Facilities Resources

Team email: casfacilities@vanderbilt.edu 

Aaron Covey, Assistant Director of College Facilities
(615) 343-6545
a.covey@vanderbilt.edu

Ginger Hitts, CEFP, Senior Administrative Officer
Facilities, Space Planning, and Capital Projects
615-322-2845
ginger.hitts@vanderbilt.edu

Jamison Jones, Facilities Coordinator
615-343-9694
jamison.r.jones@vanderbilt.edu

Whom to Contact:

AEDs are monitored by building administrators. Each of these individuals will conduct monthly inspections and notify casfacilities@vanderbilt.edu of any issues or expired components. If you notice a unit is beeping or does not have a green check mark, report this immediately.

Is your classroom space too hot or cold, is there a spill on the floor, are the lights burned out, etc.? These issues can be submitted directly through the ReADY system. There is no charge for these general maintenance issues. 

If there is a major problem in a classroom (e.g. broken furniture, board falling off the wall, etc.) contact Ginger Hitts (Humanities and Social Science) or Jamison Jones (Science). 

For computer issues in classrooms, please email vuit-cas@vanderbilt.edu.

For AV issues in classrooms, please email av.support@vanderbilt.edu.

Classroom readiness assessments need to be completed during the summer and winter break by administrative staff tasked with classroom support.

All renovation requests must be discussed with Ginger Hitts or Jamison Jones before any planning or work begins. We will provide you with an initial estimated cost, discuss funding sources available, and review the process for formal estimates and approvals through the Dean’s Office. 

A&S Faculty Office Renovations

If an office needs an overall refurbishment of paint, flooring, lighting, etc., discuss with Ginger or Jamison prior to making any commitment. 

A&S faculty offices should already be furnished with standard office furnishings: desk, task chair, file cabinet, up to four bookcases, and two guest chairs. If an item is missing, worn out, or broken, please discuss replacement furniture with Ginger.

If a faculty member has requested all new furniture, funding should come from their faculty funds or departmental funds.

No matter the source of funding, all furniture purchases in excess of $500 must be reviewed and approved by Ginger prior to submitting the order in Oracle. All furniture purchases must be made using approved procurement methods through VU preferred vendors.

Laboratory Renovations

Required laboratory renovations should be discussed prior to the new faculty appointment to determine what aspects A&S would cover centrally as part of normal refurbishment (general clean-up and repairs) and what would need to be requested as part of the new faculty appointment request (covered under start-up funding). Keep in mind lab renovations typically take 8+ months from planning to move-in. Currently, Campus Planning requires all summer projects to be submitted by February 15. This requirement adjusts annually based on their judgement of the construction market.

Funding for lab furnishings and equipment not specifically negotiated as part of overall renovations for a new faculty appointment will come from faculty start-up funding. All purchases must be made using approved procurement methods through VU preferred vendors.

To reduce the risk of fires, the following are prohibited:

• Appliances with exposed heating elements, such as toasters or grills (for either outdoor or indoor use, including “George Foreman” grills and like devices).
• Appliances that draw a large amount of current from each circuit, such as hot plates and electric space heaters.
• Halogen lamps or light sources.

All allowable appliances must be in good condition, with special attention given to seals, electrical cords, and plugs. Only power strips with circuit breakers may be used as extension cords. 

Furniture brought onto campus must meet the hospitality/contract-grade furniture fire-safety specifications of either the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard 260, or the California Technical Bulletin 117, section E. (Furniture that complies with either standard will be appropriately tagged by the manufacturer.) 

Bicycles may not be stored in hallways, stairwells, or other common areas because they may block emergency egress. Bicycles may be stored in private offices.

Vanderbilt University is a smoke-free campus. Smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes, vaporizers, etc., are prohibited in all buildings on campus and on the grounds of the campus, with the exception of designated outdoor smoking areas. 

Please refer to the college's guidelines before purchasing any furniture.

Order keys through the Plant Operations Key Shop by submitting the online key request form through RedCAP. University policy requires that all key requests go through the A&S Dean’s Office. Once keys are available, they will be delivered directly to the requestor. Departments/programs should keep extra keys secure. If a building master or sub master key is lost, report it to casfacilities@vanderbilt.edu immediately. 

A&S buildings have exterior door card readers for after-hours entry. Currently, card access is granted 24/7 to all faculty, staff, post-docs, and graduate students. A&S buildings are typically unlocked during the academic year from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday-Friday except for holidays. During the summer, the hours change to 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Aaron Covey manages the building schedules in conjunction with the Card Office and VUPD. Internal card reader access and schedules are coordinated at the department/program level with the VU Card Office. If you have any questions regarding readers or access, contact Aaron at casfacilities@vanderbilt.edu.

Lost ID cards should be reported immediately to Vanderbilt Card Services, 184 Sarratt Center, 615-32(2-2273). Lost cards may also be reported to the Vanderbilt University Police Department at 615 32(2-2745).

Refer to the Vanderbilt Plant Operations website for useful information such as the “I need to…” and services guidepages. Plant Operations will handle all work order related requests such as issues with HVAC, plumbing, or lighting. If you desire to renovate, furnish, or modify any existing utilities of a room, please reach out to the College of Arts and Science Facilities Team. 

Please get to know the Maintenance Zone Managers for your building (map). If you are unsure of your zone, you will see their names on the work orders you submit through ReADY. You can contact them to follow up on open work orders and scheduling.

If you have not attended Facilities University, it is a great overview of Plant Operations, and you can tour interesting places like our Co-Generation Plant. 

Contact

Customer Care (non-emergencies):

Hours:  Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Phone: 4-9675 or 3-9675 (on campus only); 615-343-9675 (off-campus)

Email: posupport@vanderbilt.edu

Customer Care is the single-point first line of communications for maintenance and service requests for campus buildings, grounds, and utilities. The best method to submit maintenance and service requests is via the ReADY portal, which is described further below. 

After-hours Facilities Emergencies (BSC):

• Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Phone: 4-9675 or 3-9675 (on campus only); 615-343-9675 (off-campus) 
• Email: bsc@vanderbilt.edu 

Building Systems Control (BSC) is Plant Operations’ main control center for monitoring fire alarms, security alarms, and building control systems. The control systems supervisors dispatch personnel and/or contractors to make repairs and modifications. 

Visit the Plant Operations’ website for additional contact information.

ReADY

Plant Operations utilizes the ReADY database to receive work orders and update users on the status of their requests. Requests that can be submitted through the ReADY system include carpentry, electrical, plumbing, surplus, and HVAC, among others. These requests will be addressed by zone maintenance or the designated department they are directed to through the selected icons. 

Special Services

If your request exceeds $500, you must submit a “Special Services” request that can be found on the bottom of the ReADY homepage. You must include a COA or POET to be charged for the request. All facility-related charges for any A&S department or program should be charged to the following COA: 120 05 12100 001 xxx (fill in the building activity code for the xxx; email Ginger Hitts for the code if necessary). In ReADY, select the appropriate COA by clicking on the drop-down list for “Organization.” If your organization is not listed, you have an option to type out the full COA or POET into an open field. 

If the request is specifically for an item related to research (e.g., change in research lab cabinetry to accommodate equipment or repair scientific equipment) or is something that would be considered a ‘want’ (e.g., paint my office black and gold) instead of a ‘need,’ then the expense should be charged to a departmental or faculty fund.  

Request descriptions must be as concise as possible. Only the first 20 characters appear on batch downloads and the tradesmen see limited text on the work orders. Make sure to select the proper problem icon, include the necessary location information, and attach pictures as appropriate at the bottom of the request. 

Moving

There is no charge for inter office moves or surplus pick up by Plant Operations. When possible, coordinate with other departments in your building to consolidate move requests so that Plant Operations can better manage the scheduling. Note that VU movers are always booked at busy times of the year and during special events (e.g., Commencement, Family Weekend, Homecoming, etc.), so please plan accordingly.

For large-scale moves of multiple offices or large/specialized equipment, please talk with Ginger Hitts or Jamison Jones. One of our outside vendors may be utilized in these moves to provide efficient full-service moving.

Surplus Furniture or Equipment

Departmental and program items no longer needed, but still in good shape and useful, can be re-homed throughout the college. Send photos and short descriptions to Ginger and Jamison. We often receive requests for furniture and equipment.  

If there is no need for the items within the college, you can send items to the ReUse Surplus Program. You can arrange for pickup by submitting a request to Plant Operations. Please follow the university policies on Future VU’s website. Furniture and equipment purchased with any type of VU funds is the property of VU and removal/disposal must follow set policies. There is no charge for the pickup of surplus items, but it could take a few weeks as they only pickup surplus as their schedule allows.

University policy requires capitalization of all moveable equipment with a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of at least $5,000 per unit. All such equipment appears on the annual capital equipment reports. The disposal of this equipment requires staff to complete a formal process. Please reach out to your department administrator for assistance. For items that have been exposed to any biological work you must fill out a Biological Lab Equipment Release Form found on the EHS website and attach it to the equipment.

All use of space must follow university policies and guidelines.

*Conference rooms across A&S buildings are currently booked in Virtual EMS only by the specified person(s) for each room on the list above.
+ If you do not have proper access, email eventservices@vanderbilt.edu

College of Arts & Science Classroom 360 Photos

Buildings have standard signage designs per building; most signage is provided by the VU sign shop or installed during a major renovation. All permanent signage in an A&S building requires approval from Ginger Hitts or Aaron Covey.

There should be no postings on entrance doors, glass, windows, and furniture. Departmental efforts to assist in policing these issues around your building is very much appreciated. If you notice flyers are out of date, please remove them. Housekeeping does this but only a few times a year.

Encourage faculty not to use tape on their doors or walls as it ruins the finishes. If they must post items on their office door, use adhesive sticky-tac type putty, not the foam adhesive strips or tape.

Most A&S buildings have a standard directory board that allows for paper inserts that departments can easily update. Discuss any digital electronic signage or displays with Jamison Jones prior to installation. 

The university has implemented a wireless data network throughout campus. Wireless consumer electronic devices—commonly known as routers, access points (APs), or AirPorts—interfere with the university wireless data network, and, in worst-case circumstances, could even disable the VU data network. Manufacturers of such devices include Apple, Belkin, D-Link, and Linksys. These devices are prohibited. In addition, settings for smartphone hotspots or wireless connectivity for printers and other devices must be disabled to prevent interference with the university wireless APs.