As students moved back into residence halls, apartments, and campus houses this semester, they noticed something was missing on the University of Lynchburg’s campus, the familiar groundskeeping staff who had long cared for the campus.
Instead, students found work vans adorned with Landscape Workshop logos and unfamiliar crews trimming hedges and mowing the Dell.
According to Lee Smith, executive director of Facilities Management, the decision to outsource groundskeeping was a result of staffing shortages.
“Our Grounds Department faced staffing challenges with only twelve positions and several vacancies,” Smith said.
“To address this, the university partnered with a reputable contractor [Landscape Workshop] that is experienced in grounds maintenance at higher education institutions.”
Some students expressed that the change in staffing has created uncertainty about who is working on campus, as well as concerns about communication between the student body and the university.
Kaitlyn Bain, a senior who previously lived in a sorority house and now resides in a campus townhouse, said she felt safer when university-employed staff were responsible for the grounds.
“You’d get to know them throughout your years here, and you felt safer with them,” said Bain, expressing frustration over the university’s lack of communication about the change.
Bain said that more consistent communication and more precise identification would help students feel safer.
“I think the university should send out a notification,” she said. “It’s kind of weird to just have a random person outside your door without university credentials.”
Echoing Bain’s sentiments, Za’lexia Bogan, a senior who has lived on campus all four years, expressed the loss of community that these changes have brought.
“By letting the original groundskeepers go, the students lost connections, since most of the groundskeepers actually made the effort to talk to us,” Bogan said.
In response to student concerns, Smith emphasized that the university has taken steps to ensure safety and accountability.
“All contractors engaged by the University are thoroughly vetted and must be licensed and insured, adhering to the strict guidelines set forth by the Finance Office,” Smith said.
“This comprehensive process ensures that any non-university personnel working on campus, including around student residences, meet professional standards and prioritizes safety.”
He added that all Landscape Workshop employees are required to wear company-branded uniforms, display identification badges, and drive vehicles marked with the company’s logo.
“These measures provide visible assurance to the campus community that these individuals are authorized to be on University property,” Smith said.
This decision to outsource comes on the heels of recent conversations surrounding the university’s finances.
In December 2024, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) placed the university on a one-year warning, citing issues with financial responsibility, administrative effectiveness, student outcomes, and the absence of an institutional audit.
If not resolved by the end of 2025, the university could face probation or risk losing accreditation.
According to Cardinal News, SACSCOC raised concerns about Lynchburg’s effectiveness at tracking student learning outcomes and managing its finances responsibly.
In response, university leadership has pointed to budget cuts, program eliminations, and staffing changes, such as outsourcing groundskeeping, as part of efforts to take accountability and stabilize campus functions.
For now, students say the adjustments have left them questioning how the changes will affect both their safety and their sense of connection to campus.
For more information about SACSCOC, visit https://sacscoc.org/
To learn more about Landscape Workshop, visit https://landscapeworkshop.com/
Hi, thank you for reading and sharing your story. If you would be interested in having your husband’s story told, please email me at simmere836@lynchburg.edu. I’d love to get the other perspective on this.
Thank you for writing this! My husband was a dedicated grounds keeper that suddenly lost his job due to greed and mismanagement on behalf of Michael Vaughan. We loved UofL but now it leaves a bitter taste in our mouth.