Hello. My name is Hope Spadora and I am the Senior Associate Vice President of Facilities Planning & Management.
In these trying and unprecedented times, a song from the late 1970s comes to mind: “We Are Family.” At Cal Poly Pomona, we are one campus and one family.
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned our personal lives and work environment upside down. What was routine not long ago, like shopping at the supermarket, has become an exercise in caution and patience as we follow safety protocols ordered by county health officials.
At Facilities Planning & Management and Design & Construction, the safety and well-being of employees is at the forefront of every decision. COVID-19 has created a significant challenge for all Facilities employees performing essential functions to keep the campus operational.
To meet these health and safety challenges, Facilities has instituted measures that include staggered start times for work crews, physical distancing and infection-control protocols that are in compliance with Los Angeles County Department of Public Health orders and best practices. Employee safety and protection against virus transmission are of the utmost importance.
Worker safety also means ensuring the well-being of everyone on campus. Staff members have undergone additional training on the use of various cleaning agents to disinfect desks, offices and common areas. This helps protect everyone who sits at a work station, opens a door, uses the elevator, visits the restroom or touches a surface. This work is often unseen but is vital to counteract the effects of the pandemic.
Like your home, the infrastructure of the campus is subject to wear and tear, everything from mechanical devices to plumbing systems to building ventilation equipment. Facilities crews were already performing deferred maintenance before the pandemic struck and are now playing catch-up after a long hiatus. Work crews also have been installing barriers with Plexiglas shielding in high-contact areas.
The department is also working on contingencies for the fall semester, which will be predominantly taught online with some in-person lab sessions. Preparations also are being made for the return of more faculty and staff to campus during the fall semester. The fall semester is going to look vastly different, but we will adjust and we will cope with this new reality.
Facilities is the team that everyone counts on to keep the campus clean and functioning, a role that has become more challenging and more vital during this pandemic. In light of these circumstances, I want to thank Facilities staff members for their hard work and dedication as we move forward during these uncertain times. I also want to assure the campus community that Facilities is working diligently to protect the safety and well-being of everyone and providing a clean and safe work environment.
At Cal Poly Pomona, we are all one family. We are all in this together.
Thank you, and Go Broncos!
Hope Spadora
Senior Associate Vice President, Facilities Planning & Management