FAMU recently developed a facilities management concentration for its bachelor of science in business administration degree program. This new major has been
created, planned and developed with the School of Business and Industry
(SBI), the School of Architecture (SOA) and IFMA.
The program is
the only accredited facilities management degree program in the state of
Florida and the only one at historically black college or university.
“Facilities
management covers an extended range of core competencies,” said Steve
Lockwood, the director of Academic Affairs for IFMA. “This is one of the
first programs that we’ve had accredited that’s in the School of
Business and Industry, predominantly coming from a management side, that
crosses over into the School of Architecture.”
The FAMU Facility Management Academic Advisory Council consists of 12 volunteer professionals committed to sharing
expertise and advice partnering with the university president, provost
and deans of the SBI and SOA to advance and expand FAMU’s inaugural
Facilities Management Academic Program.
“There is a need to
have a combination of technical business and leadership skills that can
be effectively applied to ensure the experience within built space is
enjoyable, economical and sustainable,” said FAMU Facility Management
Academic Advisory Council Chair Thomas Mitchell Jr.
It typically
takes a program two to four years to earn its accreditation from the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Foundation. SBI and SOA
are wasting no time. The curriculum has so far met nine out of the 11
core competencies in order to gain accreditation. Full accreditation is
anticipated in half the time generally expected.
Professor Roscoe Hightower of SBI and
Professor Ronald Lumpkin of Architecture led the process of crafting the undergraduate curriculum.
“To
leverage FAMU’s many strengths, this model will hopefully be focused
across campus to deliver a cross-discipline program so other curriculums
can be generated and implemented during these economic times,” said
Hightower.