In most cases the facilities inventory of an educational institution is its largest fiscal asset. The physical plant or facilities management department is the steward for keeping that asset from becoming a liability. Its principal charge is to make sure that the building inventory maintains its ability to function as intended, that it is safe and legal, and that its life is perpetuated to the greatest extent possible. In most cases, facilities management departments have evolved uniquely within their institutions. Some schools reside almost independent of their surrounding community; others are more interdependent. In this article, the author first looks at the kinds of activities that many facilities operations perform. He presents illustrative samples of typical tasks expected of the facilities department, followed by the type of maintenance within which the tasks most likely fall. (Contains 2 figures.)