Operations

Evans Hall at sunset with clouds on OU's campus in Norman, Oklahoma.

The Division of Campus Operations

STEWARDSHIP. SERVICE. SAFETY

The Division of Campus Operations ensures the efficient operation of essential university functions and services including stewardship and maintenance of university facilities, operation of campus utilities, public safety, campus dining, parking and public transportation, and on-campus housing. The division is comprised of 12 departments and almost 2,000 employees. While many Operations staff are working behind the scenes, their impact is felt daily by students, faculty and staff.

Campus Improvement Projects – Summer 2025

This summer, Facilities Management will be making improvements to several areas of campus as part of the university’s deferred maintenance and capital renewal program. During this time, access to different campus areas may be impacted.

Sidewalks, Streets and Parking Lot Repairs

Repairs to the sidewalks on the East side of Asp Ave. from Boyd St. to Felgar St. will begin May 12 and last through Aug. 1. During this time the sidewalks around the West side of Carson Engineering Center and Felgar Hall will be closed and parking on the East side of Asp Ave. will not be available.
Repairs to the sidewalk between Old Science Hall and the Chemistry Building will begin June 2 and last through July 2. During this time the sidewalk and surrounding area will be inaccessible.

Building Improvements

Buchanan Hall window replacement will begin May 20 and last through Aug. 31. During this time there will be phased sidewalk closures around the building.
NEL building (Human Resources offices) window replacement will begin May 20 and last through Aug. 31. During this time there will be phased sidewalk closures around the building.
Engineering Laboratory and NEL buildings’ exterior fire escape replacement will begin mid-May and last through early June. During this time there may be phased sidewalk closures around the buildings.

Other Improvements

Irrigating and re-sodding of the North Oval will begin May 12 and last through the summer break. Areas around the oval may be impacted while the work is performed.

CAPITAL PROJECTS

Project Programming, Planning and Design

The staff of Architectural and Engineering Services coordinates and manages new construction and renovation projects at The University of Oklahoma. Department staff normally coordinate preliminary feasibility studies and the development of space programs and budgets, and make site selection recommendations.

A&E Services coordinates the process of selecting outside design consultants for large projects and directs the work of the consultants to help insure that the University design, program, budget and schedule objectives are achieved.

First-Year Housing Phase 1

Rendering of exterior of new first-year housing

Phase 1 of the OU First-Year Housing Master Plan includes the construction of two new residence halls, the North building and the South building, on the site of the old Adams Center residence hall.

Phase 1 will provide 1,150 beds for first-year students
Demolition of Adams Center will begin in May following the end of the spring 2023 semester
Construction of the North building will begin summer 2023 with a planned opening in fall 2025
Construction of the South building will begin in 2024 with a planned opening in fall 2026
The new residence halls have been designed with a small community atmosphere in mind

View a time lapse of the Adams Center demolition using the links below

East View of Construction

North View of Construction

Jacobson Hall and Jones Family Welcome Center

First occupied in 1919 as the University’s second library building, this historic structure currently houses the OU Visitor Center and occupies a prominent position as the “Front Door of the University”. The project will provide:

Complete renovation and modernization of the existing building.
Approximately 10,000 square feet of additional space for large meeting and presentation rooms and associated functions.

Sam Viersen Gymnastics Center

Rendering of exterior of the Sam Viersen Gymnastics facility

Originally opened in 1982, the Sam Viersen Center has been the home to seventeen national championship teams. Over time, more dedicated team space has become an undeniable need for both the men’s and women’s gymnastics programs. Plans for expansion include:

Construction of an approximately 15,734-square-feet addition to the existing Sam Viersen Gymnastics Center building.
Renovation of approximately 2,146-square-feet of the existing Sam Viersen Gymnastics Center building.
Updates and improvements to team facilities, training facilities
Other site improvements necessary to support the facility’s function.

Strategic Programs

Deferred Maintenance Program

Deferred maintenance projects are strategically planned to minimally impact campus operations and use university resources in the most efficient way possible.

The Division of Campus Operations manages the university’s deferred maintenance and capital renewal program that identifies, prioritizes, and addresses various facility needs across the Norman campus and associated properties so that members of the university community have clean, safe and modern facilities in which to learn, live and work.

Whether it's a 200,000 square foot student union or a single-family home, regular building maintenance is required to ensure the proper functioning of utilities, building systems like air conditioning, and building components like roofs and windows. And just like a private home, it's difficult to accomplish all planned maintenance throughout the year. With over 300 buildings and 13 million square feet on the Norman Campus, the university must prioritize more immediate facility needs and defer others to following years.

Space Management

Understanding how space is utilized on campus and determing its highest and best use is critical to the achievement of the univeristy's strategic plan. To that end, the Norman Campus Space Committee was established to help address space needs and constraints as the university continues to meet our core mission objectives. While all space and property belongs to the university as a whole, stewardship of the space is distributed among the vice presidents and deans, who oversee the space occupied by activities under their administration and ensure that use of that space is consistent with its assigned purpose.

The Space Committee is working with each college and department to find the best solutions for all our space needs. Please contact the Space Committee member identified in your organizational chart to guide you in your space needs.

Campus Space Committee Members:

Vice President for Campus Operations
Associate Vice President of Architectural & Engineering Services
Campus Space Manager, Architectural & Engineering Services
Facilities Planning Analyst, Architectural & Engineering Services
Assistant Vice President for Operations Administration
Associate Vice President for Campus Operations
Associate Vice President for Facilities Management
Director, Project Management & Engineering, Facilities Management
Director of the Oklahoma Memorial Union and Campus Scheduling
Director of Real Estate
Senior Vice Provost for Instruction and Student Success
Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Dean of Students
Chief of Staff and Associate Vice President for Research and Partnerships
Director of Planning & Research Facilities, Research and Partnerships
Director, Administration and Finance
IT Administration Assistant Director

Space Management Policy

Master Planning/Long-Range Planning

Campus Operations, through the department of Architectural and Engineering Services, can work with colleges and departments to develop a masterplan for the facilities under their stewardship. This document will provide a long-term vision for the college or department's physical space. The plan considers current and future needs as well as practical, functional, and economic realities. A masterplan can be a valuable tool to inform strategic planning at the college and department level and how that fits into the university’s larger strategic vision.

Departments

Architectural & Engineering Services

The Department of Architectural and Engineering Services (A&E Services) provides professional and administrative services required to direct the planning, design, and construction of new and renovated physical facilities at the University of Oklahoma. Services are performed by in-house professional staff or are provided through the management of architectural and engineering consultants.

Department Head: Jeffrey Schmitt, Associate Vice President

Core Business Purpose

Management of capital projects for the university
Long-range facilities planning
Facilities inventory and space planning

Quick Facts

A&E Services manages the on-call professional services program (currently 103 unique firms) for the University of Oklahoma
Currently, A&E Services is managing over 48 unique capital projects, located across the three main campuses, that are actively in the planning, programming, design, or construction phase
A&E Services maintains the Norman Campus Facilities Inventory for over 13 million gross square feet of university-owned property on and off the Norman Campus.
A&E Services provides reporting data regarding space square footages to and for all OU academic programs and business units
A&E Services maintains and updates over 3,000 digital floor plans

Website: ou.edu/aes

Campus Safety

The Department of Campus Safety provides a safe environment for the university's students, faculty, staff, and visitors through education, planning, enforcement codes, regulations, and standards. Services include maintenance of campus life safety systems, processes and policies for building and activity safety including the use of drones on campus, emergency planning including training and drills, weather safety, permitting services, and the fire marshal’s office. Management of the Max Westheimer Airport also falls under Campus Safety.

Department Head: Kevin Leach, Director

Core Business Purpose

Management of fire and life safety systems
Management of the emergency operation plan for the Norman campus
Severe weather monitoring and planning
Safety training and drills
Campus permitting services
Enforce codes and standards
Oversight of the Max Westheimer Airport

Quick Facts

1,700 monthly fire extinguisher inspections
134 annual fire drills
Over 300 event inspections annually
Meteorologist on staff for severe weather planning
Manage campus trespass appeals
Manage campus AEDs
Serve as the authority having jurisdiction and sole permitting authority for all campus projects
Approve drone flights for campus
Manage the campus’ Rave emergency messaging system
Manage storm shelter activation

Website: ou.edu/campussafety

Campus Scheduling & Oklahoma Memorial Union

The Oklahoma Memorial Union provides a healthy, safe, and welcoming environment for university members, guests, and customers. The union is the heart of campus and a central hub for university activities. The union strives to offer relevant dining options and the infrastructure to host successful events on campus. The Campus Scheduling office was created in recent years with a mission to streamline scheduling practices across the Norman campus. Our office focuses on consolidating different scheduling practices across campus to ensure efficient use of facilities and a consistent method for reserving parties to find and reserve needed spaces.

Department Head: Laura Tontz, Director

Core Business Purpose

Provide healthy, safe, and welcoming student union and activity center facilities for campus and local community use
Administer the central scheduling system for the Norman campus
Provide space usage data

Quick Facts

Campus Scheduling manages over 300 campus spaces, including all outdoor common areas
Over one million visitors come to the union each year
The union hosted over 9,000 events in 2022
225,000 sf
Open to students and OU community members 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 362 days a year
Houses Meacham Auditorium, a 300+ seat movie theater and performance venue
One of only five venues within 100 miles to hold the Best of Weddings Hall of Fame award from the Knot, the premier wedding planning website.
The union opened in 1928 along with the Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Both were originally dedicated as memorials to students who died in World War I and later rededicated to all students who have died in military service
North and South wings added in 1951, The Clarke Anderson room was added in 1998 and the Archie W. Dunham Student Leadership wing was added in 2000

Websites: ou.edu/scheduling | ou.edu/union

Facilities Management

Facilities Management (FM) is responsible for meeting the university's ever-changing needs for facility maintenance, utilities, grounds care, custodial services, roads and sidewalk maintenance and other support services. The FM internal operating groups include Engineering and Design, Accounting and Human Resources, Customer Service, Planning, and Business Operations. Facilities Management plays a key role in Emergency Management during severe weather events such as snow and ice storms and other disaster scenarios. Facilities Management is also responsible for the operation of the campus utility infrastructure, including OU’s eight utility systems: the OU electric distribution grid, two utility plants that include steam production and distribution, four chilled water plants and distribution, natural gas distribution, potable water distribution, wastewater (sewer) collection, the production and distribution of well water, and stormwater collection. Additionally, FM purchases all commodities to operate the utility system and all OU utility bills are managed by Facilities Management. Our department employs more than 400 continuous, full-time employees that include talented crafts people, skilled professionals, and highly qualified support personnel; our employees are here to make campus a comfortable place to study, work, live, play or just visit.

Department Head: Matt Rom, Ph.D., Associate Vice President

Core Business Purpose

Maintenance and operation of campus facilities
Operation and distribution of campus utilities
Energy conservation and sustainability
Grounds management
Capital projects
Support services including custodial and trades

Quick Facts

3,140 acres managed
289 buildings
OU owns, operates, and distributes all campus utilities through what is known as District Energy

Website: ou.edu/facilities

Housing & Food Services

Housing and Food Services is responsible for providing clean and safe on-campus housing for students and providing a wide-range of dining options for the OU Community. H&F is also the university’s largest employer with over 300 full-time, continuous positions and over 750 student positions.

The H&F internal operating groups include Housing Operations, Food Services, Housekeeping, Talent and Organizational Development, Marketing and Communications, OU Passport, Sooner Suites and Residential Properties, and Operations Finance, a shared business services office that provides accounting and payroll services for the entire division of Campus Operations and several Student Affairs departments.

Department Head: Pam Ketner, Associate Vice President

Core Business Purpose

Maintenance and operation of housing facilities
Operation of campus dining and University Catering services
Payroll and accounting services

Quick Facts

4,779 residence hall beds
1,504 apartment beds
29 campus restaurants
More than 7 million meals served annually
2.3 million SF of living and dining space
The Norman Campus has the world’s only all-you-can-eat Chick-fil-A
Operates the only passport acceptance office open on weekends in Oklahoma and North Texas area
24/7 on-site operations staff

Website: ou.edu/housingandfood

Jimmie Austin Golf Club

For nearly 60 years, the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club has provided faculty, staff, students, and the public a championship caliber facility. The par-72, Perry Maxwell design stretches to 7,387 yards from the championship tees, boasting 18 holes of scenic splendor and a challenging test for golfers of all skill levels. Set on the eastern edge of the OU campus, we are ideally located just four miles east of I-35.

Whether you're seeking the perfect site for your wedding, an extraordinary business event or an unforgettable day of golf, you'll find that the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club lives up to its reputation as one of Oklahoma’s top venues.

Department Head: Tyler Woodward, Director of Club Operations/PGA General Manager

Core Business Purpose

Course operations and maintenance
Host annual Sooners in the Desert donor event

Quick Facts

Opened in 1951
225 Acre Course
77.9-course rating (Championship/Team tees)
Ranked sixth among Oklahoma Golf Courses by Golf Digest
Ranked sixth among U.S. campus courses by Golfweek
Five event spaces including the Everest Event Center overlooking the 9^th fairway

Website: theougolfclub.com

Max Westheimer Airport

Max Westheimer Airport (MWA), owned and operated by the University of Oklahoma, is an integral component of the transportation infrastructure serving the City of Norman, the University, and the surrounding region. Westheimer is a public-use airport located within the city limits of Norman, Oklahoma. The airport consists of two runways: a 5,200-foot-long, grooved, asphalt primary runway; and a 4,750-foot-long, grooved, asphalt crosswind runway. Max Westheimer Airport has an instrument landing system (ILS), non-precision landing system, an Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) with thunderstorm and lightning detecting, a locally operated FBO (Cruise Aviation), an aircraft avionics shop (Avionic Services), Airframe & Powerplant Repairs (Sooner Aviation), a flight school (University of Oklahoma: School of Aviation), and an air traffic control tower staffed 365 days a year.

Department Head: Lance Lamkin, Airport Administrator

Core Business Purpose

Providing safe and efficient airport operations
Managing federal grants and reimbursements

Quick Facts

Located on 716 acres within the city limits
Classified by the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission as a Regional Business Airport servicing general aviation aircraft, including business jets
Designated by the FAA as a General Aviation Reliever airport for Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City
52,000 airport operations (take offs and landings) in 2022
Oklahoma Airport Operators Association (OAOA) Airport of the year 2021
OAOA Airport Manager of the year 2021

Website: ou.edu/airport

OUPD-Norman

The mission of the University of Oklahoma Police Department is to enhance the quality of life in the university community by providing a safe campus environment in which students, faculty, staff, and visitors may work, learn, and conduct research. We will provide services ethically, fairly and equally in partnership with the members of our community.

Department Head: Nate Tarver, Associate Vice President and Chief of Police

Core Business Purpose

Providing police services for the Norman Campus
Security planning and services for athletic and other campus special events
Provide security services for the National Weather Center
Incident command for campus emergencies

Quick Facts

CLEET certified officers
1 K-9 unit
16 vehicles
191 Events worked in FY22

Website: ou.edu/police

Contact:

Emergency Phone: 911 or (405) 325-1911
Non-Emergency Phone: (405) 325-1717
E-mail: oupd@ou.edu

Parking & Transportation Services

OU Parking and Transportation operates as a standalone business enterprise that generates its own revenue - receiving no funding from the University central budget. The department internal operating groups include Parking Services, Campus Area Rapid Transit (CART), and Fleet Services. Parking owns and operates approximately 16,000 parking spaces on campus; CART is the campus shuttle bus system that transports more than 800,000 riders annually; Fleet Services coordinates all OU vehicle purchasing/leasing and short-term rental as well as maintenance, repair and fueling.

Department Head: Kris Glenn, Director

Core Business Purpose

Manage campus parking operations including selling passes and enforcement
Operate campus bus routes
Mange the Norman Campus fleet and all university vehicles

Quick Facts

17 buses
795 miles of bus routes serving 2,500 passengers daily
5 parking garages with 1.2 million SF of spaces
On-site auto shop and fueling station

Website: ou.edu/parking

Printing & Mailing Services

Printing, Mailing, and Document Services comprises the units of Printing, Copy Centers, Central Mail and Document Production. The mission of Printing, Mailing and Document Services is to establish, maintain, and provide high quality printing services to the University community and other State agencies. Printing is committed to providing the best quality product while meeting the scheduling and budget needs of our customers.

Department Head: Sherri Isbell, Director

Core Business Purpose

Provide cost effective products for the campus community and others for print
Mail and distribution
Operate campus copy centers
Operate the central mail facility and USPS locations on campus
Manage the campus copier program

Quick Facts

Established in 1908 making it one of the oldest continuously run operations
Main production facility located on Tecumseh Road with three on-campus units
Provide services to all three campuses
Process over six million pieces of mail annually
66 quality print and mail awards since 1990
Ranked the largest print and mail operation in the country by In-Plant Impression magazine since 1995

Website: ou.edu/printing

Real Estate Operations

The Real Estate Operations Office at The University of Oklahoma provides real estate services to the university in an environment that achieves operational excellence. All university real estate (land, buildings, air rights, water rights, timber rights, and mineral rights) is owned by The University of Oklahoma, not by the administrative unit that is assigned, occupies, or otherwise uses the real estate. The management, acquisition, disposal, and leasing of all university real estate is coordinated by the Real Estate Operations Office.

Department Head: Beau Jennings, Director

Core Business Purpose

Manage University real estate assets in accordance with university mission statement including the acquisition and disposition of property

Quick Facts

Over 1 million SF managed between Max Westheimer Airport, University Research Campus, and single-family residential houses

Website: ou.edu/realestate

Sooner Card

The Sooner Card is the University of Oklahoma’s official identification card for students, faculty and staff. Whether you're taking classes in-person, or you decide to make a visit to campus at any point during your time in one of OU’s online programs, your Sooner Card connects you to campus by granting you access to buildings, athletic events, campus dining, printing, buying books and course materials, education discounts online and more. Members of the OU community can receive a physical ID card and/or utilize a digital version via Apple Wallet or Google Pay on smart phones and smart watches.

Department Head: Jon Fuller, Director

Core Business Purpose

Management of campus ID system including facility access and campus financial transactions
Provide customer support and troubleshooting

Quick Facts

Approximately 36,000 active users

Website: ou.edu/soonercard

Office of the Vice President for Campus Operations

The Office of the Vice President for Campus Operations provides leadership, strategic planning and oversight for the Division of Campus Operations and its 12 departments.

Division Head: Brian Holderread, Vice President

Core Business Purpose

Provide leadership and long-range strategic planning for the Division of Campus Operations

Quick Facts

Coordinates Clery Act Compliance for the OU system

Website: ou.edu/operations

Operations Team Contacts