Physical Plant (Facilities) - Financial Administration

Physical Plant is responsible for operating and maintaining the physical environment of the University Community. This includes 30 buildings valued at $500 million in 150 acres of grounds.

The staff consists of technicians and skilled craftsmen with the skills and abilities to maintain the wide variety of buildings and equipment on the campus. These services must be provided in a manner, which minimizes disruption of instructional and public service missions of the University.

Physical Plant operates and maintains academic, office, apartments, residence halls, and leased buildings. Building items include roofs, electrical, plumbing, appliance, paint, carpentry, heating, ventilation and air conditioning. We are also responsible for the campus Post Office, Custodial, Transportation and Grounds, as well as the maintenance of the entire campus utility infrastructure, which includes high voltage electric, gas, sewer, and water.

Physical Plant Mission Statement

Physical Plant strives to support the academic mission of La Sierra University by providing quality service in an efficient and professional manner to ensure building safety and comfort. Our focus is to continually improve and ensure customer satisfaction.

We are a team of skilled technicians, craftsman, and management staff that maintains utilities, buildings, and grounds for the university community.

Emergency maintenance needs weekdays after 5:00pm and on weekends should be requested through the Security office (ext. 2222 or 951-785-2222).

Department Goals

Respond to service requests in a prioritized and expeditious manner.
Provide functional facilities that:
- Meet the University's requirements.
- Have an environmentally acceptable atmosphere for students, faculty, and staff.
- Ensure the health and safety of all personnel.
Identify potential problems early and within the context of the planned maintenance system so that corrective action may be planned, included in the budget cycle and completed in a timely manner.
Establish a deferred maintenance list.
Follow an orderly program so that administrative costs are minimized and the workload for personnel is maintained at a relatively constant level.
Conserve energy and resources by ensuring maximum operating efficiency of energy-consuming equipment and systems.
Maintain credible relations with users by providing well-maintained facilities.
Identify and implement possible improvements that will reduce costs, improve services and result in more efficient operation.
Establish data collection systems to develop: uniform reporting formats, use of electronic data processing, supervisory and management control reports, and continual feedback of information between departments.

Priority Guidelines

The purpose of the Service Requests Priority Guidelines is to:

Provide a system to prioritize the use of limited staff and financial resources.
Provide equitable treatment to all customers.
Allow the orderly, timely, and efficient accomplishment of facilities work.

When work is received, it is assigned to one of four priority levels. Within each priority level, work is assigned primarily on a first-in, first-out basis, subject to efficient coordination of work and availability of material. As requests are received, they will be scheduled according to the following priorities:

Emergency: Emergencies will be corrected immediately. Examples are failure in electrical power, a break in a water line, personal safety, etc.
Urgent or Same Day Service: This refers to failures that impair but do not render inoperative and will normally be accomplished within 24 hours. Examples are malfunctioning temperature controls, stopped drains, etc.
One Week Service: This service is considered a higher priority routine work. All routine work is scheduled depending on the availability of the workers and materials involved. Our objective is to complete the request in 5 working days.
Deferred Work: While every attempt is made to accomplish all work in a timely manner, there are times when maintenance must be deferred. The requesting department or individual will be notified of the reasons for the delay. The understanding of the occupants affected in these cases is greatly appreciated.

A Sustainable Approach

We are in constantly pursuing a more sustainable approach to facility operations. Our practices consist of using non-potable water for irrigation as well as recycling the water in our fountains through a closed loop. Since 2011, we are proud to announce the we have reduced the potable water consumption by 600,000 cubic feet!

Office Location

The Physical Plant
(Near to the university's Post Office)

Accountable Customer Service

There may be times when the quality of service provided by our department is not up to your expectations. If this should occur, we encourage you to contact us. All concerns will be investigated and we will provide a reply to the requester. Should you have positive comments about the services provided, we would welcome these comments and pass them on to the appropriate individuals involved.

We are responsible for timely resolution to requests and the quality of services delivered. However, all requests must be prioritized. We will work with your needs to the best of our ability.