Facilities management in a multi-campus setting: A case study of the University of the Witwatersrand.
Date
2011-10-19
Authors
Ogbeifun, Edoghogho
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Abstract
In typical higher education institutions the Facilities Management Unit develop, operate and manage the support facilities for teaching and research. Different Facilities Management structures have been experimented with in the University of the Witwatersrand. This University operates from multi-campuses with complex infrastructure in its portfolio and desires to be recognized as one of the top 100 universities of the world, which requires the examination of the structure, operational strategy, and the preparedness of the Facilities Management Unit in the performance of the support functions that would facilitate achieving this goal.
This research focuses on the evaluation of customers‟ satisfaction at the „workplace interface‟; where the output of the Unit moderates the inputs of the academics in performing the core functions of teaching and research. Adopting the case study method of qualitative research, the data were collected through the administration of semi-structured questionnaires complemented with interviews. The customers express differential level of satisfaction, and the Facilities Management Unit identified some of their constraints. Specific recommendations are made for operating a Facilities Management Unit that will provide effective support facilities for the performance of the core functions of the University and achieve its expressed goal.