University completes sprinkler
installation ahead of state deadline
Montclair State has completed installing sprinklers in all its residential facilities as required by law, well before the state-imposed July 2004 deadline.

Doug Cooper of Architectural and Engineering Services said it took two years to complete the installation of sprinklers in Bohn, Freeman, Stone and Webster halls. Blanton, Russ and the Clove Road apartments were already equipped. All new residential construction, including The Village at Little Falls, have sprinkler systems.

Now, the University's more than 2,900 beds are protected by sprinkers. Cooper said money for the installation, which cost just over $1 million, came from the state Dormitory Fire and Safety Trust Fund, which provided a no-interest loan.

New Jersey passed a mandatory dormitory sprinkler law in 2000 after a fire at Seton Hall University killed three freshmen and injured more than 50 other students. The legislation was the first of its kind in the nation and gave colleges and boarding schools four years to install sprinker systems in all residence facilities. According to the National Fire Prevention Association, 35 percent of dormitories across the country have sprinklers.

In July, New Jersey lawmakers introduced the Campus Fire Safety Right to Know Act of 2003. The bill would require colleges and universities to disclose fire safety information including data on fires, alarms, driills, sprinklers and policies relating to offenders of campus fire safety rules.

Photographer and publications receive awards
University Photographer Mike Peters received a Crystal Award of Excellence in the 2003 Communicator Awards for his portraits of Montclair State employees and students displayed in the Red Hawk Diner. In addition, INSIGHT Online and Montclair State's 2002 annual report, Action: MSU Report From the President won Awards of Distinction in the annual international competition that recognizes outstanding work in the communications field.

Entries are judged by industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark in the industry. There were more than 3,730 entries from throughout the United States and several foreign countries.

SART receives grants from Council on the Arts
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA) has awarded $118,305 in grants to TheatreFest and Arts Programming in the School of the Arts' Center for the Arts. The University will receive $39,435 per year for three years.

"We are honored and pleased to continue our strong relationship with the NJSCA," said John Wooten, producing director for the Center for the Arts. "This funding will allow us to continue to develop the work of playwrights through the TheatreFest Regional Playwriting Festival, expand our outreach and educational initiatives through TheatreFest for Kids, support culturally diverse, multidisciplinary arts programs through Great Events and launch the Conversations Series to bring renowned artists in multiple disciplines to campus."

Wooten said TheatreFest was cited as a "solid university model for an ongoing arts program" and Arts Programming was hailed as being a strong program.

Bidding procedures change
The State of New Jersey has increased the public bidding threshold from $18,600 to $19,500, effective July 1.

Total purchase orders, contracts or agreements to a single vendor exceeding $19,500 in any fiscal year must be publicly advertised and received in sealed bids by the University. In addition to the public bidding threshold, the University's bidding requirements have been adjusted as follows:

$0-$3,000: No formal price competition required.
$3,001-$6,000: Minimum of three bids. Telephone quotes or fax. No sealed bids required.
$6,001-$19,500: Formal written quotes or sealed bids (minimum of three).

All adjustments are effective immediately. If you have questions, call Tony Mejido, director of Procurement Services, at 973-655-4482.

Physical Plant announces Steward Program and Work Control Center
This summer, Physical Plant launched a Building Steward Program that provides a customer service representative for each facility. Kiki Williams, director of Physical Plant, said the program was developed to assist building occupants with any building-related problems and to serve as a connection to the range of customer services provided by Physical Plant.

"If you are not sure how to get something done in your building, the individual will be a point of contact for users and clients' concerns in the building," she said. "Our building stewards will endeavor to immediately answer and resolve the majority of the issues given to them or see that the appropriate Physical Plant personnel address the concern to your satisfaction."

Each Building Steward will be equipped with a pager that can be activated via telephone by dialing the pager number or by e-mail by typing in the 10-digit pager number @aquispage.com. Type * on the subject line and then a message up to 80 characters. Stewards also can be contacted via the Internet at www.aquispage.com.

The following is a list of buildings maintained by Physical Plant, the stewards responsible for each building and their respective pager numbers:

Physical Plant also introduced the formation of a Work Control Center. "The Work Center is a function unit that has been assembled with existing staff from some of our operational units within Physical Plant," explained Williams. "This realignment will bring about better service delivery as the department improves its customer service and communications with the University community, implements Continuous Quality Improvement strategies and creatively uses its Management Information Systems."

The Work Control Center will provide a single point of contact through its service desk for facilities services questions from members of the University community
.
Members of the Work Control Center include: Joseph Fornaratto, 973-655-7430; Lourdes Perdomo, 973-655-5246; Melanie Russo, 973-655-5217; and Camille Troisi, 973-655-7189.

"Our intent is to respond to concerns and resolve the majority of issues immediately," Williams said. "Each member is knowledgeable in the Maintenance Management Information System and can log, track and provide information relating to work requests and work orders as well as other facility issues until they are resolved by Plant staff.

"They also will utilize the system to alert supervisors and frontline staff to recurring issues and provide proactive support for preventive maintenance."

The Work Control Center Service Desk can be reached at 973-655-5444 or via e-mail at workcenter@mail.montclair.edu.

Board news
At its June meeting, the MSU Board of Trustees approved 24 faculty appointments, eight professional/managerial staff appointments, six professional staff reappointments, 136 managerial staff reappointments, one tenure, 23 faculty promotions and two leaves of absence without pay.

The Board also approved an increase of the Student Government Association fee in phases over the next three years, resulting in a 5-percent increase from FY03 to FY06; and the sale of three University-owned properties on Normal Avenue (numbers 57, 59 and 61). Revised Codes of Ethics for Board of Trustees and University Employees also were approved.

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