Building Services

Routine Services Include, But Are Not Limited To:

• Restroom cleaning
• Vacuum/shampoo carpets
• Empty waste baskets in common areas
• Dust & wet mopping floors
• Refinish floors
• Window cleaning
• Dusting shelves
• Clean and disinfect shower areas
• Office cleaning

Non-Routine Chargeable Services Include:

• Clean up after special events
• Office carpet cleaning outside of the annual cleaning
• Requests outside of normal service areas or times

Unlocking Buildings

Building Services unlocks buildings Monday through Friday each week. VUPD unlocks buildings Saturday and Sunday and locks buildings every day of the week. For the full “Academic Building Access Policy” visit the General Counsel website.

Residence Halls

Residential Halls are cleaned Monday through Friday. Limited staff is also on hand during the weekend to ensure public areas remain clean. Daily cleaning in the resident halls consist of pulling trash, vacuuming hallways, disinfecting entrances, restrooms, kitchens, lounges, stairwells, and common areas. Weekend cleaning consist of pulling trash, disinfecting entrances and elevators, and checking restrooms for cleanliness and restocking. 

Academic Buildings

Academic buildings are cleaned from 4 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Public areas such as classrooms, lecture halls, restrooms, main corridors, lobbies, stairwells, laboratories and locker rooms are cleaned daily.

Offices are cleaned once a week and the cleaning includes: clean all glass, vacuum or mop, high dusting, dust all open surfaces such as tables, desks, window ledges, etc. Check corners for webs. Clean chairs top to bottom, clean erased whiteboards, clean, and submit work orders for bad light bulbs. Office carpets are cleaned once a year. Office trash should be taken to the communal trash containers in each building.

The following buildings are policed by a second shift crew that works evenings. Chapel, Harre Union, VUCA, Gellersen, Christopher Center, ARC, and Residence Halls (trash removal, entrances, and elevator disinfecting).

Sanitizing Products and Methods

The building services team has always used EPA certified disinfectants to clean with.  We have now added backpack foggers to disinfect larger areas in a shorter amount of time.

Campus Waste and Recycling Policies

Building Services Policies

• All waste and recycling receptacles should be placed next to each other
• Building Services empties waste and recycling receptacles in common areas
• Classrooms and meeting rooms should not have waste or recycling receptacles
• Lab spaces may have 1 waste and 1 recycling container maximum if there is lab waste generated
• Each office will be provided with one small trash and one small recycling container
• All waste receptacles that are emptied by Building Services should be lined with a black plastic bag, and all recycling receptacles should be lined with a clear plastic bag
• Waste and recycling receptacles should be emptied when they are more than 50% full

Personal Responsibilities

• Office waste and recycling containers will not be emptied by building services.  It is the responsibility of the personnel in the office to empty these into the receptacles in the hallway or breakroom.
• Office waste and recycling containers should not be lined with any plastic bags.  Food waste should be brought to the receptacle in the hallway or breakroom and not deposited in the desk-side container.
• When possible, recyclables should be emptied loose into recycling containers or dumpsters.  Clear plastic bags or paper bags may be used if necessary. 

Hazardous Items

• Information Technology should be contacted to help recycle unwanted electronic items such as printers, PCs, monitors, cables, etc.
• Used batteries should be placed in the 5-gallon buckets located in each building
• Ink and toner cartridges can be sent or picked up by our Mail Center to be recycled
• For any other hazardous materials, please visit portercountyrecycling.org.

Waste and Recycling Frequently Asked Questions:

• Where does our recycling go?  Does it really get recycled?
  • Yes!  All of our recycling is sent to a facility in East Hazel Crest Illinois where it is sorted and sent to various processers.  For more information on the recycling process, check out this video from our waste and recycling hauler.
• Why are there no trash cans in classrooms?
  • By centralizing waste and recycling container locations, we are able to drastically reduce the amount of plastic trash bags used.  During a 2022 waste audit of campus, we removed over 200 waste and recycling containers, which saved an estimated 51,000 plastic bags per year.  Additionally, building services now only empties containers when they are more than half full, further increasing the amount of plastic bags saved.
• Why are trash bags not provided for my office?
  • Food or liquid waste should be brought to the breakroom or hallway containers to discard, and not deposited in desk side containers.  Since only dry waste should be going into desk side containers, the use of plastic liners in offices isn’t needed.  This policy allows us to reduce the amount of plastic waste being generated on campus.  If you do not have both a trash or recycling container for your office, please submit a work order and specify which type of container is needed.
• How can I get more of the laminated signs that are on campus trash and recycling containers?
  • Campus trash and recycling signage is available to print here.  If signage is damaged or missing from the containers that building services empties, contact sustainenergy@valpo.edu and we will replace these.
• What can I do with used batteries?
  • There should be a container for used batteries in all campus buildings, if you don’t have one or need your container emptied, please submit a work order.
• What can I do with electronic waste?
  • Electronics (classified as anything that plugs in) is banned from Indiana landfills.  Please contact IT for proper disposal of these items.  Porter County Waste and Recycling District also has a free drop off for electronics at the Valparaiso Compost Site.