This document provides guidelines for Facility Assistants (FAs) at the University Student Commons at Virginia Commonwealth University. It outlines the key responsibilities of FAs which include setting up meeting rooms based on daily schedules, maintaining cleanliness throughout the building, providing security, and enforcing building policies. FAs work independently to prepare rooms in a timely manner according to reservation details. The document emphasizes teamwork and communication between shifts to ensure guest needs are met.

1. Facility Assistant Manual
2014-2015
Virginia Commonwealth University
University Student Commons & Activities

2. Introduction
The ongoing upkeep of the University Student Commons is essential, if we are to provide
effective services and remain a fully functional facility. Our guests’ impressions of the building are made
by the quality of work you do as a Facility Assistant (FA). Whether it is in keeping the main lounge clean
or doing a set up in the Ballroom for a major event, your work makes the Commons what it is: a central
meeting place that all of Virginia Commonwealth University can feel proud to be a part of.
No other position in the Commons is as dependent on good teamwork as that of the Facility
Assistant. A lack of coordinated effort or the inability of coworkers to help each other does now only
make working together uncomfortable, but it also seriously jeopardizes the quality of services we provide.
FA’s are also the most independent employees on staff. Your area is the entire building, and
because you are not tied to a desk or specific area,there is an expectation placed on you to assume a great
deal of initiative and self-direction. You were hired for this position, because we feelthat you exude the
qualities in order to be successfulat this job.
*Note: There are times when set-ups change or additional meeting rooms are added throughout
the day. When a room is vacant, set up for the next meeting or next day. Do not leave work that could be
finished on your shift for the following shift. There is always plenty to do.*

3. Position Description
TITLE: Facility Assistant
SUPERVISORS:
- Jennifer Chapman
- Terry Brown
- Student Managers
Starting Salary: $7.25/hour
Position Summary: FA’s are responsible for a variety of duties involved in maintaining a comfortable
environment and an efficient operation of the University Student Commons and Activities. An FA
prepares meeting rooms for usage by setting up meeting furniture and cleaning event spaces before and
after use. FA’s also make regular tours of the building, provide general building security and policy
enforcement, perform light housekeeping when needed, and assist with errands when time permits.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Prepare meeting rooms for use by customers. Assist customers with requested changes or additions to
set ups upon the approval of the Student Manager on duty.
2. Act on own initiative working independently or as part of an FA team to perform room set ups as
required by daily set up worksheets. Duties include installing folding tables, chairs, coat racks,staging,
and other equipment as indicated on set up sheets and diagrams.
3. Lock rooms and turn off lights promptly and prepare them for the next event, after use by customers.
4. Maintain meeting rooms, lobbies, lounges, hallways, and other Commons areas in clean and orderly
fashions, on an ongoing basis. Make regular tours throughout the building, during shifts, to identify areas
which need cleaning or resetting.
5. Provide general building security by completing regular building tours, as well as enforcing all
Commons policies, where applicable.
6. Report damages to facility equipment or furniture immediately to supervisor.
7. Assist with errands, such as deliveries, movement of furniture, etc.,as directed by supervisor.
8. Attend staff meetings, dress in staff shirt, and wear name tags while on duty.

4. FA CHECKLIST
Beginning of Shift:
1. Retrieve Radio
2. Retrieve Keys
3. Check Setup Worksheet
4. Plan Shift Schedule of Setups
5. Check current Setups
6. Complete any Setups that can be done during your shift
7. Make building tours
8. Rearrange any misplaced furniture
9. Clean any untidy places
10. Enforce Building Policies
Ending of Shift:
1. Return Radio, Keys, and Setup Worksheet to Office for next shift
2. Make sure you have written all work done while on duty in FA Log
3. Make sure the Student Manager on duty has signed off on the FA Log

5. FA EVERYDAY DUTIES
Section One: FA Building Responsibilities and Policy Enforcement
1. Keeping the Commons Looking Good
When planning your shift, include regular tours through the building (all floors, all lounges, and
main hallways) to check the condition of various areas.
2. FA Tours throughout the Building
When not working on set ups, you should be “out and around” the building, making a tour of the
facility. You should pay attention to your surroundings for:
 Customers who need assistance,such as directions to a particular room or office.
 Things which need repairing or may have been vandalized. Call these items to the attention of the
Student Manager,so a maintenance work request can be filled out to correct the problem.
 Things which are missing or may have been stolen, such as furniture, plants, artwork, signs or
equipment.
 Violations of Commons Policy, such as the “no bicycles” or “no smoking” policy. See Section on
“Policy Enforcement”.
 Things which need a custodian’s attention, such as spills or stains on floors or furniture.
3. Lounge and Lobby Checks
About once an hour (when set up schedule permits), FA’s should make a Lounge and Lobby
check for the various lounges in the Commons, including:
 The main lobby lounges (North, Central & South)
 Plaza Lounge on the 2nd
floor
 Salons Lobby
 James River Terrace
In your Lounge and Lobby checks,you will be doing a number of things:
 Removing trash left on tables, furniture and the floor
 Wipe lobby tables down
 Straighten any furniture that has been moved from its correct placement
 If you have any questions regarding placement of the furniture, ask a fellow FA or Student
Manager
4. Facility Assistant Tours- Crime Deterrent
As a Facility Assistant, you should be a highly visible member of our staff as you make your
tours in the lounges of the Commons. Your visibility can be a realdeterrent to crime in the Commons, as

6. crime is less likely to happen when someone appears to be alert and watchful. If you see someone leaving
valuables unattended, remind them that thefts occur in the Commons.
5. Enforcing Building Policies
As a representative of the Commons, you have a responsibility for seeing that policies of the
facility are being followed. These policies are established to protect the building from abuse, as well as to
protect its users from injuries. During your shift, try to be observant of whether those around you are
complying with basic building policies. Policies of which you will most often have to deal with are:
1. No smoking is permitted in the Commons.
2. Smoking outside the building is permitted, but only within fifty feet of any door or entrance of the
building.
3. Shirt and shoes are required. We cannot be responsible for someone cutting their feet by walking
barefoot. In addition, because of the food service areas in the building, we must observe city
health regulations.
4. No bicycles, skates,or skateboards are allowed in the building.
5. No animals allowed. Service dogs are permitted.
6. When you see someone violating a policy, you should approach them, politely explain the policy,
and ask them to conform to it. If they will not listen to you, inform the Manager and let her or
him handle it.
Section Two: Facility Assistant Shifts
1. Opening Facility Assistant Shifts
If you work the first shift of the day…
1. Obtain FA keys and radio from Student Manager.
2. Locate FA set up sheets from previous night’s shift.
3. Unlock all meeting room doors that need to be unlocked 15 minutes prior to event time.
4. Set up any lobby tables, Commons Plaza tables, and umbrellas, if the weather permits.
5. Check and straighten lobbies and lounges.
2. Midday Shifts
Here are some typical duties which you will work on as an FA working a midday shift:
1. Upon arrival of your shift, communicate with your fellow FA’s to see what has been done on
the prior shift. Ensure you get the keys and radio before they leave.
2. Check the day’s set up sheet and speak with your Manager to determine which set ups or
changeovers need to be done on your shift.

7. 3. Bring in lobby tables, Plaza umbrellas, and other outdoor equipment when the reservation has
ended or at dusk (sundown).
4. Put away or change directional signs that were used for daytime meetings or events.
3. Closing Shifts
If you work the last shift of the day, the following things need to be done:
1. Complete all set ups for the next morning which were not completed earlier in the evening,
unless excused from doing so by the Student Manager.
2. Post the next day’s activity sheets and room cards in their appropriate place around the
building.
3. Go through the entire building and make certain all the room lights are off, the room doors
are locked, and no one is left in the building.
4. Straighten up lobbies, lounges, and small rooms.
5. Indicate on the set up sheet for the next day what has been accomplished. Leave it in the FA
Office.
6. Put away any equipment that you used, return your radio and keys, and always make sure to
punch out correctly.
Section Three: Facility Assistant Set Ups
1. Sample Set Up Sheets
 See Diagram
2. Meeting Rooms in the Commons
Large, multi-purpose meeting rooms:
 The VA Rooms: This area can be used as a whole, in sections (1/4 size) as rooms A, B, C or D, or
in any combination of these rooms. If you do not know how to position or remove the wall
dividers, please ask for assistance from a fellow FA or a Student Manager.
 The Commonwealth Ballroom: This area can be used as a whole, or in sections A or B. If you do
not know how to position or remove the wall dividers, please ask for assistance from a fellow FA
or a Student Manager.
 The Richmond Salons: This area can be used as a whole, in sections as rooms I, II, III, or IV, or
in any combination of these rooms. If you do not know how to position or remove the wall
dividers, please ask for assistance from a fellow FA or a Student Manager.
Small Meeting Rooms:
 Canal and Shockoe Room
 Alumni Board Room and Metro Room

8. o These rooms generally remain in a fixed set up. However,sometimes a table, additional
chairs, or other equipment are added, which must be removed before the next group
comes into the room. If the room has a dry erase board,erase it, wipe tables, and
straighten the chairs.
 Forum Room
o This room also generally has a fixed set up, classroom style. Again, sometimes a food
table, table top podium, or some other piece of equipment may need to be added. This
room also has a built-in lecture sound system, which a Student Manager may set up.
 Commons Theater
o Set ups in the Theater are not usually very complex. Often, they require specialized use
of the lights or a microphone set up by the manager. The standard podium location is 1/3
back from the stage. Head tables are sometimes used for panel discussions. If food or
information tables are requested for inside the room, they may be placed on the stage
area,against the wall. Registration or check-in tables may be requested by sponsor; they
should be placed in front of the FA Storage Room, but not so that they block the exit
from the Theater or the Theater Lobby.
3. Commonly Used Room Set Ups
Sample diagrams of each of the commonly used set ups that are described below are provided on
the next few pages. File copies of these set up diagrams are also posted in the storage rooms.
1. Conference or Square- This diagram is a closed square or rectangle of tables with the
necessary number of chairs around it. When the request is for a small number as eight or ten,
the tables should be pushed together (without a hole in the middle), so people are not sitting
with great space between them.
2. U-Shape- As the name implies, this is an open end set of tables. If the number of chairs
exceeds the number that can comfortably fit around the outer edges of the “U,” chairs can be
placed on the insides of the two long legs of the “U.”
3. Lecture- This is a set of chairs in rows facing the front of the room with an aisle in between.
Depending on the sponsor, a request for two aisles with chairs set in three sections may be
permitted. Usually, a lecture style set up will include a head table and/or a podium.
4. Classroom- This diagram is set up in rows of tables with chairs all facing the front of the
room. Classroom tables are the same length as six foot tables, but they are half as wide.
Again, an aisle in the middle of the setup is expected,and a head table and/or a podium may
be required.
5. Circle of Chairs- Chairs are set like theater style, but they form a semi-circle or a circle. The
number of chairs will always be in the set up notes on the set up sheet.
6. Banquet Round- This set up requires circular tables, which can be found in all of the major
rooms’ storage rooms. These set ups require having symmetrical banquet rounds set up with a
certain number of chairs around each table. These set ups generally require a head table and
food tables.
Standard Set Ups
The rooms in the VA Rooms generally have a fixed set up most of the time:

9. Virginia A Lecture for 50
Virginia B Lecture for 50
Virginia C-D Lecture for 100
4. Meeting Room Set Ups
As an FA, one of your major responsibilities is preparing meeting rooms for use. You are expected to take
the initiative on this. Do not wait for the Student Manager to “motivate” you to begin the next set up. Get
started on the next set up as soon as possible!
For some rooms, such as the Shockoe, Canal, Metro, or Forum Rooms (Small Rooms), this means:
o Opening and unlocking the doors
o Turning on the lights
o Being certain chairs are in place and orderly
o Checking that tables are clean
o Checking that the dry erase board is clean and has adequate markers and erasers
o Checking that the room is clean (no debris and no vacuuming needed) and trash can does not
need emptying
However,in the large, sub-dividable multi-purpose meeting rooms (such as Commonwealth Ballroom,
VA Rooms, and Richmond Salons), preparing the rooms for use means setting the tables and chairs up in
a pre-arranged style, in addition to the other items listed above.
It will be important that you decide on a schedule for doing set ups before actually doing them. Often,
there is little time between reservations in which to get the set up done. If you are doing another job that
could have been done earlier or later, the set up could be missed and so the group using the room is
inconvenienced. Reviewing what changes need to happen to all the rooms through the day is a good habit
to get into.
One last important point about set-ups: Setting up rooms can be noisy. Please try to set up rooms while
adjacent rooms are not in use, so as not to disturb meetings and events in progress.
The Facility Assistant’s Daily Set Up Worksheet
The first shift of the day will pick up a daily Setup Worksheet from the Manager on Duty. This is
a computerized form listing all events for the day. This sheet should have notations from the previous
night’s FA crew indicating the status of set ups. You are to make notes on the set up sheet to
communicate to other shifts what has been done and what remains to be done. The setup sheet also
provides the following information:
o “Reservation Start” or “Res Start” – The time that the setup must be done by and the doors need
to be unlocked and open for sponsor.
o “Location/Event”- Where an event is taking place (1st
line) and the name of the event (2nd
line)
o “Setup/Event Type”- Which type of setup is required in a specific room. If a diagram is provided,
it will be written on the Setup Worksheet as “See Diagram.” The expected attendance is given in

10. parentheses after the Setup/Event Type information. This is the number of people the setup
should be prepared for- for example, “Lecture (150)” should have 150 chairs set up in rows.
o “Equipment”- Any equipment needed,such as tables, chairs, podiums, microphones, etc. and the
quantities needed for each.
o “Setup Notes”- Sponsor’s description of desired placement or any other specific requests that
need to be fulfilled for room set up.
o “Reservation End” or “Res End”- Time at which the organization should be out of the room. This
is the time for you to lock the room and/or break it down for the next setup.
o “Sponsor”- Organization or group who made the room reservation. Along with a contact name, it
is provided for those times when you need to ask for a representative of the group when they have
requested setup related assistance.
5. Quality Checking A Set Up: Important for Good Customer Service
Each setup should receive the following 8-Point Quality Service Check TWICE:
 Once,when you have completed the setup.
 And the Final Quality Check, which must be completed at least 20 minutes before the meeting or
event is scheduled to begin and as you prepare to unlock the doors.
1. Check the setup against the setup sheet—have we provided everything requested?
2. Are the tables and chairs neatly organized and straight? Are the tables and floors clean?
3. Are the lights turned on?
4. Is the area outside the door clear of leftover tables, trash, or chairs from the previous set up?
5. Is the door handle unlocked from the outside, so the door can be opened when closed? Is the door
propped open?
6. Have we checked with the Student Manager before the event to see if everything is adequate,or if
last minute changes or additions are needed?
7. If the location has been moved, have we provided enough visible and clear signs to redirect those
coming to the meeting or event?
Section Four: Facility Assistant Equipment
1. FA Keys and Radios
When you come onto your shift, you will need to pick up a set of keys and radio from the
Manager on duty. FA keys will open:
1. P3355 Key- All Meeting and Storage rooms
2. P3356 Key- Commons Theater and Commons Theater Storage Room
Always check to make sure you have NOT taken the FA Keys home or to class with you on accident.
They are needed by the following shifts, in order to set up rooms and provide assistance to Commons’
guests. This greatly slows down a shift’s ability to move quickly.

11. 2. FA Storage Rooms
Keeping FA Storage Rooms clean and orderly is everyone’s job.
Each and every FA is responsible for keeping the Storage Rooms clean and organized, with equipment
neatly stored in designated areas.
Richmond Salons Storage (Room 204):
 Racks of chairs are the immediate left inside the doors. Banquet rounds are placed in the round
table storage racks- face-to-face,with legs against the pipes to avoid marring the plastic table
tops. Table carts are stored in front of the round table storage racks. In the alcove to the right of
the door are stored podiums, table skirts, easels, dry erase boards,and empty chair carts. The
drapes are located in the same area as the skirts, and the pipes are located straight inside from the
doors.
Riser Storage (Room 214):
 Houses equipment shared between Salons and Virginia Rooms, as well as less frequently used
equipment. This storage room is also used by the Student Government Association (SGA)
sometimes, so they may ask a Student Manager to open it for them periodically.
Virginia Rooms Storage (Room 225):
 For this Storage Room, always use the doors directly across from the Virginia Room D back
hallway doors. Banquet rounds go in the specified round table racks in the back of the room, to
the left of the doors. Racks of chairs go to the right of the round table racks. Empty chair carts go
in the alcove connected to the wall adjacent to the door. Podiums, table carts,dry erase boards,
and all else goes to the right of the doors. Pipe and drape is located straight inside from the doors.
Commonwealth Ballroom Storage (Rooms 242, 245):
 The portable stage pieces, rectangular tables (including 8’, 6’, and classrooms), cocktail rounds,
easels,pipe and drape, table skirts, empty table carts,dry erase boards,and the Genie are all
located in Room 242. Chairs, chair carts,and banquet rounds are all located in Room 245. Signs
will be posted on the walls indicating where each type of item should be stored.
Outdoor Storage (Room 100):
 Tables and chairs used for outdoor setups are kept here,along with Plaza umbrellas, barricades,
and equipment necessary for setting up on the Plaza.
A few minutes spent after each setup to straighten up the Storage Rooms you used can save many minutes
later, by avoiding unnecessarily searching frantically for required materials that are not where they are
supposed to be. Also, always think of your fellow co-workers when using organizing Storage Rooms,
taking equipment out, or replacing equipment—the way you choose to treat these spaces affectsallother
employees, as well as making a huge difference on how easily people can get their work done.

12. 3. Equipment in Setups
1. Podium
a. Free-standing, rolls at a 45-degree angle, sits on floor. If you need more than one podium
in any room, check the other Storage Rooms, starting with the closest. In this situation,
also check your setup sheet to be sure the podium you are taking away will not be needed
later. In desperate situations where there are not enough podiums for the setup(s), use a
table top podium (or table top lectern) and place it atop a head table. ALWAYS return
podiums to their correct location after use.
2. Head Tables
a. A head table is standard for all lecture style events. For all other setups, check “Setup
Notes” on the worksheet.
3. Food Tables
a. A six foot table that is used for refreshments and food in events. Food tables are never
skirted, unless especially permitted by the event planner.
4. Registration Tables
a. These are six foot tables that are generally placed outside the entrance of a room or just
inside the door, perpendicular to the doorway, with two chairs. Never block a doorway or
the balcony hallway outside the Virginia Rooms, as these are safety hazards.
5. Dry Erase Boards
a. Portable boards that require a dry erase marker and an eraser. Always make sure the
board is equipped with both of these and that they are not written on with permanent
marker. If this is the case,locate a different dry erase board and replace it back to its
proper space after use.
6. Easels
a. Easels are available via sponsor’s request. Sponsor must provide their own pads of paper
and markers.
7. Six Foot Tables
a. Six foot tables are used in a variety of setups, and their assigned position will be
described in “Setup Notes” on the set up worksheet. Each storage room has their own six
foot tables; if an FA is required to use these in another set up, please return them to the
original storage room after use.
8. Banquet Round Tables
a. Banquet Round Tables, commonly referred to as “Banquets” or “Rounds,” are large
circular tables that are most frequently used for events that will include eating.