Why this is important.

The facilities committee helps shape the physical character of its institution by ensuring that the campus is functional, attractive, and well maintained. The committee should strive to maintain accountability to the board, act as an information-sharing liaison between the facilities staff and the board, and continually advocate for the crucial need for facilities maintenance. The facilities committee offers trustees an opportunity to be part of a process that yields a concrete and tangible outcome. Strong facilities stewardship sustains the legacy of past generations and ensures the preservation of the facilities for the benefit of future generations.

Source:The Facilities Committeeby Harvey H. Kaiser, AGB 2012

Questions for boards.

Click below to reveal key questions for your board to consider:

Fundamentals

Consequential Questions:

  1. Does our committee charge or charter provide clear guidance on the responsibilities, composition, and structure of the facilities committee?
  2. How does our campus master plan support the strategic plan? What is the process for updating the campus master plan, and who is involved?
  3. Does our institution have a stated policy with respect to sustainability?

Sources:The Facilities Committeeby Harvey H. Kaiser, AGB 2012

Discussions

Consequential Questions:

  1. What level of involvement should our committee have in long-range physical planning, capital planning, and campus aesthetics?
  2. How should our facilities committee be involved in resource allocation? What role does our committee play in reviewing operating and capital requests during the budgeting process?
  3. What projects should be brought to the full board for approval? What information should our committee provide to the full board for discussion and decision-making?
  4. What portion of our institution’s annual operating budget is devoted to operations and maintenance?
  5. What is our board’s policy for addressing deferred maintenance? Is it adequate? When was it last revised? How does our facilities committee track the deferred maintenance backlog?

Sources:The Facilities Committeeby Harvey H. Kaiser, AGB 2012

Relationships

Consequential Questions:

  1. How does our facilities committee work with the administrative staff? Do committee members understand and accept their role as providing direction and oversight rather than project management?
  2. Do physical condition assessments address campus-wide infrastructure in addition to building conditions?

Sources:The Facilities Committeeby Harvey H. Kaiser, AGB 2012

Recommended resources.

We carefully curated these staff-picked resources for you:

Protecting and Enhancing Campus Facilities

Trusteeship magazine, March/April 2012
By Harvey H. Kaiser

Microphone.

Using Real Estate to Bolster Liquidity in Higher Ed

Webinar On Demand
Moderated by Andy Graiser

Microphone.

Using Real Estate as a Vehicle to Meet University Financial and Strategic Goals

Webinar On Demand
Presented by Jason Magid and Andrew Pyke

All resources.

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November 16, 2023 - Watch this Webinar On Demand for information on how universities can utilize strategic partnerships to leverage their existing real estate portfolios to improve balance sheet liquidity and solve capital restraints holding back campus development goals.
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Using Real Estate to Bolster Liquidity in Higher Ed
January 19, 2023- Watch this Webinar On Demand to learn how strategies such as renegotiating leases, entering into sale-leaseback agreements, and selling noncore properties can support educational missions at a time of declining enrollments, rising interest rates, and persistently high …
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Trusteeship Podcast Episode 30: What Boards Need to Know about Real Estate Optimization
Aired: October 10, 2022Driving Stronger Performance in Higher EducationBy taking proactive and strategic approaches to their leased and owned real estate holdings, colleges and universities can generate the liquidity and occupancy-costs savings they need to support their ongoing business strategies. …
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Schools Need Maximum Flexibility Right Now. Here’s How Real Estate Can Help.
February 16, 2021 - Talk about a need for flexibility. American colleges and universities, after months of contemplating how to respond to the pandemic in real time, are now mulling a future in which Covid-19 may finally be under control.Assuming the national vaccination campaign …
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Bolstering Liquidity by Optimizing Real Estate
October 22, 2020 - Watch this Webinar On Demand. For colleges and universities that own and/or lease real estate, best practices from the commercial sector can cut costs and ramp up liquidity, thereby supporting critically important adaptive strategies in the …
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Design for the Future: What trustees should consider about the new era of campus planning
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Case Study
Innovation in Higher Education Case Study: Drexel University
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