Several changes have been made to the way campus buildings are being cleaned as Facilities Services transitions to its Total Cleaning program.
The changes are part of UT’s move to bring all custodial services back in-house. For several years, Facilities Services crews and contract cleaning crews have shared the responsibility. The change was initiated after a task force looked at best practices of Top 25 universities.
Dave Irvin, associate vice chancellor for facilities services, announced in April the department’s goals for enhancing services and phasing out of contract cleaning services. The transition involves the addition of more than 140 new employees.
The Total Cleaning schedule allows for a more professional cleaning of the buildings, particularly the highly-trafficked areas, as custodians have more time for detailed bathroom cleaning, carpet cleaning, floor work, and public area cleaning. Individual offices are cleaned once a week. This means that individual office garbage cans will be emptied once a week. If you want your office garbage to be taken out more frequently, please leave it in the hallway outside of your office.
Two weeks prior to the change for your building, Gordon Nelson, general superintendent of Building Services, will notify you of the custodial changes to your area and provide a schedule about your set cleaning day. When it is your scheduled day, your office will be detailed; which includes vacuuming, cleaning edges and crevices, emptying garbage and recycling, as well as polishing desks that are free of clutter.
Employees who work in buildings that have transitioned to Total Cleaning have requested larger garbage cans for kitchenettes and other common areas to hold more of the day-to-day trash. To have a larger garbage can delivered to your building, call Nelson at 974-2054.
The plan for transitioning buildings to Total Cleaning will continue as follows:
- September 10: Philander P. Claxton Education Building, Bailey Education Complex, Melrose Hall, and South College
- September 24: Science and Engineering Research Facility (SERF) and Jessie Harris Building
- October 8: College of Nursing and Walters Life Sciences
For more information, visit the Facilities Services website, or contact Nelson at 974-2054.