Soon, Aramark is going to be responsible for more than just dining services at the University of Hartford. Last Wednesday, an email from President Gregory Woodward revealed that the corporation will be taking over a huge chunk of facilities responsibilities effective May 3rd. This week, STN spoke to Chris Dupuis, Facilities” Assistant Vice President of Capital Planning & Management to get a better overview of the situation.

Dupuis made a point to explain that Facilities services are divided into two key functions, daily operations, and capital construction. Aramark will be assuming the responsibilities of the latter. This includes cleaning, mowing the lawn, and services like plumbing and electrical work. The corporation plans on employing personnel on call for 24/7 services in case students encounter an issue on the weekend.

Chris’ next key point dealt with how employees will be affected by the shift. All existing university employees will be grandfathered into the new system, and officially become Aramark staff on the 3rd. They will not need to be re-interviewed, and will retain their family tuition projects. Their experience at the university will carry over, and will receive Aramark employee benefits accordingly. Student’s shouldn’t notice an immediate change save for some new uniforms. Aramark also plans to expand the facilities management team with a few representatives of their own. However, Dupuis believes that their experience at other universities will prove useful since they will be able to provide “Fresh ideas”

Despite this rather dramatic shift for facilities, Chris is confident that the transition will be seamless. In fact, he made a point to state that none of facilities‘ current projects will be impacted.If you have any specific questions on what to expect may 3rd, you can feel free to contact Chris via email at cdupuis@hartford,edu.