Margaret Tennessen, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor
In January, I had the pleasure of attending a length of service celebration for Otto Oimoen, who recently completed an impressive 40 years of work in the FP&M Physical Plant. As I was returning to my office, it struck me just how many changes have occurred in that forty-year span. Among other things, FP&M did not exist in its current form until 1990, when the current departments were combined into a single division. And while some of the tools and processes that we use to do our jobs have changed in that time—often drastically— FP&M remains committed to providing quality service for our campus customers.
It is also clear, when thinking about the history of FP&M and its departments, that we have always striven to not merely respond to change, but to improve our own processes and services in the face of such challenges. This has never been more true than now, as the university as a whole works adapt to the demands of changing economic and social conditions.
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank recently identified five strategies that will guide the university as it seeks to adapt to these changing demands while also succeeding in its educational mission. Because of the length and breadth of our work on campus, FP&M will play a key role in supporting many of these strategies. Expanding summer semester offerings and growing professional programs will both present challenges for space allocation, maintenance schedules, renovation projects, and other FP&M services that must be coordinated with classroom space use on campus. More alumni gifts and securing more research grants will stress the importance of a streamlined project intake, renovation, and capital development processes that focus on both on efficiency and effectiveness and on providing the best possible customer experience.
I am both excited by these far-reaching challenges that face us now and heartened by how FP&M employees have always responded to the need for change and innovation as the university and the world at large evolves to the changing needs of the present and future.
We all know that it is not a question of whether we will change, but when and how—and we are determined to both meet and exceed these challenges. Dedicated FP&M employees—like Otto and so many others—have made it possible for FP&M to meet such challenges head-on. This can-do attitude allows us to leverage our strengths to adapt and improve in order to continue providing excellence in facilities and services to our university community. Thank you for all that you do to provide excellence in facilities and services to our university community.
Thank you for all that you do to provide excellence in facilities and services to our university community.