Ontario universities received an award from the Real Property Institute of Canada for their Facilities Condition Assessment Program (FCAP), an index that allows them to consistently report on the state of campus buildings.

The FCAP, an initiative of the Council of Senior Administrative Officers (CSAO) and the Ontario Association of Physical Plant Administrators (OAPPA), was necessitated by the need for improved reporting and tracking of maintenance needs at university buildings. Information from the index has been used for several years in a required submission to the Ontario government to accurately assess the condition of buildings at the province’s publicly-assisted universities. It was approved in 1999 by the Council of Ontario Universities (COU).

“COU is proud of the work that our affiliates do to maintain and measure the state of the buildings, which contributes to a positive learning and research environment at Ontario universities,” says Bonnie M. Patterson, COU President and CEO. “The program also brings to light the need for more assistance from government to address the backlog of maintenance required on our campus buildings.”

The latest information to come out of the FCAP, which audits 98 per cent of campus buildings, reveals that the longer maintenance is delayed, the more expensive it becomes. Of the 861 buildings audited as of 2007, 51 per cent are in need of maintenance.

The Real Property Institute will honour the FCAP with an award in the Service Excellence category for advancing the development of the real property field. Nominees are selected by demonstrating career commitment through the creation of innovative advancements within the real property field.

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For further information, please contact:

Jennifer Grass
Senior Director, Communications & Public Affairs
416-979-2165 x261
jgrass@cou.on.ca

Hannah Yakobi 
Communications & Public Affairs Coordinator
416-979-2165 x238
hyakobi@cou.on.ca