Physical Plant Consultants To Present Report

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. --- Draper and Associates and the Adams Consulting Group of Atlanta, Ga., will present their comprehensive report on facilities operations at the University of Arkansas to a meeting with all Physical Plant employees at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, in the Arkansas Union Ballroom.

Gary Slagle and Matt Adams, the consultants who conducted the analysis and wrote the report, will make the presentation. Slagle is senior consultant for Draper and Associates and Adams is president of Adams Consulting Group. They will be introduced by Dr. Don Pederson, vice chancellor for finance and administration, to whom Physical Plant reports. Pederson also will present a timeline for collecting input from Physical Plant employees and moving toward implementation of the consultant's recommendations.

The consultants were engaged last summer by Pederson to conduct a full scale assessment of Physical Plant operations as part of a series of campus-wide program evaluations.

"The core objective of this review has been to determine the appropriate level and type of services and the corresponding level or expenditure necessary to support the University's mission," Pederson said.

All Physical Plant units were involved in this study: Administration and Services, Design and Utilities, Contracted Services and Landscape Architecture, and Operations.

"Physical Plant is one of the largest operations at the University," Pederson said. "It employs about 375 men and women, which is nearly 11 percent of the 3,421 faculty and staff on the University's payroll.

"This report is a proactive approach to planning the future of how we operate and manage our facilities at the U of A," he added. "As a public institution responsible to the citizens of Arkansas, it is essential that our operations run as effectively as possible to meet the University's vision and goals in a rapidly changing environment."

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