Facilities and Housing Introduces New Service Level Agreement

02/15/2024

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As students returned to residence halls after Winter break to gear up for the Spring Semester, FSU Facilities Department and University Housing prepared to implement a new Service Level Agreement (SLA). This collaborative agreement, which took effect on January 5th, outlines the custodial and maintenance services provided by Facilities to Housing and sets the financial expectations for Routine and Non-routine Maintenance.

“This service level agreement between Facilities and Housing will allow existing resources to be utilized in a more effective way. In other words, employees previously engaged in routine billing discussions will now focus on business processes and delivering high quality customer service,” said Facilities Director of Finance Robert Bechtol. “This SLA will set the standard for how we move forward with other departments at FSU.”

The SLA (Service Level Agreement) is part of the Facilities' Blend Initiative with Housing, which was initiated in April 2021. The Blend transferred Housing's custodial and maintenance responsibilities to Facilities Maintenance and Building Services. In the SLA, these responsibilities are referred to as Routine Maintenance, which involves the upkeep of university facilities, infrastructure, roads, and grounds to ensure they remain in good condition, appearance, and operation. Non-routine maintenance adds components to the building's infrastructure, such as enhancements or special events and moving services.

The new process renews differentiation between routine (non-charge-back) maintenance and non-routine (charge-back) maintenance, introducing clear and consistent guidelines for billing. “It eliminates the constant billing back and forth for services and eliminates questions between departments, allowing our Maintenance staff to make their repairs and improvements necessary without additional hesitation of who pays,” said Interim Director of Maintenance Daniel Sheets. “The SLA also allows staffing flexibility to ensure we can provide high-level service to both housing and the rest of campus.

The SLA presents a refreshed protocol over expectations for cleanliness, maintenance, and productivity standards that continue University Housing's tradition of fostering a positive student experience. “It is essential that routine maintenance is occurring in the residence halls to provide a quality living environment for our residents,” said Shannon Staten, Executive Director of University Housing and the Childcare Center. “This new SLA outlines the work needed and allows the Facilities team to care for the residence halls without worrying about funding source and gaining permissions from two different departments. The model assists Facilities with billing protocols that will be aligned with financial expectations of the University.”