A trio of Facilities Management workers who saved the University of Virginia more than $300,000 a year earned support to expand their idea through the Hoos Making an Impact competition last month.
The workers were among three groups or individuals who won the competition for their ideas that increased efficiency or saved money, while creating new opportunities for employees.
The Facilities Management workers – Terry Maynard, Barry Wood and Luis Ramirez – suggested a small change to a dorm’s cleaning schedule. Instead of cleaning the same spaces at the same time every day – whether dirty or not – the workers suggested tidying three days a week. That freed them and others to focus on preventative maintenance, and to build their own skills, which, in turn, reduced the University’s reliance on contractors. The yearlong pilot program that saved UVA $366,000 and enabled staff members to pursue additional training and certifications will now expand to other areas.
Kristin Morgan, Barbara Zunder and Dave Strite pose after being honored for their work to make University websites more accessible. (Photo by Kim Kelley-Wagner)
“We’ve created ways for our staff to grow,” Maynard said. “I think it’s really meaningful, the results that are coming from investing in our people.”
A second winning project will help the University meet a federal deadline to ensure its digital materials, such as websites, meet new accessibility standards.
The proposal by Kristin Morgan, Barbara Zunder and Dave Strite builds on the University’s Digital Accessibility Working Group by creating a network of trained accessibility liaisons across schools and units. It also establishes a team to improve digital materials and provide staff with software and professional development resources focused on accessibility.
“Staff have taken on new skills and responsibilities alongside their existing workloads,” Morgan said. “Through this award, University leadership recognizes this tremendous effort and sends a clear message to staff members: Their work is valued and they have institutional support behind them.”
A third winner noted robust AI support for faculty members, but found nothing comparable for UVA staff.
“I immediately thought staff should have something similar,” to the Faculty AI Guides program, Ryan McCarthy, a Student Affairs facility manager based in Newcomb Hall, said.
Ryan McCarthy is working to bring AI tools to UVA staff, modeling her proposal on a similar one for University faculty. Her proposal earned a Hoos Making an Impact Award. (Photo by Kim Kelley-Wagner)
The two-year pilot will train two cohorts of 10 staff members each to test AI tools, document effective workflows and share best practices with colleagues across the University.
The proposal focuses on practical administrative uses for AI, including summarizing meetings and emails, organizing data, drafting social media content, and improving scheduling and documentation processes.
The initiative is intended to reduce repetitive tasks and give staff members more time to focus on higher-impact work. It also emphasizes professional development, helping employees build skills that are becoming increasingly important across industries and higher education.
McCarthy credits colleagues across several departments who helped put the final pitch together. “I am beyond excited to bring this to life,” she said.
Sponsored by the UVA Staff Senate in partnership with the Office of the President, the annual competition invites staff members from schools and units across UVA’s Academic Division to propose practical ideas that strengthen the University while supporting employees.
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