SACS Comprehensive Standard 3.11.3

Comprehensive Standard 3.11.3: The institution operates and maintains physical facilities, both on and off campus, that appropriately serve the needs of the institution's educational programs, support services, and other mission-related activities.

Judgment of Compliance

X Compliance

Compliance Narrative

Clayton State University's main campus is situated on approximately 175 acres just south of Atlanta, Georgia, in Clayton County. The University also has instructional facilities immediately adjacent to its main campus on Trammel Road (CSU-East) and facilities located in Jonesboro (Lucy Huie Hall). In addition, the institution has two satellite locations: one located approx. 25 miles away in Fayette County, Peachtree City, Georgia, that serves more than 300 students and a robust joint-enrollment program located in Henry County.

The University's history can be traced to 1965 when the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia authorized its creation. As it was known at the time, Clayton Junior College opened to some 942 students on September 30, 1969. In the fall of 2009, some forty years later, Clayton State University's total enrollment was more than 6500. Now a comprehensive baccalaureate and master's granting institution, the University offers seven graduate degree programs and more than 30 undergraduate degree programs.

The institution has 23 buildings consisting of 878,951 gross square feet. Nearly 680,000 square feet are devoted to resident instruction. In addition, the campus opened its first residential facility of approximately 178,000 square feet (SF) in Fall 2008 which serves some 450 residential students.

BUILD NO.	BUILDING NAME	YEAR BUILT	RES. INST. % USE	RES. INST. SQ. FT. USE	AUX ENT. SQ. FT. USE	TOTAL % USE	TOTAL SQ. FT. USE
0001	FACULTY HALL	1969	100	12,641	0	100	12,641
0002	LECTURE HALL	1969	100	12,118	0	100	12,118
0003	BUSINESS & HEALTH	1969	100	45,162	0	100	45,162
0004	STUDENT CENTER	1969	91	52,004	5,580	100	57,584
0005	ATHLETIC & FITNESS	1970	100	43,268	0	100	43,268
0006	FACILITIES MANAGEMENT	1969	100	24,018	0	100	24,018
0007	ARTS & SCIENCES	1974	100	38,908	0	100	38,908
0008	LIBRARY	1979	100	56,400	0	100	56,400
0009	LUCY HUIE HALL	1987	100	20,240	0	100	20,240
0010	CLAYTON HALL	1988	100	34,213	0	100	34,213
0011	CONTINUING-EDUCATION	1990	97	46,409	1,435	100	47,844
0012	SPIVEY HALL	1990	100	32,865	0	100	32,865
0013	MUSIC EDUCATION BUILDING	1998	100	28,620	0	100	28,620
0014	UNIVERSITY LEARNING	2002	91	115,265	11,735	100	127,000
0015	STUDENT ACTIVITIES	2007	98	61,381	1,264	100	62,645
0016	SCHOOL OF BUSINESS	2007	100	16,555	0	100	16,555
0017	CSU EAST	1991	100	16,173	0	100	16,173
0018	CSU EAST DORMITORY	1991	72	8,314	3,314	100	11,628
0019	COOLING TOWER & PUMP	2002	100	2,142	0	100	2,142
0020	PUMP HOUSE	1989	100	144	0	100	144
0021	SECURITY STATION	2008	100	216	0	100	216
F005	FAYETTE COUNTY INS	1998	100	10,567	0	100	10,567
HOUS	LAKER HALL	2007	1	1,442	176,558	100	178,000
	INSTITUTION TOTALS			679,065	199,886		878,951

These diverse facilities serve the needs of the University's students, faculty, staff, stakeholders, visitors and local community.

Facilities Management

Mission

Provide safe and healthy environment for education and work.
Provide timely and cost effective maintenance, repair, renovation and other necessary services to the University's Community.
Make available well maintained facilities and grounds.
Work in unison with University's Strategic Planning themes.

Clayton State University is served by a robust Facilities Management program housed in the University's Business and Operations division. Facilities Management is a multifaceted department that consists of Facilities Planning and Design, Building Maintenance, Building Services, Landscape Management and Asset Management. Facilities Management is charged with responsibility for management of the University's physical assets and plays a major leadership role in supporting the University's teaching, research, and student life activities through the formulation and implementation of all capital and renovation projects as well as the day to day management and operation of the campus' facilities. Facilities Management provides key direction for major facility projects including master planning, capital improvement, design and construction. It directs the operations of the University's buildings, grounds, building services, housekeeping, maintenance and utilities to provide a safe and healthy environment for the University's students, faculty, staff, patients and visitors. More than 50 individuals are employed in its Plant Operations, Landscape Management and Facilities Operations, Maintenance, and Utilities divisions. The department’s primary focus is to ensure that all campus locations are appropriately served to meet the needs of the institution and its stakeholders.

The focus of any facilities program should be to help the institution accommodate the existing curriculum and academic programming and any changes to such. Facilities Management is committed to providing its users with the appropriate facilities that support the missions of the various programs and the purposes for which the programs are established. The spaces on campus specifically support and maximize the functioning of each aspect of the institution. All facilities are designed and assigned so that the programs can benefit from the necessary proximity to resources for the smooth and efficient operation of the programs. Spaces are allocated with the input of students, faculty, and staff. Resources are located in such a way that they can be easily utilized by the appropriate person or group. And safety and security are always of primary importance.

Clayton State University's Buildings

Our campus' physical infrastructure encompasses the grounds, buildings, landscape, utilities, roads, pedestrian pathways, parking areas, information technology network, communication infrastructure, support spaces, study areas, faculty and staff offices, the classrooms, the music hall, the practice areas, athletics fields, music and art rooms, the dental clinic, the health services area, and the other hundred and one spaces located on the University's beautiful campus.

Classrooms are housed across the campus and include large lecture halls, smaller lecture-style classrooms, and a stand-alone lecture hall that includes four auditorium-style classrooms. The famous Spivey Hall music facility with its world-renowned organ as well as several other auditorium type spaces located in the University Center, Clayton Hall, and the Technology Building serve the educational needs of our students.

The University recently expanded its Business School by adding a brand new 16,555 SF addition. The institution has constructed a Student Activities Center which consists of 62,645 SF to further serve the recreational needs of its students. The institution's main laboratory building is contained in the Business and Health Sciences (BHS) building. A new annex is under construction and will provide an additional 17,000 SF feet of laboratory space. This new annex will include three new teaching laboratories, the associated preparatory space as well as other instructional space. The University Library consists of two floors and houses more than 111,300 volumes. The campus has several other specialized buildings that serve the needs of the campus.

The University provides food services in several locations, the main Lakeside Dining Hall, Jazzman's (a coffeehouse area), the a la carte fast-food "Subway" and "Pizza Hut" locations, a café located in the Student Activities Center, and a lounge located in the residential hall that serves snacks and sells sundries.

Academic Facilities Expansion Initiative

Our facilities provide the physical infrastructure that enables our faculty and students to accomplish the business of learning. The University’s park-like setting is among the most beautiful in the region and the integrity, quality, and historic identity of the campus encourages a special sense of belonging. As the University expands, there is a responsibility to protect the heritage and aesthetic of the campus. Since 2004, a number of facilities have been added or renovated, including two nursing laboratories, science laboratories, offices throughout the campus, and the CSU-East Classroom Building. Additional facilities are soon to be added: conversion of the existing CSU-East Dorm Building to possible academic student and office space, additional space for the academic center in Fayette County, and the allocation of space in several business units and academic offices is under the consideration of the Facilities Committee. Some key facilities activities include:

Natural Sciences Building: Planning is underway for a new 100,000 SF Natural Sciences building for the School of Arts & Sciences to house new laboratory space, classrooms, research labs, student study areas, and offices. The additional 1500 SF student space will address the needs of both undergraduate and graduate students and will meet the needs of the School for the coming decade. To promote the well being of the users, maximize efficient use of utilities and lessen cost, the facility will be LEED certified.
BH&S Annex Building: A new 17,000 square foot BHS Annex Building will expand the Dental Hygiene Program and add three science labs upstairs is scheduled to open in 2011.
James M. Baker University Learning Center: Completed around 2003, the Baker Center added 127,000 SF of student space including smart classrooms, faculty and staff offices, dining facilities, student study areas, and our Information Technology (IT) Hub. It is one of the signature buildings of the campus.
School of Business: The new School of Business addition was completed in 2008. This addition, encompassing 16,555 SF, facilitated expansion of the department to house 25 faculty offices, a seminar room, 13 staff members, and several student study rooms.
CSU-East Classroom Building: In an effort to increase the number of "smart classrooms" a 15-acre site adjacent to the main campus was recently acquired. There were two existing buildings on the site: an administration building and a dormitory. The administration building was renovated in the Summer of 2009 to configure four state of the art classrooms, a conference room, snack/study area and two offices. This facility added classroom seating for 250 students.
Dining Hall Renovation: In conjunction with the opening of the University's first residential housing in August 2008, the dining facility was renovated and expanded to offer food services to more than 220 students at a time. The space also contains a distinct enclosed area that can be used for faculty and staff luncheon meetings.
Bookstore Renovation: The bookstore also underwent a renovation in preparation for the new residential facilities. In March 2008 the bookstore became larger, expanding its apparel and other non-book stock to meet the University's changing needs.

Facilities Planning

Facilities Planning provides the vision and planning expertise to align facilities management and capital construction activities with the University's strategic and master plans to ensure safe, healthy, comfortable, and acceptable educational facilities which promote effective and efficient learning. Facilities Planning accomplishes its responsibilities by establishing clear expectations and standards for educational facilities. The facilities planning staff work with administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, Board of Regents staff, state, federal and local agencies, code officials, consultants, contractors and the community to improve the University through Master Planning, Capital Improvement Planning, Major Repair & Renovation Projects & Capital Projects.

Master Planning

CSU utilizes a campus master plan to assist with the development of new facilities and physical resources to support the mission of the institution and its various programs and services. The institution is currently working with a consultant to assist with the creation of a new facilities master plan. The institution's former master plan was completed in 2005/2006 with a minor update in 2007. Because of changes in enrollment and strategic direction, the institution is embarking upon a new facilities master plan to tie into the institution's evolving strategic direction and create the optimal student environment. There have been many changes in conditions since the previous plan, including the appointment of a new president and senior administrators, so a robust planning process with full stakeholder participation is underway to ensure the proper identification and incorporation of the many changing conditions within the University, as well as the University System, State of Georgia, and the external environment in general.

Capital Improvement Plan

CSU is one of the 35 institutions of the University System of Georgia and as such is governed by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The University System has developed a capital improvement program which institutions of the University System of Georgia are required to follow. The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) forecasts the University's capital needs over a five-year period based on the University's adopted long-range strategic plans, goals and policies. Capital projects are generally large-scale endeavors in terms of cost, size and benefit to the University community. The underlying strategy of the CIP is to plan for land acquisition, construction, and major maintenance of university facilities necessary for the safe and efficient provision of services. A critical element of a balanced CIP is the provision of funds to preserve or enhance existing facilities and provide new assets that will aid response to service needs and university growth.

The Board of Regents' (BOR) capital improvement plan and annual capital budget is a fixed-year list of major construction projects that have been prioritized and identified in a long range strategic planning process that is overseen by the BOR's facilities staff. This plan has construction, renovation, and repair components associated with it. The annual capital budget once approved and recommended by the Board of Regents is sent to the Governor and General Assembly for funding. The priorities contained in the CIP and the campus master plan are crated in conjunction with the BOR's Facilities staff and consists of recommendations, review, and approval from the institution's president, cabinet, and other senior administrators. The University's Office of Facilities Managements works with internal administrators to integrate campus facilities planning into the strategic initiatives of the university. Moreover, the Office of Facilities Management helps integrate campus facilities planning with fiscal planning.

There are two major funding vehicles that University System schools use for capital improvements: Major Capital Projects and Major Repair and Rehabilitation (MRR). Major Capital Projects consist of projects with budgets that are usually greater than 1 million dollars. The Board of Regents uses a formula based on institutional square footage to fund MRR projects aimed at maintaining existing infrastructure and facilities. The procedures for initiating and funding for these projects are located in the Board of Regents of University System of Georgia Building Project Procedures Manual (2000).

Campus Life Facilities

Campus life is committed to creating an exceptional living and learning environment for students and the campus community. This unit is dedicated to enhancing the growth of students to reach their full potential by providing rich learning opportunities through our programs, services, and facilities. Campus Life promotes a safe and welcoming atmosphere for our diverse body of students that fosters personal development, an engaged community, and a sense of personal connection to CSU as part of a commitment to the university's emphasis on diversity, teaching, research, and public service. There are numerous facilities for the student and campus community to enjoy.

Laker Hall: CSU's residence hall is the only Gigaplex (1000Mb/s Ethernet for every hardwired port) Residence Hall in the state. The newly opened residence hall is located on CSU’s main campus and provides brand new facilities, furnishings and resident life programming. This facility provides an outstanding living and learning environment. Its four hundred and fifty beds have close to 100% occupancy during Spring 2010.

Student Activity Center: The SAC is the hub for student activities, student organizations, programming and events, fitness activities, intramural sports, recreation, and fun at Clayton State University. The SAC houses a multi-level fitness center complete with two gymnasiums for basketball, volleyball, and badminton, two group exercise studios, as well as a ballroom and pre-function space, TV lounge, student study areas, student organization offices and work space and a game room.

Dining Hall: An exceptional food services program that provides a variety of fresh concepts and new menu items. There are several meal plan options designed to suit everyone's needs from the residential to commuter student and faculty and staff.

Amphitheater: A newly constructed amphitheater is nestled by the bank of beautiful Swan Lake, located next to Spivey Hall. It provides an outdoor venue for classes and performances for the campus community.

Campus Facilities Committee

The University uses a campus facilities committee to provide all recognized CSU Departments an equal opportunity to obtain appropriate departmental/office space to meet the department's organizational and functional needs in a fair, open, and objective manner. The committee seeks to balance the needs and wants of each department within the confines of institutional requirements and priorities.

Maintenance

The Maintenance Department is the in-house labor force that provides scheduled maintenance and repair of facilities. The department provides the following types of services: carpentry, painting, keying services, plumbing, electrical, utilities, mechanical, refrigeration, energy management systems, and renovation of facilities. Significant attention is given to the Preventive Maintenance (PM) program. The majority of Preventive Maintenance on campus equipment is performed by Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) technicians in this department. Some PM work, such as fire suppression system and elevator pressure tests, require special certifications or licensing, and are coordinated with outside vendors.

The institution uses several computerized and online systems to facilitate its work. These systems ensure that the department is responsive to stakeholders' requests. The System is user-friendly, has simple implementation and setup, reduces phone calls and data entry is innovative, affordable and reliable.

Building Services

The Building Services Department is responsible for the overall cleanliness of 627,739 square feet of interior spaces on the main campus and at the satellite facility (Lucy C. Huie Hall). Each building has workers assigned to perform scheduled and routine maintenance. Cleaning and trash removal are performed on a daily basis. Floors are stripped/refinished and carpeted floors shampooed in preparation for special events and on an “as needed” basis. High traffic areas are cleaned frequently and given priority. Windows on all buildings are washed inside and outside. Indoor insect control also is provided by this department. Building Services tasks are scheduled on two shifts in all campus buildings on daily, weekly, or monthly basis to ensure cleaning is completed.

Landscape Management

The Landscape Management Department maintains the main campus, CSU-East and Lucy C. Huie Hall in South Jonesboro. The Fayette County facility is leased and the rental agreement places this responsibility on the landlord. The Landscape Management Department responsibilities encompasses mowing, edging, trimming, pruning, landscape renovation and construction. The campus is divided into five zones for landscape maintenance purposes. In addition, this department also provides event setup and moving services for campus functions.

Student Stakeholder Satisfaction and Customer Service

The institution conducts several surveys over the year to obtain the input of students and others regarding their satisfaction with the facilities and services provided for them. The surveys show an overall favorable response in terms of meeting the needs of the campus body. The University has conducted dining hall, facilities services, resident hall, student activities center, building maintenance, public safety, and a host of other surveys to determine satisfaction levels on campus. Below are survey results for the year 2008 performed by querying students, faculty and staff of the Clayton State University. New surveys will be sent to faculty/staff and students in the spring of 2010. Committed to performing at the highest possible levels, this department performs internal customer satisfaction surveys with consistently exceptional rankings.

Facilities Performance Indicators

Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA) is the association that serves educational facilities professionals by conducting research, producing publications, developing guidelines, and serving as a central information source on educational facilities issues. APPA represents more than 1,500 national and international institutions. APPA conducts annual Facilities Performance Indicator surveys on General Administration and Management, Operations and Maintenance, Energy and Utilities, Planning, Design, and Construction. Institutions and compare their own performance against other colleges and universities based on the above-listed criteria. These surveys help institutions to benchmark and improve their performance. Clayton State University has participated in APPA surveys for the past 3 years.

Clayton State University's Office of Facilities Management compares favorably with other institutions throughout the nation in terms of the services it provides. CSU uses Facilities Performance Indicators (FPI) to benchmark our operations and improve our services on a national level. We score in the excellent category.

Sustainability

CSU is committed to responsible environmental practices. We have adopted the standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program of the United States Green Building Council for our future construction. We also have implemented extensive energy conservation and recycling programs, and we are exploring the use of renewable fuels. Our programs engaged our faculty, staff and students. We must continue to make environmental concerns a significant priority in our decision making, to lead in the implementation of environmentally sustainable practices, and to place CSU at the forefront in the exploration of issues related to the preservation of a healthy biosphere.