The student news site of Guilford College

The Guilfordian

The student news site of Guilford College

The Guilfordian

The student news site of Guilford College

The Guilfordian

Facilities and Operations cut costs within budget

With the nation’s economy suffering, Guilford College has had to make a few cutbacks to fit its operating budget. Maintenance, Housekeeping, and Mail Services will be the hardest hit; however, the PE Center and Administration will also have to endure some changes in light of increased utility prices and number of students.

“(During the 2002-2003 school year) our budget was $2.2 million,” said Associate Vice President of Operations and Facilities Jon Varnell. “Guess what it was in 07-08? $2.2 million.”

A fixed budget would work if Guilford was not a rapidly growing community, but it is. From 2002-2008, Guilford has seen a 40 percent increase in students and an additional approximately 50,000 sq. ft. of new buildings to maintain.

Because of these constraints, Maintenance has lost a position and a half, and Housekeeping has lost three and a half positions. That equates to 130 hours of cleaning a week, which means that Bryan, Archdale, and the International House will go from being cleaned five times a week to three.

In some cases, other staff members assist areas where positions were cut. Director of Environmental Services Gerald Little is helping housekeeping in the event of an absent housekeeper in addition to his management duties.

Mail Services has also had to make cutbacks. One full-time and one part- time position have been cut. The mail window in Founder’s has been closed since Dec. 1, and packages are now to be picked up at the Mail Center, a small brick building located at the four-way intersection next to Bryan and Bauman.

“The hope in making this change is that we can continue to provide for the students while utilizing our staff the best way we can,” said Mailroom Manager Lynn Van Horn. “We’re trying to get the biggest bang for our buck.”

While these recent adjustments have been made, Operations and Facilities have made others in the past to deal with a $243,000 increase in utility prices. Costs have risen about two to three percent each year and are comprised of:

-49% cost increase in water bills

-26% cost increase in gas

-8% cost increase in electricity

For students, the most noticeable changes brought about by these higher utility costs include the use of waterless urinals, the replacement of many paper towel dispensers with hand dryers, and the installment of dual flush valves on toilets.

Despite the changes in operations, many students appreciate the efforts to make Guilford environmentally sustainable.

“I know the school is putting in eco-friendly stuff because they have to, to save money, but that doesn’t make it any less of a positive thing,” said junior Hannah Thresher.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

The Guilfordian intends for this area to be used to foster healthy, thought-provoking discussion. Comments are expected to adhere to our standards and to be respectful and constructive. As such, we do not permit the use of profanity, foul language, personal attacks, or the use of language that might be interpreted as libelous. Comments are reviewed and must be approved by a moderator to ensure that they meet these standards. The Guilfordian does not allow anonymous comments, and requires a valid email address. The email address will not be displayed but will be used to confirm your comments.
All The Guilfordian Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *