Announcements
Our In-House Construction and Project Administration teams can no longer guarantee that any additional projects requested for campus can be completed before the start of fall semester. Please keep this in mind when communicating with customers.
DASH Reminders
GL Account Codes
Still struggling with your chart of accounts (COA)?Here’s a quick reference list of the GL/Acct codes used most often.
Your GL code will change depending on what you are purchasing.
Administration, Finance & HR Update
The Administration, Finance, and Human Resources team continues to work diligently to support the operational and workforce needs of Facilities Services.
Our Accounting team has been working tirelessly to complete all accounting and billing activity for projects that have been officially closed. In addition to finalizing those transactions, the team is also processing partial billing and accounting activity for projects that remain active, ensuring our financial records remain current and accurate.
As we approach fiscal year end, it is especially important that teams remain diligent in closing out work orders in a timely manner, particularly monthly maintenance charges. To ensure expenses are recorded accurately within the current fiscal year, all applicable charges should be processed and closed before June 30. Delays in closing work orders until July, especially for work completed months earlier, create challenges in accurate financial reporting and budget management.
Our Budget team is actively preparing for the FY27 budget cycle. In the coming weeks, we will be meeting with each director to provide an overview of their FY27 budget allocations and planning assumptions. We are excited about this next phase, as it will provide directors with greater visibility and stewardship over their budgets, allowing them to more effectively manage operations, make informed financial decisions, and align resources with departmental priorities.
The FS Payroll team would like to remind supervisors to regularly review employee timecards throughout each week and make any necessary edits in a timely manner. Proactive timecard management helps ensure payroll deadlines are met efficiently and reduces last minute issues for both supervisors and payroll staff.
As we approach the summer months, hiring managers with current or upcoming vacancies are encouraged to remain diligent in posting positions and regularly reviewing applicant pools. With an increased focus on attracting highly qualified candidates, timely movement through the hiring process is essential to allow adequate time for onboarding and training before the start of the Fall 2027 semester.
FS Recruiting continues to strengthen partnerships with local trade schools, community colleges, and universities to build sustainable talent pipelines for Facilities Services. We are also excited to share that another Facilities Services Career Fair is being planned for the Fall semester, with additional details to be shared soon.
Thank you all for your continued collaboration, dedication, and commitment to supporting the success of Facilities Services and helping us effectively manage our financial resources while recruiting, hiring, and retaining a strong workforce for the University.
Building Services
Student Union
- No report received
Old FSC B and the Rocketry Department
- No report received
BASS Building
- No report received
1610 Building
- No report received
Bass Anthropology
- No report received
Zone 7
What’s improved?
- We had a strong focus on summer projects. We cleaned the Art and Architecture hallways by auto scrubbing them, orbited bathrooms at Art and Architecture, cleaned exterior glass and third-floor patio windows at Art and Architecture, orbited bathrooms and cleaned offices at McClung Tower, cleaned out the Haslam Music Center office to make more room for staff, cleaned carpets at Haslam Music Center, wiped down seats in the Music auditorium, and cleaned classroom desks and trash cans at Humanities and Social Sciences. We also started a project to strip and wax the sousaphone room at Haslam Music Center.
What’s declined?
- Classes and student events have declined overall this week, giving us a little extra time to focus on summer projects.
What needs attention?
- We need to finish the stripping and waxing project in the sousaphone room at Haslam Music Center. Top summer projects include cleaning exterior windows and cleaning classroom, office, and auditorium carpets.
What changes are happening this week?
- We have a UT Foundation Board meeting scheduled in the Humanities and Social Sciences Building on Thursday, so we need to prepare for that.
Operations
Moving & Event Services
- Moved items out of Dabney-Buehler rooms 352, 352A, and 353 so the floors can be removed.
- Moved desks and file cabinets from Blount Hall 102, 108, & 110 to Frieson Black Cultural Center rooms 202, 211, & 212.
- Picked up 11-12 round tables from the surplus warehouse and delivered them to Haslam Business Building.
- Delivered packing materials to UT Drive Building A room 117 for upcoming move of Cinema Studies Production & Editing Studio move to Cherokee Mills.
- Picked up office furniture from surplus warehouse and delivered to Hoskins Library room 108K.
- Moved furniture from SMC 407 to SMC 408.
- Delivered 150 chairs to UT Gardens Pavilion and provided sound and electrical for Event: Extension Master Gardener Conference Opening Reception. Picked up the next day.
- Move furniture and items from Haslam Business Building room 423 to 128.
- Moved items away from the windows in Dougherty network service rooms 519 & 334B for contractors replacing windows.
- Moved large shelving unit across the room for painting in Law College Suite 201.
- Did a walkthrough of the west side of Dougherty Engineering with contractors and other staff to evaluate and move items away from windows for upcoming replacement.
- Move several truckloads of desks from Southern Railway Depot at 306 W Depot Ave to W Magnolia Ave for Art & Architecture.
- Delivered tables to Black Cultural Center for Event: Mu Lota 50th Anniversary Banquet.
- Moved computers and skylight within the room at Student Union Phase II room 174Q.
- Moved furniture from Ayres Hall room 330 to Ayres Hall room 313.
- Delivered packing materials to Andy Holt Tower 4th floor Finance & Admin Office for upcoming move.
- Moved furniture between offices in Hoskins Library 191N, 191P, & 191Q.
- Set up tables and chairs in ANR 101A, 101B, & Lobby for Event: Enrollment Management Annual Division Retreat.
- Moved furniture from Student Services Building 486A to Communications Building room 204.
- Picked up a broken playhouse from Lake Ave Daycare and disposed of it.
- Picked up large pile of furniture and other assorted materials from White Ave Early Learning Center garden space and hauled to the dump.
Sustainability
No report received.
Maintenance & Repair
Housing
- Making repairs in student rooms at Clement and Stokley Hall.
Athletics
- Neyland Stadium: General maintenance and preparing for special events in premium areas while also conducting filter changes throughout the Stadium
- Regal Soccer: General maintenance and repairs throughout the building while also completing repairs for soccer day camps
- Lindsey Nelson Stadium: General building maintenance and assisting contractors on construction
- Football Complex: Doing general building maintenance and checking all areas for recruits and visitors ahead of preparations for official recruiting visits
- Sherri Lee Softball: General maintenance and repairs while prepping for sfotball camps
- Allan Jones Aquatic: General maintenance and repairs
- Goodfriend Tennis: General maintenance and repairs while preparing for Lady Vol tennis camps
- Thompson Boling Arena: General maintenance and repair and basketball camps preparations
Dining
What’s Improved?
- At RTD repaired pasta cooker, BCX oven, coolers, extractors, cleaned ice machines, repaired water lines on coke dispensers, repaired grill and hot well.
- Ran clean cycles on ice makers at Cumberland Foodhall, Student Union, Hodges, Rocky Top, and Hess.
- Repaired faucets, hand sinks and replaced vacuum breakers at Vol. Hall, ANRB Orange Acres, and Hodges. ANRB – repaired fryer and oven.
- Replace lights in walk-in coolers where it was needed.
- At Stokely repaired dishwasher and PW20 pot washer, exhaust fan, cleaned condenser coils on coolers and ice machines. Mossman replaced wheels on cooler, repaired ice machine, cleaned open air cooler coil.
What’s Declined?
- No noticeable decline observed.
This Week’s Attention?
- Continuation on equipment PM. Making sure all equipment is operating properly for orientation sessions at Rocky Top Dining. Replacing leaking fryer oil tank with a new one at RTD. Replacing old display cooler with a new one at Hodges.
What Changes Are Happening This Week?
- No changes at this point.
Zone 4
No report received
Zone 5
No report received
Zone 6
- Cleaning up water damage throughout the zone.
- Found a lot of Dash requests Hidden under a filter.
- Need to address old requests.
- Preparing for the steam to be turned back on.
Zone 7
- Repair team: working on a public eye punch list throughout all auditoriums in the zone
- PM Team: the PM team is flushing all safety showers throughout the lab buildings in the zone plus any eyewashes throughout the hallways.
- Zeanah: installed 2 dehumidifiers in Michael Allen’s wood shop (requested during this year’s upcoming steam outage)
- Pm team: cleaned 3 ac units in room S001 at Perkins Hall
Zone 8
What improved last week?
- With the annual steam outage, we didn’t have near as many calls about people being hot, just the opposite! Many were looking for warmer areas.
What declined last week?
- Complaints about areas being too warm.
Where is attention needed this week?
- Weather forecast is calling for quite a bit of rain this week and we will be watching all of our roof drains, dry wells and downspouts closely to avoid any flooding from them being stopped up.
What changes are happening this week?
- We will continue to answer calls for the zone while continuing to perform what PM work we can with our available staff.
Lock & Key Services
- Rekeys/Recodes: Hess, Laurel (2), Dougherty (rekey and recode)
- Lock Installations: Strong (new lock installation), Rocky Top (core install), Plant Biotech (lock core R&R), Facilities Services (issue padlocks)
- Lock Replacements: Music (locks replacement), Chi Omega (lock replacement), Blount Hall (cabinet lock replacement)
- Lock Repairs/Adjustments: Music (latch repair, strike adjustment), Bailey (lock repair), Hoskins Library (lock repair), Ferris Hall (door lock repair), Food Safety (door closer adjustment)
- Handle Repairs/Replacements: Music (2 handle repairs)
- Mortise Repairs/Replacements: Music (mortise repair, mortise side plate replacement)
- Thumb Turn Repairs/Replacements: Music (thumb turn replacement), Brehm (2 thumb turn repairs)
- Strike Repairs/Installations: Music (roller strike installation), Rocky Top (strike replacement and repair of exterior entry glass doors)
- Knox Box Installations: Phi Kappa, Alpha Gamma
- Door Hardware Repairs: Rocky Top (broken door sweep repair)
- Furniture/Accessory Repairs: Music (box spring replacement)
- Electronic Lock Maintenance: Dougherty (replace batteries in lock)
Comm & Info
Training
- What did we learn last week?
- The multitude of Microsoft Apps we have access to. You can learn more about this during Tech Week in July.
- What challenge can training help us solve?
- Communication, customer service, Microsoft Products, or leadership problems on your teams? Need to address performance problems with training? Do you know anyone who has been here for a long time who is retiring soon? If so, how can training help them share their institutional knowledge with others on the team so it doesn’t get lost?
- What do employees need to know this week?
- We’ve got 4 new staff joining our department this week. They’ll be released to their units, Plumbing, Building Services, and Building Finishes upon the completion of their OSHA training.
- What best practice should we share across teams?
- Onboarding: Outside of NEO, how are units onboarding their new team members? Let us know at [email protected] so we can develop a consistent program. Are you interested in helping shape the future of onboarding for FS? If so, let Rebecca know if you want to participate in the new onboarding committee we’re standing up.
FS IT
- No report received
Utilities Services
A/C Utilities
- What improved last week?
- Music – chiller installation progressing. Conf. Center – chiller installation progressing. Hesler –SERF – Replace 1400 – amp breaker in chiller no. 2. Completed chiller repairs at Haslam Building
- Where is attention needed this week?
- Baseball – installing AC system for weight room. Arena – Magnetic strainers installation. Student Health – repairing chillers. Police – repairing chillers.
A/C M&R
- What improved last week?
- SERF AHU-4
- What declined last week?
- A broad range of areas experienced declines.
- Where is attention needed this week?
- SERF, Student Aquatics, Brenda Lawson, Arena, Stadium.
- What changes are happening this week?
- Coil replacements, CHW coil repairs, split system installs, VRF system repairs, water leak repairs, and refrigerant system repairs.
- Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed?
- SERF AHU-4, Claxton AHU-104, Arena AHU-3.
Electrical – High Voltage Utilities
- What improved last week?
- Repaired outages on pole lights.
- What declined last week?
- Pole light outages.
- Where is attention needed this week?
- Call in 1-800 for McCord & Middle Drive.
- What changes are happening this week?
- Repairing campus standards at Frat Park.
- Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed?
- Middle Drive pole outages.
Electrical – Low Voltage M&R
- What improved last week?
- Started Serf new power feeds for labs and implementing a plan for Neilsen Physics Temp AC power.
- What declined last week?
- Working on campus with standard pole lights that are out.
- Where is attention needed this week?
- Completing SERF power drops and power for new furnace.
- What changes are happening this week?
- Dividing teams so we can have extra tech working on newer work orders.
- Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed?
- Planning the power feeds for the Temp AC for Neilsen Physics.
Plumbing Utilities
- What improved last week?
- Everyone worked well together toward the common goal of completing steam maintenance on the vaults. Overall, a great week for everyone.
- What declined last week?
- Nothing has declined. Everyone worked hard and worked as a team, and we got it done.
- Where is attention needed this week?
- Continuing focus on steam maintenance. 6″ valve at the steam plant and get the steam back on campus.
- What changes are happening this week?
- Continue working on Steam tasks, staying hydrated, and preparing for the upcoming week.
- Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed?
- Replacement of one of the restroom trailer toilets that was broken during its recent deployment. Investigated potential leaks at the auxiliary building several times throughout the week. Finished cleaning up at Hess Hall. Investigated high water usage at Min Kao. Checked on the 4th floor restroom at Hodges Library.
Plumbing M&R
- What improved last week?
- We were able to complete several outages for Steam Week.
- What declined last week?
- Nothing has declined. Excellent, productive weekend.
- Where is attention needed this week?
- ? Catch up on plumbing issues.
- What changes are happening this week?
- Plumbing outages are being addressed this week.
- Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed?
- Clement Hall two water leaks.
Steam Plant
- What improved last week?
- Continued work with contractors on new boiler installation. Worked with KUB on the isolation of main natural gas line for contractor work on new boiler installation.
- Where is attention needed this week?
- Will continue to work on preparations for upcoming steam outage.
- What changes are happening this week?
- Working on any issues that arise and working with contractors on the new boiler.
- Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed?
- Shut down the main water supply for pipe repair.
Building Automation Systems
- What improved last week?
- TBA Discharge air temps lowered.
- Graphics alterations and programming issues at Carousel Theater.
- New Programming for Facilities Services BAS.
- What declined last week?
- Old Invensys systems.
- Phoenix control valves at Plant Bio.
- Where is attention needed this week?
- Art and Architecture walk through.
- Walters Academic rooftop AHU VFD replacement.
- Mossman lab humidity issues.
- What changes are happening this week?
- Hesler Phoenix valve issues are being addressed.
- Preparing for Steam Outage.
- Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed?
- Adjusted Outside air dampers to reduce Co2 during events at TBA.
- AHU W4 drive installed and commissioned.
Electrical Control and Fire Alarms
- What improved last week?
- Response time to fire alarm calls
- Correcting issues more effectively
- What declined last week?
- Insect issues in PIVs around campus
- Where is attention needed this week?
- Compressor for dry system at Anderson Training Center
- Normal fire alarm and sprinkler repairs
- What changes are happening this week?
- Getting IAMM on Leak detection
- Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed?
- None
Chemical Treatment
- What improved last week?
- Housing Closed Loop system health, equipment installs for TBA, SERF
- What declined last week?
- Not declined more than it already is, but Nursing loop is being opened to Claxton chilled loop
- Where is attention needed this week?
- Chill water closed loops for TBA, Claxton, and SERF
- What changes are happening this week?
- Ability to feed chemicals into buildings that need it. As well as extra makeup water capacity in Claxton loop to prevent “drying” out the system. Jartu cooling tower monitoring/feeding install
- Any critical repairs or outages that were addressed?
- Claxton
In-house Construction
- New projects received: 4
- New estimate requests received: 4
- Construction Projects of Note:
- Dougherty Engineering
- Renovating a high bay area room 101 for wind tunnel research including electrical work and the addition of a chiller for research equipment
- Forensic Anthropology Center-Body Farm
- Removal of an existing storage shed. Altering the concrete foundation, adding a gravel base and construction of a new storage shed for various equipment used at the facility.
- Dougherty Engineering
Safety Stand Down
Safety at a Glance
June 1
Risk Management Report: This report provides a summary of the number of incidents, accidents, and safety-related reports received during the week. The purpose of this report is to maintain awareness of workplace safety activity and encourage continued reporting of incidents, hazards, and safety concerns.
| Type of Action | June 1 |
|---|---|
| Reported Injuries | 4 |
| Reported Auto Accidents | 0 |
| General Liability | 0 |
| Reported Near Misses | 0 |
| Reported Safety Concerns | 0 |
| Reported Safety Suggestions | 0 |
The information included reflects all reports submitted and documented during the week. Employee reporting of injuries, near misses, safety concerns, and suggestions plays an important role in identifying hazards and supporting a safe work environment.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: If you have an injured employee who is taken by ambulance, hospitalized, has an amputation, or dies, let FS Safety know immediately ( [email protected] or 865-974-9833). We are required to notify TOSHA about these types of incidents within 8 hours of the incident occurring. Even if these events occur overnight, please let us know.
What Improved last Week?
Our continued emphasis on planning work before it begins remains a key area of improvement. Taking time to review tasks, identify potential hazards, and communicate expectations helps reduce risk and supports the safe and efficient completion of work orders across campus.
What Declined last week?
Safety performance declined this week, with four reported injuries. While we recognize there is a significant amount of work to complete and work orders continue to demand our attention, we must ensure that safety is planned into every task. Taking the time to assess hazards, anticipate potential risks, and develop a safe work plan before starting the job is essential. No deadline or work order is more important than working safely. By staying focused, planning ahead, and looking out for one another, we can prevent injuries and maintain a safe work environment.
Where is attention needed this week?
Preparing for CIS inspection
Preparing for annual unit shop safety audits to begin
What Changes Are Happening This Week?
FS Safety has implemented a new incident and accident reporting system that includes a corrective actions report as a follow-up to incidents. Prior to sending the corrective actions report, FS Safety will review the corrective actions with the supervisor so there are no surprises when the report is received. The report will be sent from the FS Safety email account ([email protected]) and must be signed and returned to FS Safety by the supervisor.
By signing the report, the supervisor acknowledges understanding of the corrective actions outlined in the document and agrees to carry them out. If you receive a corrective actions report and have any questions or concerns regarding its contents, please contact FS Safety. We will be happy to discuss the document with you.
The purpose of the corrective actions report is to ensure hazards are properly addressed and to help prevent future incidents.