Committee on Common Governance Structures and Space Allocation Processes
Updated December 17, 2012
THE FUNDAMENTAL GOAL OF SPACE GOVERNANCE IS TO UTILIZE SPACE EFFECTIVELY TO SUPPORT RESEARCH AND TEACHING PROGRAMS.
- The Chancellor has overall responsibility for the equitable and optimum use of space resources and has the final decision authority for the planning, allocation, assignment and reassignment of all spaces. The Chancellor may delegate that authority to other institutional officers.
- Space is a scarce resource that will be used efficiently to further the mission of the university.
- Space assignments will be made in a manner that supports the culture of the disciplines, programs, functions and the facility.
- The process and regulation of space allocation will be transparent, open, and consistent, utilizing practices that are easily identifiable and fair to all parties.
- Space assignments and other operational decisions will foster interaction either within a discipline or across disciplines and accommodate differing research, teaching and learning styles and space expectations.
- Space assignment will be an asset to investment in the recruitment and retention of students, faculty and staff.
- Because program space needs vary, space allocation decision-making cannot be reduced to a mechanical "one size fits all" process. Different allocations may be appropriate to different disciplines, research programs and other functions. Allocations will be made based on the appropriate amount and kind of space required to carry out research, teaching, learning, administration and support functions.
- Space will be administered flexibly in order to meet current demands, to anticipate future needs, and to be able to modify spaces in the future.
- Space allocation in any facility is subject to periodic review by the Space Assignments and Capital Improvements Committee (SACI) to assess whether space is well-utilized by the current assigned units and to determine whether reassignment is warranted.
MULTI-UNIT RESEARCH AND TEACHING FACILITIES FALL INTO THREE CATEGORIES:
- Those which house relatively short-term research projects (generally five years or less). Space belongs to the enterprise of the building and not to a department or college. In such facilities the only long-term space assignments will be for shared, specialized core space and for classrooms and class labs. The process of space assignment is by invitation and/or application to the appropriate space assignment committee. In the event that a research group leaves the building or campus, authority for reallocation of that space reverts to the facility's space management committee. The CITRIS building is an example of this type.
- Those which house long-term programs organized around common interests that cut across disciplinary lines (e.g., faculty laboratories). Space belongs to the enterprise of the building, not to a department or college. The process of space assignment is by invitation and/or application to the appropriate space assignment committee. When a faculty member leaves the building or campus, authority for reallocation of his/her space reverts to the facility's space management committee. The home department or college may request reassignment of the space to a targeted recruitment whose research matches the program goals of the building. Stanley Hall is an example of this type.
- Those which are governed according to the traditional assignment of space to a department, college or other unit. The dean or other reporting unit controls the space and, when the space is vacated, the dean or reporting unit may reallocate to achieve deaconal or unit program goals. The dean or reporting unit may delegate authority for space reassignment to the department or unit. Dwinelle, Koshland and University Halls are examples of this type.
FOR ALL CATEGORIES:
- Space will be allocated to individual research groups or other programs based on need and in consideration of the impact on other occupants of a facility. Beyond the expectation of a private office for active, full-time, tenure-track faculty, allocation of space resources to faculty is not specified on a campus-wide basis.
- Commons space, e.g., specialized core research space, conference rooms and outdoor space, will be available to all occupants and to other campus users where appropriate.
- Space assignment committees or equivalent will have broad representation, including membership for schools, colleges and/or departments or groups assigned space in the building.
FOR CATEGORIES 1 AND 2:
- Space is assigned according to the enterprise of the building, not to a particular department or college. That is, when space is vacated by the departure of a faculty member, the authority for its reallocation is defined by the building's program goals and does not rest with the department or college with which the faculty member was associated.
Committees will be constituted in each building to develop, institute and manage short-term and long-term assignment of all building space. The committees will be subsets of the Space Assignments and Capital Programs Committee (SACI), and will be appointed by the Vice Provost-Academic & Space Planning as the chair of SACI. A committee's responsibilities will include involvement in strategic planning, in recruitment and retention of faculty positions, consideration of renovation and reconstruction needs, the expansion and contraction of program and faculty allocations in response to changing research opportunities, and research support facility needs.