Facilities Management

 

Program Information

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a program major in Facilities Management is a four-year, undergraduate degree program that prepares students for a career in facility management (FM), which is a profession that combines multiple disciplines, (e.g., business, architecture and construction), to ensure functionality of the “built environment” by integrating people, place, process and technology.   Our program is accredited by the Facility Management Accreditation Commission (FMAC). 

The FM program is uniquely situated within the School of Business and Industry; however, it is a collaborative partnership with the School of Architecture and Engineering Technology.  This unique program develops students with the competencies to analyze FM-related issues from an enterprise-wide perspective.  The program consists of 120 credits hours made up of general education core, as well as business, architecture, and construction courses.  The nine credits in accounting, three credits in finance, and eight credits in professional leadership development (PLD) provide graduates with a background that is unmatched by FM programs in other institutions. 

In addition, there are two 1-credit internships required to provide students with experiential opportunities in the field to practice what they have learned in the classroom. Some of these opportunities are external enterprises: Leon County Facilities Management Department, Minor League Baseball, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, American Institutes for Research (AIR), Sodexo, Aramark.

The program concludes with capstone courses in services marketing and strategic management, in which students demonstrate competency in facilities management and business through an applied FM report, business case analysis, and public presentations. 

 

Common Myths about Facilities Management

Myth 1:    You must have a construction/skilled trade background to be a facility.
Reality:   All educational backgrounds are welcome, especially those in business, construction management, and architectural studies.

Myth 2:  Facility managers do not care about the environment.
Reality:  The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) offers the SFP (sustainability facility professional) credential to enhance the ability of FM professionals to encourage the reduction of waste, reusing materials, and recycling to be good stewards of the earth’s resources. 

Myth 3:  There’s little professional development or graduate education within FM.
Reality:  Students have their own IFMA chapter on campus, the Florida Big Bend Student Chapter.  This provides them with constant exposure to IFMA annual conferences World Work Place and Facility Fusion.  Go to this link for details:  
https://www.ifma.org/community/local-chapter-map/chapter-details/florida-big-bend-chapter 

There is also an opportunity to pursue facility management certification after graduating and entering into the profession.  FM credentials include the FMP (Facility Management Professional), the SFP (Sustainability Facility Professional) credential, and the CFM (Certified Facility Manager) credential.

FAMU’s School of Architecture offers a master’s program in FM.  Go to the link for more information: https://www.famu.edu/index.cfm?Architecture&ProgramDescription(MSArch) .  There are also FM graduate programs in the United States and Europe.

Myth 4:  FM is not a profession for women.
Reality:  Depending on the specialty, anywhere from about 10-30% of women work in FM, but the percentage of women is growing (FM Magazine, 2017).  Approximately 40% of SBI FM students are women.

For more information about FM, listen to this podcast that includes Dr. Roscoe Hightower, an SBI professor and an FM thought leader. 
Go to: http://www.kayrellconnections.com/episode72 

 

Facilities Management degree program goals, learning outcomes, and assessment measures

Learning Goal

Learning Objectives

Assessment Measures

Communication Skills - The students will be able to communicate the solution in the appropriate written and oral form.

1. Develop and deliver professional quality oral presentations.
2. Prepare professional quality written business documents.

Oral and written communication skills are assessed throughout the FM degree program.

Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity - The student will be able to develop emergency plans, risk management plans, and business operations continuity plans.

1. Demonstrate an understanding of strategic planning to support emergency preparedness, risk management, and business continuity.
2. Be able to select the strategies and contingency plans to support continuous business operations.

In the capstone course, students will complete a capstone project where they will examine all of the IFMA competencies.  The consultancy will involve the students providing their knowledge to a “real life” facility management problem.

Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability – The students will be able to develop and implement a plan to ensure environmental stewardship and sustainability.

1. Develop a plan to ensure environmental stewardship and sustainability.
2. Be able to implement to ensure environmental stewardship and sustainability.

In the capstone course, students will complete a capstone project where they will examine all of the IFMA competencies.  The consultancy will involve the students providing their knowledge to a “real life” facility management problem.

Finance and Business - The students will be able to make well-informed advanced financial management decisions.  Students will be able to apply methods from a variety of disciplines to solve business problems.

1. Understand and employ advanced financial management decision-making.
2. Apply methods from a variety of disciplines to solve business problems.

In the capstone course, students will complete a capstone project where they will examine all of the IFMA competencies.  The consultancy will involve the students providing their knowledge to a “real life” facility management problem.

Human Factors – The students will be able to make informed decisions about managing human resources.

1. Translate and practice making informed human resources decisions.

In the capstone course, students will complete a capstone project where they will examine all of the IFMA competencies.  The consultancy will involve the students providing their knowledge to a “real life” facility management problem.

Leadership and Strategy – The students will have leadership and strategic decision making skills

1. Demonstrate understanding of strategic leadership concepts and practices.
2. Be able to influence the attitudes and behaviors of others to accomplish a team goal.
3. Outline strategies for leading an individual or a team.

In the capstone course, students will complete a capstone project where they will examine all of the IFMA competencies.  The consultancy will involve the students providing their knowledge to a “real life” facility management problem.

Operations and Maintenance – The students will be able to make informed decisions about facility operations and maintenance.

Appraise operations and maintenance situations and develop a plan of action to address the issue.

In the capstone course, students will complete a capstone project where they will examine all of the IFMA competencies.  The consultancy will involve the students providing their knowledge to a “real life” facility management problem.

Project Management - The students will be able to analyze a problem and design a project for its solution

Analyze a facility management problem and create a project for its solution.

In the capstone course, students will complete a capstone project where they will examine all of the IFMA competencies.  The consultancy will involve the students providing their knowledge to a “real life” facility management problem.

Quality – The students will be able to make informed decisions about quality management.

Apply a quality management decision model to an organizational dilemma.

Students will complete Six Sigma training as part of the capstone course.

Real Estate and Property Management – The student will be able to make informed decisions real estate and property management.

Examine real estate and property management dilemmas and devise appropriate decisions.

In the capstone course, students will complete a capstone project where they will examine all of the IFMA competencies.  The consultancy will involve the students providing their knowledge to a “real life” facility management problem.

Technology - The student will be able to select appropriate hardware, software, telecommunications and database technology to support business operations

Design a technology plan that requires the students to select appropriate hardware, software, telecommunications and database technology to support business operations.

In the capstone course, students will complete a capstone project where they will examine all of the IFMA competencies.  The consultancy will involve the students providing their knowledge to a “real life” facility management problem.

 

Admission to Pre-Business and Pre-Accounting 

First-Time-In College (FTIC) Students
FTIC students interested in business or accounting are admitted to Pre-Business or Pre-Accounting.

Transfer Students
Any student applying to transfer into SBI on the basis of college coursework completed at another school or college (inside or outside of Florida A&M University) are admitted into Pre-Business or Pre-Accounting if he or she does not qualify to transfer into one of SBI’s degree programs.

Pre-Business or Pre-Accounting to the Accounting or Business Administration Degree Programs
To exit Pre-Business or Pre-Accounting and enter one of SBI’s degree programs, students must satisfy the following admission requirements:

  • Earn at least 52 semester credit hours of college-level coursework.
  • Attain good academic standing with the University (not under an academic warning or on academic probation and not under academic suspension).
  • Complete the University’s Gordon Rule general education requirements and Foreign Language requirement.
  • Complete the pre-major common course prerequisites (listed below or their equivalents) with a grade of "B" or better in three (3) of the courses and no less than a grade of "C" or better in each of the other four (4) courses.
    ACG 2021 Financial Accounting Principles
    ACG 2071 Managerial Accounting Principles
    ECO 2013 Principles of Economics I
    ECO 2023 Principles of Economics II
    MAC 2233 Calculus for Business and Social Science I
    QMB 2100 Quantitative Methods for Business Decisions I
    MAN 2543 Introduction to Business Systems
  • Submit an application to the Office of Student Services for admission to SBI’s Professional MBA program or one of the School’s Bachelor of Science programs in Accounting or Business Administration.

While in Pre-Business or Pre-Accounting, students have restricted access to upper-division (3000-4000) business courses. Specifically, unless granted a special waiver by the Dean’s Office, they are prohibited from taking more than 18 credit hours of accounting and introductory upper-division business courses (excluding credit hours repeated under the University’s grade forgiveness policy).

 

About Our Graduates

Since the inception of the FM B.S. degree program in 2012, we have graduated 21 students.

A sample of the initial full-time placements of B.S. FM students is listed below:

B.S. FM Full-Time Placement

Initial Placement

Title

Description

Salary Range

FAMU

Operations Manager

Not Reported

$25,000-$50,000

Atrium Health

Technical Services Specialist

Research and advise budget allocations for aesthetic purposes in over 30 hospital facilities totaling over $100,000. Formulate detailed action plans on crucial infrastructure expansions and renovations throughout the hospital systems

$25,000-$50,000

Box, Inc.

Customer Advocate

Enterprise Technical Support, communicate issues to engineers on a technical level, Identify trending issues

$25,000-$50,000

Amazon

Area Manager

Engagement, Connection between Operations Manger and the Associates

$25,000-$50,000

UCSD Facilitates Design & Construction

Contracts Specialist

Process and administrate construction documents and contracts

 

Under $25,000.00

 

ALDI

 

District Manager

Managed all operations of 3 ALDI stores.

 

$75,000 -$100,000

Aramark

Assistant Manager
Lead
Project Manager

Assistant to the Lead Manager of Custodial Services

$25,000-$50,000

 

Facilities Management Degree Program Faculty

As the University and SBI mission statements indicate, our faculty members are committed to providing our students with a learning environment that prepares them to be successful and productive members of society.   The FM degree program faculty work collaboratively to ensure that our students master the competencies delineated in the FMAC academic degree program standards.  Below is a list of the faculty members.

Faculty Name

Status

Degree

Cindy M. Gipson

Instructor, Business Statistics

M.S., Mathematics Educations

Roscoe Hightower

Centennial Professor, Marketing

Ph.D., Marketing

Derek Holloman

Assistant Professor, Accounting/Finance

DBA

Rashada Houston-Turner

Instructor, Management

MBA

Gina Kinchlow

Instructor, Marketing

MBA

Angela Murphy

Associate Professor, Management

Ph.D., Organizational Behavior

Samuel Pyne

Instructor, Information Systems

M.S., Software Engineering Sciences

John P.R. Washington

Assistant Professor, Business Law

J.D.

DeEdgra Williams

Associate Professor, Economics

Ph.D., Economics