The Department of Physical Plant is changing its name to the Department of Facilities effective tomorrow (October 1) to more accurately reflect the range of services it provides.
Most members of the MIT community know that the department provides custodial, repair and maintenance, grounds and mail services, but people may not be aware of the other facilities management functions that have long been part of Physical Plant's operation, said Victoria Sirianni, director of the Department of Facilities. These include interior design, construction, systems engineering, architectural drawings and utilities.
"Our department deals with all aspects of facilities. In addition to cleaning and maintenance, we provide mail services, space management, design and construction services, project management, and the generation and distribution of utilities--so we think this name change will better convey what we actually do," Ms. Sirianni said.
The Department of Facilities will have a booth at tomorrow's Vendor Fair, and members of the community are invited to stop by to learn more about the depart-ment's services. The Vendor Fair takes place from 9am-3pm in McDermott Court.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on September 30, 1998.
