Have your say on classroom comfort, safety and more

Now’s the time to have your say about things like campus functionality, safety, aesthetics, comfort and cleanliness.

November is “survey month” and Concordia’s annual Facilities questionnaire is back for the 10th year running. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to fill out the seven questions and contribute to making the university a better place to work and study.

One lucky respondent will receive a $250 gift certificate valid at the Campus Book Stop. The last day to fill out the survey is Friday, November 25.

“The answers help us develop a list of action items to prioritize,” says Paul Blouin, manager of technical coordination and process improvement for Facilities Management.

Blouin and his team carefully sifted through 3,000 survey results last year, reading the comment sections under each question and noting trends.

“Most of those results came from students, which is encouraging,” says Blouin, who wants to hear from more faculty and staff this time around.

Action items completed

In direct response to the results from previous surveys, Facilities Management has replaced and updated the elevators in the Henry F. Hall (H) Building, where they also upgraded the kinetic “swing” chairs in classrooms on the fourth, fifth and sixth floors.

There are new chairs for professors at the lecterns in classrooms across the Sir George Williams Campus, as well as general classroom upgrades throughout Concordia.

“We teamed up with Instructional and Information Technology Services (IITS) as part of their Evergreen project to upgrade classrooms in multiple buildings,” Blouin says. “While they update the technology, we paint, update the window treatments and swap in ceiling tiles.”

Facilities Management has a progressive plan, he adds, to continue these upgrades throughout the university.

Public space improvements

Upgrades aren’t limited to classrooms, either. There is new public lounge furniture in the Richard J. Renaud Science Complex (SP Building), as well as the R. Howard Webster Library and the Grey Nuns Reading Room — and more electrical outlets were added to charge devices.

“We’re committed to continuous improvement,” says Blouin, adding that members of the team conduct a classroom inspection every six months to proactively identify repairs.

“But we want to hear from the community. It’s important to know that we’re answering your needs.”

Students, faculty and staff members are encouraged to take the Concordia Facilities questionnaire.