When guests walk through the front doors of the Peterson Service Building, they encounter double glass doors showcasing a frosted vinyl campus map and, moments later, many step inside to ask the Facilities Information Services (FIS) department for directions. But their job encompasses so much more. This team of four full-time staff members and several student interns are busy behind the scenes creating interactive campus maps and supporting several Facilities Management (FM) operations across campus.
“We are the foundation for records related to the university’s built environment,” said Gretchen Tucker, FIS administrative senior. “We build visual representations of property for analysis and communication of who does what on campus.”
“Our job is to make sure the complexity of built projects with detailed technology is maintained accurately and responsibly in facilities records,” said Janet Schwartz, FIS architect.
FIS is the center for construction records on campus, housing an archive of over 55,000 drawings and manuals. The documents begin as early as 1879. Compared to a hundred years ago, documents today have evolved.
“The documents through the years progress and change in detail and style,” Tucker said. “For example, wood trims used to be all hand-drawn and crafted with deeply specific features. Now, that is unnecessary as many products come premade and those elements of design are part of manufacturer submittals and not architectural drawings any longer.”
More recent changes have started to shape a new era within FIS with current documents now sent digitally.
“All the documents we receive currently are completely online, allowing us to get data sent out faster,” Schwartz said.
Starting in 2016, FIS began the long process of digitizing its physical archive. The documents moved online to a specialized electronic facilities technology system used for managing university campus infrastructure, known as eFacTS. The physical scanning finished last year with 30 students working on the project, and processing and uploading continues. Their effort allows a comprehensive collection of information to be utilized by employees across campus.
"In this semester alone, we have spent 40 to 50 hours gathering documents or helping others get the information they need,” Tucker said.
These documents serve the university community in several ways. They allow maintenance to see what is in a room, the warranties associated with equipment in the rooms and how to take care of the equipment correctly. They help with renovations by documenting the histories of construction to help create a cohesive look. Professors also utilize the resources for teaching materials.
“Our documents even support mapping for the placement of Wi-Fi systems. It’s intriguing to get to see behind the scenes of how our campus world is all connected,” Tucker said.
FIS is also the center of creation for all interactive maps for campus. These critical map layers include basemap floorplans, interior/exterior image libraries, and several other geospatial datasets.
“Having our campus organized keeps all of our sources of information connected and accurate,” said Gretchen.
Moreover, the records connect facilities to the classroom.
“I’ve worked with civil engineering classes to provide real-world examples of our buildings,” Schwartz said. “I sought the professor out because he was using fictitious files. Now he uses documents from buildings around campus to educate his engineering students.”
Schwartz also sees a lot of room for change and growth, stressing that there is more to the job than meets the eye.
“A connected data environment is what we need. We have a plethora of data and only 40% is viewed and used. If we can keep it better connected to the campus community, it helps so many areas do their jobs,” Schwartz said.
With innovation at its core, FIS is not just managing information; it is providing foundation to shape the future of campus operation and growth.
“By continuously improving processes and standards to span the breadth of campus spatial data needs, we lead the way for others to follow suit — working towards a future of connected information systems,” Tucker said.
Gretchen Tucker, FIS administrative senior, looks at archive documents.
Katelin Ralenkotter
Janet Schwartz, FIS architect, looks at building drawings at her desk.
FIS is the center for construction records on campus, housing an archive of over 55,000 drawings and manuals.
Documents in the archive begin as early as 1879.