Services

Services

Landscape Maintenance	The goal of the Grounds Department is to continually present a healthy, clean, safe, and attractive campus landscape. Using various tools and equipment, plus the skills and knowledge of its workers, the grounds crew maintains thousands of annual plantings, trees and shrubs, and lawns throughout the year. In winter, snow and ice removal becomes the priority, as miles of sidewalks and acres of parking lots get cleared after every snow storm.
Annuals/Perennials	Annuals by definition are plants whose life cycle lasts only one year. Grounds crew plants approximately 18,000 annual flowers around campus each year; which complement the thousands of perennials that return every spring. Most of the annual selections are made by the individual gardeners, whose focus is on creating a visual impact, while paying attention to costs.
Lawns	The grounds crew is responsible for mowing and seeding approximately 23 acres of turf on campus. Reseeding is often required due to compaction and winter damage from vehicles and snow. In recent years, herbicide use has been reduced to minimize the environmental impact of the lawns. There is currently a test area located in the Merrill horseshoe, which is herbicide free and utilizes organic methods for growth.
Prairies	The 4 current prairies on campus consist mainly of grasses, wildflowers, and small shrubs. They are maintained in as natural a way as is possible in our urban setting. Prairie burns are conducted approximately every 3-5 years. Unburned prairies leave a mantle of dead and decaying vegetation, which stifles the growth of the prairie plants and deprives plants of space and light.
Trees/Shrubs	TheGrounds Department maintains all trees and shrubs on campus. This includes planting and transplanting, watering, fertilizing, disease control, and removal of dead branches or trees. Large mulch rings are put around as many trees as possible to allow maximum moisture absorption without interference from turf, and to minimize possible damage from mowers or utility vehicles.
Weed Control	Every attempt is made to extract weeds through mechanical means. However, large areas of weeds are best controlled using chemical methods. Please see the Lawn Chemical Application page for additional information.
Snow/Ice Removal	After every snowfall on campus, Grounds Department takes on the task of clearing approximately 10 miles of sidewalks, 1 mile of driveways, and 10 acres of parking lots. First priority is given to parking lots, driveways, and perimeter sidewalks; with interior sidewalks being cleared second. The Physical Plant Services custodial staff clears building entrances for most of the campus buildings. Grounds Department utilizes truck plows, skid loaders, tractors, trackless vehicles, salt spreaders and shoveling to remove snow and ice. When storms occur during weekday class hours, the job becomes more difficult with snow becoming compacted and turning to ice with thousands of people walking between buildings. Your patience during snow removal operations is appreciated.
Moving	Most campus moves are performed by the Grounds Department movers. This includes re-arranging furniture in offices, removal and set-up of furniture during remodels, removal of surplus items, office relocations, and delivering moving boxes. To request moving assistance, complete a work order form and forward them to the Work Order Center. Departments initiating moves will be charged for the service. If Grounds is unable to handle a requested move, due to understaffing or the size of the move, arrangements will be made through Tanya Bosshard 229-5096 upon receipt of a Work Order. To arrange pick-up of surplus furniture or other surplus materials contact the Sustainability Coordinator.

Work Order Form

Surplus Property Declaration Form

Fleet Garage	Located at 2411 E. Edgewood Avenue. Responsible for repairs and scheduled maintenance of departmental state leased vehicles. Please call the garage at 229-4386 to schedule service. Hours: 6AM to 2:30PM Monday – Friday, closed 11:30AM – Noon.
Barricades	Grounds Department can provide outdoor barricades for temporary use upon request. We have a limited supply of orange cones, orange/white barrels, and orange/white teepee style barricades. Contact 229-6272 to request a short-term loan of the barricades.
Carpet Replacement	High-traffic area floor mats located at entryways and in elevators can be replaced or cleaned upon request. This does not include wall-to-wall carpeting. This pertains to standard size track off matting which are typically 4 or 6 feet wide. To make a request contact the Custodial services department at 229-5096. For special requests there may be a charge for the mats.
Fence Repair	The Grounds Department can take care of most minor fence repairs and construction of wooden and split rail fences. Some repairs to cyclone fencing are also made by Grounds and more in depth repairs are contracted by the Maintenance Department. Contact 229-6272 with fence repairs or construction requests.
Garbage/Trash	A policing of campus areas is done every week Monday through Friday. This includes picking up litter and emptying outdoor garbage containers on a regular basis. Outdoor ash urns are emptied by the Custodial Department. Grounds also takes care of broken glass and deceased animal pickups. For specific issues contact 229-6272.
Loading Docks	Most campus buildings have a loading dock of some sort, with typically 2 dumpsters segregated into trash and recyclable paper. Grounds and Custodial department share the cleanup around these areas, with Grounds being responsible for cleaning under dock levelers.