Winter Break at L&C: Quiet Campus, Busy Facilities Crew

While much of campus enjoys a well-earned winter pause, the Facilities team has been anything but idle. Even during the College’s two-week shutdown, crews have been hard at work tackling projects big and small to keep our buildings safe, functional, and ready to welcome everyone back for spring semester.

If you were one of the few folks on campus, you may have seen a few more hard hats and vendor trucks around campus—there’s a reason!

Behind-the-Scenes Work Happening Across Campus

Winter break gives us a valuable window to complete work that’s harder to tackle when buildings are full. Over the past few weeks, Facilities staff and partners have been busy with:

West Hall shower valve replacements
Fire alarm, sprinklers, and extinguisher inspections and testing
Elevator inspections and maintenance, including the Olin elevator sump pump
Catch basin cleaning and roof & gutter cleaning
Tree work
Pamplin Room 10 renovation
Olin 204 ceiling repair
Corbett windows repair
Fields ventilation work
Watzek bike room updates
Corbett first-floor bathroom repair
Miller 2nd floor north entrance repair
Corbett stair railing installation
Pamplin exterior railing upgrades
JR Howard Hall electrical work
(And that’s just the highlight reel!)

Keeping Campus Moving—Even When It’s Quiet

Though classrooms may be quiet and offices temporarily closed, Facilities never really shuts down. Winter break is a critical time for preventative maintenance, safety inspections, and renovations that help reduce disruptions during the academic year.

We’re proud of the behind-the-scenes work that keeps Lewis & Clark running smoothly—often unnoticed, but always essential.

We are working hard to wrap up final clean-ups and inspections before students return, and we look forward to welcoming students, staff, and faculty back to a campus that’s refreshed, repaired, and ready for the semester ahead.

If you see a Facilities team member around campus this winter, feel free to give them a wave (or a warm thank-you!).