$44 million

reinvested in facilities since 2020 using the facilities renewal plan

Taking care of what counts

At the University of Iowa's historic and diverse campus, the demand for facility upgrades often exceeds available funding. To manage this, Facilities Management has created a strategic renewal plan that allocates funding by prioritizing projects based on institutional priorities, operational costs, student impact, and other important considerations. This system allows for further refinement for the University of Iowa to evaluate and advance projects.

For projects over $100,000, a scoring matrix is used to objectively evaluate and select projects for funding, refined by FM leadership. The university allocates approximately $4-5 million annually for General Education Facilities through a central funding block and has secured an additional $3 million from operational savings in the past.

Why strategic building stewardship matters

Engages frontline staff and creates ownership

Develops a strategic approach to building stewardship

Uses an objective system to select projects

How it works

A graphic explaining the Facilities Renewal Plan process where Facilities Management and campus partners determine which projects to fund based on condition assessments and campus need

The facilities renewal plan has four phases for selecting projects for funding, starting from total campus need, and refining to the most critical projects.

First, Facilities Management and data experts conduct a facilities condition assessment to calculate the total campus need for deferred maintenance. An initial assessment was conducted in 2018; an updated one is underway in 2024.

Next, Campus Planning and Development reviews campus master planning to refine the total campus need. Buildings slated for demolition, modernizations, or major renovations are removed from the project selection process.

Then, Facilities Management and Campus Planning and Development categorize the remaining campus need by space type: Classrooms, Academic/Research, Multipurpose, Oakdale, Administrative, and Service.

Finally, individual projects are selected using a scoring matrix based on four criteria: asset, urgency, impact on student success, and operational impact. After projects are scored, Facilities Management and Central Administration make final decisions for funding.

Want to learn more?

Check out this video presentation on the Facilities Renewal Plan from Jeff Harney, Associate Director and Senior Advisor, Facilities Management.

This video was part of a presentation to the Building Coordinators group in September 2023. 

Facilities Renewal Plan Presentation