The Effects of COVID-19 on Facilities Management 

Facilities and Services experts from Stony Brook University and Johnson & Wales University recently joined the School of Professional Development's Higher Education Administration Program at Stony Brook University for a panel discussion surrounding the effects of COVID-19 on facilities management. 

Joyce Wellinger, Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration in the College of Business and lecturer in the School of Professional Development, moderated a lively web-based discussion for students enrolled in the Higher Education Facilities Management course at Stony Brook. Panelists included Dean Tufts, the Vice President for Facilities and Services at Stony Brook along with Jason Witham, the Vice President of Facilities Management at Johnson & Wales University. 

Participants learned about the challenges both Universities faced at the onset of the pandemic, along with the changes and enhancements that have been made to their respective campuses throughout the last year including safety precautions, space allocations, and custodial changes. The duo also spoke about the future for facilities management at their Universities, and noted that while some precautions will likely wane in the coming year, there are several lasting impacts from the pandemic pertaining to density allocations in future construction, as well as the continued necessity for flexible spaces on campus, that will remain present long after the pandemic has ended. 

To learn more about the the Facilities & Services divisions at both Universities, and their ongoing efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, please use the links below:

Stony Brook University Facilities & Services Website
Johnson & Wales University Facilities Website