Saint Louis University
IN-3: Innovation 3

"As a functional division, Facilities Services (FS) confronts numerous roadblocks when directing time and effort toward developing strategic and innovative practices. Typical for many Facilities divisions are the expectations that day-to-day functions are to be carried-out in a cost-effective manner while reserving capacity to react to unanticipated needs. The Facilities’ culture at Saint Louis University was one of being proud to be “behind the scenes” and “quietly effective”. Considering the lack of a University strategic plan and sustainability planning not even on the horizon, Facilities Services’ implementation of this initiative was especially transformative.

In 2010 we recognized that higher education will be addressing major trends requiring our division to be a proactive partner at our University. To this end, we instituted a strategic plan and culture change practice to reposition Facilities Services to be operationally excellent and strategically capable of contributing to the long term direction of the University. Facilities Services has worked diligently to develop the capability of staff to be strategic, building a culture of involvement, and executing towards measurable outcomes. The division created five strategic initiatives to advance these efforts: strategic and operational effectiveness, stakeholder recognition, excellence in people, environmental resource optimization, and partnering.

Each new fiscal year brings continued improvement, with Facilities Services strategic action teams taking ownership and advancing the division's strategic initiatives. Notable improvement can be seen over the past five years primarily in the initiative, Environmental Resource Optimization. Two action teams that developed out of this initiative have been focused directly on campus sustainability: “Waste Minimization” and “Energy and Utility Strategies”. It is through these action teams that many of the campus sustainability initiatives have come to fruition through Facilities Services involvement with campus engagement, planning and coordination, recycling and waste reduction, energy and water reduction goals and improved measurement and performance. Although the University has not identified sustainability as a strategic initiative, the Facilities Services Division has identified this as an important piece to advance the University and Division’s mission.

APPA, the Association for Leadership in Educational Facilities, selected Saint Louis University's Division of Facilities Services (FS) as a recipient of the 2014 Effective & Innovative Practices Award for their entry: Strategic Planning and Culture Change Practice.

APPA's Effective & Innovative Practices Award recognizes programs and processes that enhance service delivery, lower costs, increase productivity, improve customer service, generate revenue, or otherwise benefit the educational institution.