encouraged my unit to view the applicable safety videos?
  • Do I know where emergency call boxes are located on campus?
  • How will I communicate if the campus data network is inoperative?
  • Have I downloaded the RAVE application on to my smart phone?
  • What are the ingress and egress points throughout my building?
  • Where are hide and refuge rooms (no windows, lockable door, power outlets, means of communication)?
  • Have I discussed with unit leadership?
  • Have I encouraged my unit to conduct periodic organizational emergency rehearsals?
  • Have I scheduled myself to conduct short, periodic individual emergency rehearsals?

All change requests to space utilization and designations for operationally controlled space must be routed through the Office of the Dean, Attn: Coordinator for Space Planning, College of Arts and Sciences.

 

Periodically, the dean, CAS, will provide units with funding to improve the infrastructure within their allocated space. While the units have discretion and can priorities how to expend these funds, it important that they coordinate closely with the CAS Office of Space and Facilities Operations. The CAS Office of Space and Facilities Operations will support the unit to improve efficiency and procedures protocol.

Relocations planning and execution.

Custodial Services  scheduling or issues pertaining to cleanliness and appearance of the unit’s operationally assigned space within the building.

BACKGROUND
College of Arts and Sciences instructors are periodically confronted with classroom infrastructure problems that inhibit or prevent classes. Sometimes the problems are persistent and annoying, and in other instances, the problem is unexpected and particularly disruptive. Often classrooms are assigned based on availability, and the locations of the classrooms can be across campus and distant from an instructor’s unit main office. It is important to frequently communicate the procedures for addressing classroom deficiencies so that problems can be identified, services can be requested and progress can be tracked.

KEY INFORMATION
Each unit in the College of Arts and Sciences has a either a staff member or faculty member assigned as its building coordinator. The duties of a unit building coordinator include responding to infrastructure problems associated with classrooms regardless of the classroom’s location. In other words, if an instructor from the Department of English has a problem with a classroom within Swearingen, the English instructor should contact the building coordinator of the Department of English to report the problem. We highly encourage every instructor to have his or her unit building coordinator information entered in his or her mobile phone or written down. It is imperative that building coordinators frequently promulgate their contact information and these procedures.

COMMON CLASSROOM PROBLEMS AND RECOMMENDED PRIORITIZED ACTIONS BY INSTRUCTORS:

Audio Visual (AV) equipment is inoperative or inadequately operating:

  1. Immediately call 803-777-6481 and report your problem to University Technology Services. Also check to see if there is another telephone number for University Technology Services on the instructor’s lectern.
  2. Call your building coordinator and report the problem. It is important to state who you are, which building and which classroom, the problem as you understand it, the date and time, and your contact information.
  3. If you cannot make positive contact with your building coordinator contact Gary Bennett, Buildings Coordinator, College of Arts and Sciences, at 803-777-8463. If you do not talk directly with Gary, please leave a voice message or you may text his phone.
  4. You may also report the problem to John Moring, Director of Space and Facilities Operations, at 803-777-1570. Note: Your building coordinator, by procedure, knows to report the problem to Gary Bennett and John Moring who will report the problem to University Technology Services. We also encourage any instructor to follow a telephone report with an email report when time and situation permits.

The temperature is too cold or too hot:

  1. (1) Call your building coordinator and report the problem.
  2. (2) If you cannot reach your building coordinator please call Gary Bennett (803-777-8463).
  3. (3) If you cannot reach Gary Bennett, please call John Moring (803-777-1570).

The classroom is locked:

  1. (1) Call your building coordinator and report the problem.
  2. (2) If you cannot reach your building coordinator please call Gary Bennett (803-777-8463).
  3. (3) If you cannot reach Gary Bennett, please call John Moring (803-777-1570).

The classroom is missing seats or desks or is improperly configured:

  1. (1) Call your building coordinator and report the problem.
  2. (2) If you cannot reach your building coordinator please call Gary Bennett (803-777-8463).
  3. (3) If you cannot reach Gary Bennett, please call John Moring (803-777-1570).

The classroom has damages or damaged furniture or equipment:

  1. (1) Call your building coordinator and report the problem.
  2. (2) If you cannot reach your building coordinator please call Gary Bennett (803-777-8463).
  3. (3) If you cannot reach Gary Bennett, please call John Moring (803-777-1570).

The classroom is dirty and requires custodial attention:

  1. (1) Call your building coordinator and report the problem.
  2. (2) If you cannot reach your building coordinator please call Gary Bennett (803-777-8463).
  3. (3) If you cannot reach Gary Bennett, please call John Moring (803-777-1570).

 

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