Most of us have noticed the many improvement projects that have taken place on campus.  Many have also no doubt noticed that many more improvements still need to be made.  The man in charge of these improvements, both present and future, is Mr. Randy Peterson.

Mr. Peterson, an alumnus of the Engineering program here at Lake State, had been bothered for many years by the “run-down” appearance of the campus.  In October of 2006, he decided to take matters into his own hands and accepted a position as the Physical Plant Director of Lake Superior State University.

Immediately, he was faced with a major problem.  It takes approximately $10,000 per year to maintain a facility the size of Lake State, Mr. Peterson needs about $50,000 just to catch up, and his department has suffered serious budget cuts.  Already, he’s operating at a financial deficit.  Further, Lake State’s maintenance and custodial personnel are doing fifty percent more, overall, than the national average for similar institutions.

Mr. Peterson’s first job was to do what is known as a SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats).  He has found that his department’s best strength by far is its employees.  He is incredibly proud of his team and how this tight knit group consistently works together towards the common goal of making sure the campus runs smoothly.  The fifty six person LSSU maintenance staff includes only one electrician, only one plumber, and only one heating specialist, but time and again he sees his people coming together to help one another.  “They could just say ‘tough’, but they don’t.”  “If it weren’t for that...” he says, trailing off as he imagines the possible chaos.

Campus improvement overall is a three year plan.  The landscaping improvements are the central goal of this, the first year.  Taking full advantage of Sault Ste. Marie’s reputation as a tourist destination, Mr. Peterson has sought, working together with Grounds Manager Steve Gregory, Vice President for Enrollment Services Bill Eilola, and Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Ken Peress, to enhance Lake State’s “curb appeal”.  When prospective students visit the area with their families over the summer, they see the campus.  The hope is that if they like what they see, they will choose to come to Lake State.  The landscaping project was completed for around $4,800 (contrast this to the landscaping costs for a typical three-bedroom ranch-style house, which can run as high as $12,000).  If this emphasis on the university’s “curb appeal” attracts only five students, the return on the investment will be approximately $40,000.

The project was completed with the same amount of personnel, both students and employees, as the Physical Plant has always had working for it.  Costs were also reduced by virtue of some very generous donations.  Fifty new trees were donated by LSSU alumnus Kirk Wagner.  All the washed rock was donated by Northern Sand.  The decorative boulders were donated by American Aggregate.  

Mr. Peterson also speaks with pride of his Summer staff.  Grounds leaders Steve Gregory, Dave Drzewicki, Dave Obeme, Dan Pace, and Dan Pavlat, and grounds students, Dianna Allen, Christopher Barrette, Pete Bush, Richard Ewing, Christian Johnson, Abraham McLarahmore, John Petkus, Stephanie Polkowski, Charity Richardson, Andrew Riehl, Daniel Sheldon, Christian Tilmant, and Justin Wright, gave their all and then some, working through rain, heat, and even drought to complete their task, never losing sight of the goal, and always as a team.

Indeed, Mr. Peterson is proud of what has already been done, but he recognizes that there is much more to do.  Issues of water accumulation and runoff are particularly troublesome.  The south side of Crawford Hall, the rear entrance of Brady Hall, and the southeast side of the Library are all areas that have experienced flooding, occasionally on a destructive scale.  The landscaping in these areas was specifically placed and designed to help with this issue.

Water runoff affects more than the buildings, however.  There are areas of sidewalk on campus a hundred feet in length that need to be raised by about twelve inches.  The cost to replace even ten feet of concrete is $622.00.  Mr. Peterson has been working with IDS Engineering to find a way to raise the existing sidewalk without having to replace it.  If this can be done, the savings to the university would be substantial.

Also, Michigan Safe Sidewalks has quoted him a price of $13,944 to fix the hundred identified trip hazards on Lake State’s walkways.  Again, Mr. Peterson is looking to keep costs low.  The small trip hazards he will keep ‘in house’, only contracting out for the larger ones.  Mr. Peterson is acutely aware that every cent he’s able to save translates directly into lower tuition fees for the students.

It is the students, Mr. Peterson says, that everyone must keep in mind.  In his opinion, the kind of close teamwork he sees in his crew is absolutely vital to the success of the university as an educational institution.  For this reason, Mr. Peterson is pleased with incoming President Dr. Lowman.  “One of his strengths is strategic planning, and we’re all really looking forward to working across campus.”  Mr. Peterson is enthusiastic about Dr. Lowman’s ability to bring everyone together and make sure “everybody is pulling in the same direction” towards the ultimate goal of educating students.

In the end, Mr. Peterson believes that it is only by having every department on campus working in concert that the university can achieve its goals.  “Budget cuts are bad,” he says, “but that’s not what’s gonna kill us.  Working together towards a common goal... that’s the most important thing.”

Mr. Peterson has extended an invitation to both staff and students to visit the Leno Pianosi Maintenance Building, located across Easterday Ave. on Meridian St., just west of the Norris Center.  There, people may inquire about their own work orders.  Emergency requests (such as overflowing toilets) are always addressed first.  Non-emergency issues (such as moving furniture) are addressed in the order in which they are received.

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