Grounds Maintenance

Roles and Responsibilities

The Facilities and Operations Grounds Maintenance staff is responsible for the maintenance of landscaped areas on campus with the exclusion of the athletic fields. Typical duties of the crew include trash removal, mowing, watering, weeding, planting, and sweeping. This crew occasionally performs hard-scape construction and landscape renovation projects. All the athletic fields are maintained by Department of Athletics personnel.

Additional Crew for Added Support

A separate crew within this group provides a number of catch-all services including moving services, building cleanouts, used furniture recycling, and a tremendous amount of event support. This crew also provides support for the Grounds crew with its activities.

Snow Removal

Because snow and ice removal on the campus of Rhode Island College is a large and demanding task, both crews work together during snow and ice events to provide safe walkways, parking areas, and roads throughout the campus. The Department of Facilities and Operations is responsible for over 5 miles of sidewalks, 3 miles of roads, 20 acres of parking areas, driveways, handicapped ramps, and stairs each requiring the expeditious plowing, shoveling, and sanding for safe travel throughout campus. A combination of Facilities and Operations personnel and private contractors work non-stop under difficult conditions to ensure the safety of our campus community and that classes continue as scheduled.

More Details

Many small crews are spread throughout the campus to clear the snow and ice from walks and other paved surfaces. While classes are in session, walks, ramps, stairs, and roads are kept as clear as possible. Travel lanes within parking areas are also plowed. Upon the conclusion of classes for the day, the parking areas are re-plowed to clear the entire area in preparation for the next day of classes.

On-Campus Residents

Residence Hall residents that park long term in Parking Lot L, south of Web​er Hall, may borrow a shovel from the Office of Residential Life and Housing to clear the snow from around their personal vehicles, if necessary.