We Are CUFO

Department: Operations | Time at CUFO: 3.5 Years
Job Function: Ensuring a secure Columbia by managing the hardware and some electrical aspects of locks across campus
Adrian on working at CUFO: "I am the type of person that must repair things and fix things. I'm a tinkerer, and I've been like that since six years old. I guess my DNA is just meant to fix things."

My name is Adrian Cruz. I'm a locksmith, and I've been here almost three and a half years. 

What does your day to day look like? 
 

I’ll just give a quick recap of what locksmiths are responsible for. Being a locksmith in a university is not the same as being a locksmith in another setting. In general, locksmiths have knowledge of installing doors, door closures, cameras, electrical locks, the mechanical locks. Anything to do with the frame, lock, and hardware keys.  

Here it is different. At Columbia, we support the hardware related to just the lock mechanism and some electrical aspects of the job. Some tasks that an outside locksmith would do are performed by other specialists. For example, the carpenters do door installations and door adjustments with the hinges and frames. Then, we come behind them and just install the hardware, like a door handle. Then, Public Safety comes in and connects the wiring. So we work side-by-side with the carpenters and Public Safety to support the entire campus.  

My day-to-day starts with a morning meeting with our supervisor Cain. 

We get work tickets routed to our phone app which displays when the order came in, who put the work order in, who it is affecting, and a description of what’s going on. Examples include fixing broken keys, providing new locks, or providing a department with an estimate on a big project.  

We also have a position that's called the daily service technician (DST) which changes each day. That's the person on call for the day, that technician is responsible for responding to emergency calls including lock outs. 

Some people find it a little boring but then get fascinated when they hear it because it relates to everybody. We all lose our keys. We have all gotten locked out of somewhere or have been in our car like, “Oh, I lost my keys.” 

What has been your biggest accomplishment at Columbia?  

Getting hired! Especially because I'm into history and Columbia is one of the most famous historical institutions there is. I applied here for three years until I got hired. 

And then, honestly, just my work! For a locksmith, everything is big because it relates to entry, public safety, and access control. So, if we install something new and it works, I'm happy. Something as simple as replacing a padlock turns into a big accomplishment because that padlock is securing the main entrance. 

It feels good when we walk around and point out safety concerns or identify areas that need to be updated because you just get a good feeling from potentially preventing something happening down the line.  

What’s your favorite part about your job?  

It’s walking around the campus. It's like being in a museum. I love walking around St. Paul’s Chapel, going to Butler Library, and seeing Low Library. It's cool going into the basement of the chapel because you know that's 200 years old. You have rocks down there, and you're walking the history and being a part of it.  

Do you have a favorite memory from working here?  

Commencement and graduation. I love seeing all the parents' faces when they see their kids graduating because the parents have worked hard to afford to come here. Seeing all the different backgrounds of the parents and seeing people at graduation despite their health conditions, that’s love. 

And the second is when the students move in because you see the beginning of their journey. I like seeing the start and the end.  

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?  

I have a ton of hobbies.  I'm a jack of all trades. I've held so many positions as a supervisor, manager, marketing director, business owner, self-employed, and subcontractor. I am the type of person that must repair things and fix things. I'm a tinkerer, and I've been like that since six years old. I guess my DNA is just meant to fix things. I'm also an outdoors person. I love adventure.  

What does Belonging and Engagement mean to you? 
 

Due to my personality and my experiences when I heard about your office, I was excited. It's a great place to meet people, including people from different cultures and backgrounds. You meet like-minded people and we turn into a team and a family because we're all in the same place working towards the same goal.  

I always love to participate and be a part of belonging and engagement. It's the opportunity to meet other like-minded people and being able to throw ideas out there and manifest them.  

Posted September 2026

Department: Finance | Time at CUFO: 11 months
Job Function: Supporting the back-end financial management that allows Columbia Residential to bring in new tenants, renew continuing student leases, or manage vacancies in students housing.
Tim on working at CUFO: “I really appreciate the opportunity to learn as much as possible. At this role within CUFO, they're always offering you opportunities to just be better.” 

How long have you worked at Columbia, and what is your role within Facilities and Operations? 

Tim Cheng: I have been working here for around 11 months, so it has been a little bit under a year. I work in the Residential Finance department as their Finance Coordinator and feel lucky to have found this role.

 What does your day to day typically look like? 

Tim: I'm still learning certain responsibilities, but I would break up our work into two classifications. Some of our work are our cyclical processes, and the rest consists of ad hoc projects that we undertake as necessary. A big focus recently is report creation and perfecting our PNL (Profits and Loss statement). 

On the day-to-day, we do a lot of the back-end financial management that allows Columbia Residential to process leases for new tenants, renewals for continuing students, and manage vacancies in students housing. We also do a considerable amount invoice approvals. These invoices range from operational expenses like repairs and maintenance, IT subscriptions, consultants, and contractual obligations. We check each of these invoices for discrepancies before we approve. 

Every month, quarter, and year end we do journal uploads to allocate or accrue certain expenses that come in. This is for recording purposes to ensure accuracy in our books and to allow us to make better analysis of trends and our current spending habits.

What's your favorite part about your job and why? 

Tim: I really appreciate the opportunity to learn as much as possible. At this role within CUFO, I realized that communication and relationships are a big part of the job. I quickly found that they're always offering you opportunities to just be better. Coming into this role, especially as my first job post-grad, I was scared that I would struggle finding mentorship. When I got here and I started talking to people, it is clear that our colleagues are always offering to help out. Or, if you need something, they won't bat an eye.

What has been your biggest accomplishment while working here?

Tim: I would describe it as a group accomplishment because I feel like together my team has overcome a lot of adversity, specifically because two of us are new entirely to Columbia and one just switched over to our department. 

At the point that we are in right now, as a team, we've learned a lot and we understand what we could do better and the steps that we need to take in order to get there. 

I also like looking at the small accomplishments. Each project or new report that I'm able to get out helps me to have a better understanding of our processes and hopefully allows our colleagues to make informed decisions and make their job just a tad easier.

What does Belonging and Engagement mean to you?

Tim: Having a form of community and having each other's backs, being friendly. It's been something that's always been important to me when I was deciding where to work. I had always hoped that I would have people that I could rely on and hang out with. I wanted a place where I could talk with and have people around me that weren’t just coworkers. The better we are or the closer we are together not only makes the job easier but also adds to the feeling of pride and fulfillment in a job well done.

Posted June 2026