Deferred Maintenance

What Is Deferred Maintenance?

Deferred maintenance is the postponement of building and equipment maintenance/upgrades from an entity’s normal operating budget cycle due to a lack of funds. Lack of comprehensive funding for routine maintenance and repair and regular replacement tasks can cause neglect, allowing minor repair work to evolve into more serious conditions. The inability to perform major repairs and/or renew building components that have reached the end of their useful lives results in a deferred maintenance backlog.

Why Is Addressing Deferred Maintenance Important?

Properly maintained campus facilities reflect the pride of the institution. As a world-class institution, the university must address basic facility needs in an energy efficient and fiscally responsible manner to continue attracting the very best faculty, students, and staff and supporting their pursuit of academic and research excellence.

What Are We Doing to Address Deferred Maintenance?

The Academic Facilities Maintenance Fund Assessment (AFMFA), student-fee contributions, is the primary, consistent funding source for deferred maintenance projects on the Urbana campus. AFMFA project selections are made every two years with the goal of having a noticeable impact on teaching and learning environments and demonstrating a significant benefit to many students. AFMFA selection priorities include:

• Improving life safety deficiencies – highest priority
• Making a positive impact on heavily scheduled/utilized buildings
• Complementing programmatic projects
• Supporting emerging teaching and learning methodologies
• Resulting in economies of scale
• Making a pronounced impact on energy conservation
• Addressing complaints and/or high operation and maintenance costs
• Having high campus visibility

The F&S Asset Management Plan proposed a comprehensive five-year approach for capital projects, deferred maintenance, and extensive equipment repair and replacement to care for the 23 million gross square feet of state-supported building space. The Deferred Maintenance program systematically addresses these needs, including improved electrical and plumbing systems, ventilation, building envelopes, and interior finishes. Energy conservation projects are also undertaken to reduce energy costs and promote sustainability.