University Facilities Management: CMMS Guide for Higher Education

U.S. higher education institutions face a deferred maintenance backlog exceeding $112 billion. Moody’s Ratings warns this growing backlog poses “significant credit risk” for the sector, estimating that $750 billion to $950 billion in spending would be needed over the next decade just to make meaningful progress.

Meanwhile, facilities teams are being asked to do more with less. Square footage maintained per worker has increased nearly 25% since 2007, while building condition scores have declined.

This is the reality facing university facilities managers. Here’s how CMMS helps address it.

The Scale of University Facilities Management

Campus Complexity

Universities aren’t just big buildings—they’re small cities. A typical mid-size campus might include:

Building Type	Unique Maintenance Challenges
Academic buildings	Classroom scheduling coordination, AV equipment
Research laboratories	Specialized ventilation, hazardous materials, 24/7 climate control
Residence halls	24/7 emergency response, high request volume, turnover prep
Athletic facilities	Specialized turf/court maintenance, large HVAC loads
Dining halls	Food safety compliance, commercial kitchen equipment
Libraries	Climate control for archives, extended hours
Student centers	High traffic wear, event setup/teardown
Performing arts	Specialized lighting/sound, stage equipment
Administrative	Standard office maintenance, security systems
Historic buildings	Heritage preservation requirements, non-standard systems

According to GoAssetWorks’ analysis of university challenges, the population of many colleges and universities reaches “tens of thousands daily and occupies millions of square footage of area, eclipsing many of the world’s largest corporations.”

The Deferred Maintenance Crisis

The numbers tell a stark story. According to research from the MOST Policy Initiative:

Metric	2020	2024	Change
National backlog per sqft	$100/gsf	$140/gsf	+40%
Buildings over 50 years old	~33%	~35%	Growing
Renewal funding shortfall	30%	30-40%	Persistent

According to Inside Higher Ed’s analysis, a majority of colleges and universities funded less than a quarter of their deferred maintenance needs last fiscal year.

State system examples:

• California State University requested $1.3 billion for deferred maintenance—and received zero from the state budget. That request was just a fraction of their $5.8 billion backlog, which grows by $280 million annually.
• Oklahoma faces over $1.48 billion in deferred maintenance across its higher education system.

The Staffing Challenge

According to Gordian’s 2025 State of Facilities in Higher Education report:

• Square footage maintained per worker increased 25% since 2007
• Exterior condition scores declined 15%
• Mechanical system scores declined 20%

The APPA 2024 Thought Leaders Report notes that “three in ten of those working in higher education were 55 or older” in 2023—meaning a wave of retirements is imminent.

This isn’t sustainable without technology to multiply the effectiveness of remaining staff.

Why Universities Need CMMS

Challenge 1: Multi-Building Coordination

Universities manage portfolios that would challenge any property management firm—except the “tenants” (students, faculty, researchers) have far higher expectations for responsiveness.

CMMS addresses this by:

Challenge	CMMS Solution
Work orders from 10+ building types	Centralized request portal with building/room routing
Different maintenance requirements per space	Asset-specific PM schedules and procedures
Resource allocation across campus	Technician workload balancing and geographic routing
Coordinating with academic schedules	Calendar integration, semester-based scheduling

A work order management system designed for multi-site operations becomes essential when you’re managing millions of square feet across diverse building types.

Challenge 2: The Summer Crunch

Universities have a unique constraint: the academic calendar. Summer break provides an 8-12 week window when major maintenance can occur without disrupting classes—but this creates intense pressure to complete a year’s worth of deferred work in a few months.

CMMS planning for summer:

YEAR-ROUND WORKFLOW:

Academic Year (Sep-May):
├── Flag work orders as "defer to summer"
├── Track total project backlog
├── Estimate labor and material needs
└── Document urgency levels

Spring Planning (Mar-May):
├── Prioritize by safety impact and building use
├── Schedule contractors and internal teams
├── Order long-lead materials
└── Coordinate with Events for summer programs

Summer Execution (Jun-Aug):
├── Track project completion daily
├── Document before/after conditions
├── Manage contractor access
└── Report progress to administration

Back-to-School (Aug):
├── Verify all spaces ready for occupancy
├── Complete safety inspections
├── Document completed vs. deferred work
└── Update asset records

Without CMMS tracking this cycle, deferred items get lost, and the backlog grows.

Challenge 3: Diverse Stakeholder Expectations

Unlike commercial facilities, universities serve multiple distinct user groups:

Stakeholder	Primary Concern	CMMS Feature Needed
Students	Quick response to dorm issues	Self-service request portal, status tracking
Faculty	Minimal classroom disruption	Scheduling coordination, advance notification
Researchers	Lab environment stability	IoT sensor monitoring, automated alerts
Athletics	Field/court readiness	Specialized asset tracking, event scheduling
Administration	Budget visibility, compliance	Reporting dashboards, cost tracking
Housing	Turnover efficiency	Inspection checklists, punch list management

Challenge 4: Compliance Documentation

Universities face numerous compliance requirements:

Safety & Building Codes:

• Fire alarm testing (monthly/annual)
• Emergency lighting tests
• Elevator certifications
• Asbestos management
• ADA accessibility

Research Compliance:

• Laboratory ventilation verification
• Fume hood inspections
• Biosafety equipment certification
• Chemical storage inspections

Housing Regulations:

• Residential fire safety
• Health department inspections
• Life safety system documentation

Digital forms and inspection checklists create the audit trail that regulators require—and that protects the institution from liability.

CMMS Features for Higher Education

Essential Capabilities

Feature	Why Universities Need It
Multi-site asset management	Track equipment across dozens of buildings
Work order routing	Auto-assign by building, trade, priority
Preventive maintenance scheduling	Combat deferred maintenance with proactive care
Mobile access	Technicians work across campus, not at desks
Self-service portal	Students/faculty submit requests 24/7
Reporting & analytics	Budget justification, KPI tracking
Integration capabilities	Connect to BMS, student systems, ERP

University-Specific Workflows

Residence Hall Turnover:

Phase	CMMS Function
Move-out inspection	Checklist with photo documentation
Punch list generation	Auto-create work orders from inspection
Summer work scheduling	Prioritize by move-in date
Move-in readiness	Verification checklist, sign-off

Research Lab Support:

Requirement	CMMS Approach
Equipment certification tracking	Asset records with cert dates, auto-PM generation
Environmental monitoring	IoT integration with threshold alerts
Emergency response	Priority escalation for lab-critical issues
Compliance documentation	Inspection records with PI sign-off

Event Support:

Activity	CMMS Workflow
Setup requests	Work order type with event date/time
Equipment reservations	Asset scheduling
Post-event inspection	Follow-up work order generation
Charge-back tracking	Cost allocation by department

Implementation Approach for Universities

Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-6)

Week 1-2: Core Setup

• Configure campus building hierarchy
• Import critical asset inventory
• Set up user accounts for facilities team
• Configure work order categories

Week 3-4: Work Order Launch

• Create request submission portal
• Train facilities team on mobile app
• Begin capturing maintenance requests
• Establish triage and routing rules

Week 5-6: Initial Reporting

• Set up basic dashboards
• Document baseline metrics
• Train supervisors on reporting
• Gather initial feedback

Phase 2: Expansion (Weeks 7-16)

Week 7-10: Preventive Maintenance

• Enter manufacturer PM schedules
• Create compliance inspection checklists
• Set up automated PM generation
• Assign routes to technicians

Week 11-14: Stakeholder Rollout

• Train Housing on resident request process
• Enable faculty self-service requests
• Connect with student portal (if applicable)
• Communicate new process to campus

Week 15-16: Integration

• Connect to Building Management System (if available)
• Set up IoT sensor alerts (if applicable)
• Configure reporting for administration
• Document integration workflows

Phase 3: Optimization (Ongoing)

• Analyze first semester data
• Adjust PM frequencies based on failure patterns
• Refine work order categories
• Plan summer maintenance based on CMMS data
• Benchmark against APPA standards

Measuring Success

Key Performance Indicators

KPI	Baseline	Target	Why It Matters
Work order response time	Often unknown	under 24 hours	Student/faculty satisfaction
PM completion rate	Often under 50%	>90%	Deferred maintenance prevention
Emergency work percentage	Often >40%	under 25%	Indicates reactive vs. proactive
Cost per gross sqft	Varies	Benchmark to APPA	Budget efficiency
Asset uptime	Varies	>95% critical	Research and teaching support

Reporting for Administration

Universities face unique budget pressures. CMMS reporting should provide:

For Board/Trustees:

• Deferred maintenance backlog trend
• Capital renewal needs by building
• Compliance status summary
• Safety incident metrics

For Operations:

• Technician productivity
• Work order aging
• Preventive maintenance compliance
• Vendor performance

For Departments:

• Request status and history
• Response time metrics
• Cost allocation by unit
• Scheduled maintenance calendar

The Enrollment Cliff Factor

According to GoAssetWorks’ analysis, beginning as early as 2026, colleges and universities face a sharp decline in student populations.

This creates both challenges and opportunities for facilities:

Challenges:

• Reduced tuition revenue means tighter maintenance budgets
• Some buildings may need to be mothballed or repurposed
• Deferred maintenance backlog becomes harder to fund

Opportunities:

• Well-maintained facilities become a competitive advantage for enrollment
• Data-driven maintenance supports strategic space decisions
• CMMS helps identify underutilized buildings for consolidation

Facilities teams that can demonstrate ROI and support strategic planning will be essential as institutions navigate this transition.

Special Considerations

Historic and Heritage Buildings

Many campuses include buildings with historic designations requiring:

• Documentation of original materials and methods
• Specialized vendor management for restoration work
• Coordination with preservation authorities
• Balance between modern systems and historic character

CMMS asset records should capture these special requirements and flag compliance needs.

Research Facility Support

Research labs have the highest maintenance stakes—a failed freezer could destroy years of samples, or a ventilation failure could endanger researchers.

Critical CMMS features for research:

• IoT sensor integration for environmental monitoring
• Priority escalation for lab-critical equipment
• Certification tracking for regulated equipment
• PI notification and approval workflows

Sustainability and Energy Management

Universities increasingly have sustainability commitments. CMMS supports these goals through:

• Energy system maintenance optimization
• Equipment efficiency tracking
• Utility meter data integration
• Sustainability KPI reporting

According to ClickMaint’s research on university CMMS, CMMS helps universities “enhance sustainability through effective energy management, waste reduction, and resource optimization.”

Common Implementation Challenges

Challenge 1: Decentralized Operations

Many universities have facilities responsibilities split across central facilities, housing, athletics, and individual departments.

Solution: Start with central facilities, demonstrate value, then expand. Use CMMS reporting to show benefits to other units.

Challenge 2: Legacy Systems

Universities often have decades-old systems—paper-based in some areas, ancient software in others.

Solution: Don’t try to migrate everything. Start fresh with work orders, import only critical asset data, and build history forward.

Challenge 3: Academic Culture

Faculty may resist change or expect instant response to any request.

Solution: Create clear service levels, communicate transparently about priorities, and use data to demonstrate fairness in resource allocation.

Challenge 4: IT Integration Complexity

University IT environments are notoriously complex with security requirements that can slow integration.

Solution: Choose cloud-based CMMS requiring minimal IT infrastructure. Plan integration as Phase 2, not Phase 1.

The Path Forward

The deferred maintenance crisis in higher education isn’t going away. But CMMS provides the visibility, planning capability, and operational efficiency needed to make progress.

The key is starting—capturing data, building processes, and demonstrating value. Every university that has implemented CMMS reports the same thing: they wish they had done it sooner.

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Managing a university campus? Explore how Infodeck helps higher education facilities manage multi-building operations with the flexibility that diverse campus environments require. Book a demo to discuss your campus’s specific needs.

Related reading:

• CMMS for Schools: K-12 Implementation Guide
• Multi-Site Facility Management Guide
• How to Calculate CMMS ROI