Phase 1: Start a Project

Requestor Involvement: Medium


A large cafeteria with many people inside. Some of the figures are blurry, caught mid-motion.

Pictured AboveMeet the Team that Transformed ACDC

How do you finish a year’s worth of work in a couple of months? You put in a raft of 15-to-18-hour days, instill a culture of teamwork in your fellow workers, and when unexpected problems arise, you ignore the urge to panic and just plow ahead.

All proposed projects must have a Senior Officer (member of the Senior Team) to sponsor the project. The project proposal should align with Vassar’s priorities and identify the key objectives of the project. The Senior Officer sponsor will help identify possible funding sources to support this potential project.

All potential projects must complete the “New Project Request Form” on the Facilities Operations website.

A Facilities Operations Project Manager will review the submission and contact the requestor to clarify any outstanding questions. Facilities Operations will aggregate the requests and provide them to the Senior Team for their review.

The Senior Team will determine if the project should advance to Phase 2, which will commit additional staff and financial resources to accurately gauge the project cost, scope, and timeline.

Typical Timeframes for Phase 1

Large Project (More than $1M)

Starting a project takes 6–12 months
6–12
6–12
12–24
3–6

Medium Project (Between $100K and $1M)

Starting a project takes 3–6 months
3–6
3–6
6–12
2–4

Small Project (Less than $100K)

Starting a project takes 1–3 months
1–3
1–3
3–6
1–3

Roles Involved

Project Manager: An experienced individual assigned to support and coordinate the project, with skills in project planning, project management, and construction.

Project Requestor: An individual who will advance the concept of the project to their manager and Senior Officer.

Senior Officer: Typically a Dean or Vice President reporting directly to the President, responsible for a division or a number of departments.

Senior Officer Sponsor: A Senior Officer who proposes the identified project to the Senior Team for consideration of funding.

Senior Team: The entire group of Senior Officers.

Terms

Funding Source: Where the money will come from (endowment, gift, asset preservation, department budget) to support the project.

Project Schedule: A description of the timeline of a project including major milestones.

Project Scope: A narrative description of the objectives of a particular project.

Phase 2: Study and Schematic Design