Deferred campus maintenance reached record levels as colleges confront escalating facilities liabilities and enrollment uncertainty, according to the latest “State of Facilities in Higher Education” edition by Gordian. The report says the average deferred maintenance backlog now stands at $156 per gross square foot—nearly double the $80 reported in 2007. The reporting also highlights that routine maintenance budgets have fallen 18.5% below necessary levels, while facilities staff are stretched—custodians now maintaining 27% more gross square footage than in 2007. With new construction down to a 40-year low, institutions are increasingly “right-sizing” by replacing the most dilapidated buildings with smaller, more flexible facilities. Campus leaders face a steep tradeoff: energy use has improved in some areas, but capacity management and financing for renovations are becoming harder as deferred maintenance rises and campuses confront a mismatch between space and student demand. The report positions deferred maintenance costs as the leading compliance and stewardship challenge for institutions planning for a demographic cliff.