The process of furnishing work spaces at Notre Dame just got easier on the mind, the budget, and the planet. Campus Services has announced the launch of FurnishND, a new program to assist faculty and staff with the acquisition of workspace furnishings, the removal of office furniture and non-furniture items (e.g. computers, lamps and refrigerators), and the coordination of furniture repair requests.
Not only does the program provide faculty and staff with a simplified process of acquiring, removing and repairing workspace furnishings, it exemplifies a campus commitment to sustainability initiatives. "FurnishND is a prime example of the University working together to improve sustainability across campus.” said Erin Hafner, senior sustainability programs manager. “Providing used furniture to the campus community keeps waste out of the landfill and allows for individuals to do their part to help make Notre Dame a more environmentally-friendly place to learn and work.”
As of December 1, 2014, customers with day-to-day furnishing acquisition, removal or repair requests should complete the online form located at furnish.nd.edu. A member of the Warehouse and Delivery team, who will manage the program, will follow up on the request within two business days.
Before deciding to purchase new items, Faculty and staff will now have the option to select workspace furniture (desks, bookcases, filing cabinets, side chairs, etc.) from an on-campus inventory of high-quality, pre-owned furniture. FurnishND staff will maintain an internal database of available furniture for their use in meeting campus furniture needs. Customers will be presented with furnishing options if inventoried items match the identified need.
The online request form found at furnish.nd.edu also provides customers with an avenue to request removals of work space items. The FurnishND program team will determine whether removed items will be:
- Assigned to the University’s on-campus furniture inventory for future redeployment across campus;
- Transferred to NDSurplus for the personal purchase of faculty, staff and members of the community (this includes all non-furniture items such as refrigerators, televisions, office supplies, etc.);
- Or recycled to give new life to metal or wood components.
The acquisition, delivery, and assembly of items from the furniture inventory are free to University departments, as is the removal of existing furnishings.
Warehouse and Delivery will continue to partner with Business Furnishings, the University’s primary furniture dealer, to identify furniture solutions and coordinate requests for new furniture, modular furniture (e.g. open work stations, panels), and furniture repairs. Charges will vary in these instances. Requests should be submitted at furnish.nd.edu.
“We are excited to provide this program and the services associated with it to the campus community,” said Sarah Misener, associate vice president of Campus Services, “Faculty and staff can acquire high-quality furnishings for free and benefit from the service coordination provided by the Warehouse and Delivery Services team. Overall, the program demonstrates a profound reuse and optimization of Notre Dame resources.”
Please visit furnish.nd.edu to learn more about the program. Email furnish@nd.edu or call (574) 631 – 7447 with questions.