Space Mangement Policy & Procedures

Table of Contents

Introduction & Overview

All space at Utah State University belongs to the University and, as such, belongs to the State. Facilities Planning has responsibility for University-wide planning with regard to facilities. Within Facilities Planning, the Office of Space Management is responsible for space planning and management. The Office of Space Management operates under policies recommended by the Space Management Committee and approved by the USU Administration.

The Space Management Committee is a sub-committee of the University Physical Resources Planning Committee (UPRPC) and is responsible for recommending policies relating to allocation and utilization of space. The Space Management Committee, with recommendations from the Assistant Provost and Space Coordinator, approves the assignment and reassignment of space.

The Space Management Committee meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 3:00 pm in the Facilities Planning Conference room. When a space request is on the agenda for discussion/approval, all parties involved may be invited to the meeting. The Provost's representative, currently the Assistant Provost, is the chairperson of this committee. Members include the Associate Vice President of Facilities, the Director of Facilities Planning, the Space Coordinator, the Campus Class Schedule Coordinator, and two faculty representatives from the UPRPC committee. Faculty representatives from the UPRPC committee serve on the Space Management Committee for a total of four years. (A new faculty member from UPRPC is assigned to the Space Management Committee every two years, replacing the faculty member who has completed his/her four year assignment.)

All Utah State University buildings and space are subject to assignment and reassignment to meet the overall needs and best interests of the institution. Each individual and unit must recognize the authority of the University to assign space in all buildings in an effort to meet changing needs.

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Process for Resolving All Space Issues

Requests for space will be made to the Space Coordinator (Suzanne Pratt-Johnson - UMC 8400) and the Assistant Provost (Stacie Gomm - UMC 1435) by filling out the Space Request form, and sending the completed form (via campus mail) to these two individuals. Requests must be approved and signed by the appropriate Department Head/Director and Dean's/VP's office prior to submission.

The Space Coordinator and Assistant Provost will study each request and develop a proposal of resolution which is brought to the Space Management Committee for approval. Elements of the study may include but are not limited to:

  • Meeting with the requesting unit to further define the need.
  • Evaluating current utilization of the requesting unit's space.
  • Comparing requested space to current standards/guidelines.
  • Consulting with Facilities Planning staff to determine suitability of available space and need for renovation of existing space.

The Assistant Provost will present the proposal or resolution to the Space Management Committee. Affected units may be invited to present their case to the Space Management Committee.

If the proposal is approved by the Space Management Committee through a majority vote in the affirmative, a Letter of Assignment will be sent from the Space Coordinator and Assistant Provost confirming the assignment of space and include the approved use and conditions for assignment. (This letter will be copied and sent to the Vice President of Business and Finance.) Should the affected units believe the Space Management Committee acted in a capricious, arbitrary, or biased manner, appeals are directed to the Provost.

For future reference, this entire process is called "The Space Resolution Process."

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Types of Space Issues

Space issues and requests dealing with space changes (listed below) must be submitted following the Space Resolution Process prior to any modification of the space.

The following types of space issues must be brought to the Space Management Committee via the Space Resolution Process. The Space Management Committee will review proposals under categories 1-5 as informational items, unless major concerns arise. The Space Management Committee will review categories 6-8 as items requiring approval in order to continue.

1. Change of Function

The Space Resolution Process must be followed when space within a department changes function. For example, if office space is converted to graduate student space (or vice-versa) or if lab space is converted to office space (or vice-versa), a "change in function" of that space occurs. An audit of existing space will be triggered when a request for change of function is submitted.

A change of function cannot be requested if it results in the elimination of a departmental classroom. The elimination of departmental classrooms results in the classes assigned to that room being added to the centrally assigned classroom pool, which has a negative impact on available classroom space. Please note that no new departmental or college assigned classrooms will be approved as of September 1, 2005.

2. Reassignment across Departments within a College

The Space Resolution Process must be followed when space is to be reassigned across departments within a college/division. In the justification box, please indicate that the space is an internal change across departments within a college.

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3. Reassignment across Colleges

The Space Resolution Process must be followed when space is to be reassigned across colleges or divisions. In the justification box, please indicate that the space is a change across colleges/divisions.

4. Requests for Space in New Construction

New usable space can be created by new construction, remodeling, building purchase, or lease agreements. A plan for vacating existing space will be an integral part of the planning of each project that creates new space.

Proposals for assignment of space in new projects shall be submitted by unit(s) designated to occupy the new space. These proposals should also identify, in detail, the space that will be vacated once the new space (if approved) is occupied.

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5. Improvement of Space

All improvements on existing space require a "Green Sheet" obtained from Facilities Planning. The Assistant Provost must sign all green sheets as part of the Space Resolution Process and be presented to the Space Management Committee. Once approved by the Space Management Committee, affected units must follow the process set forth by Facilities Planning for construction projects.

6. Vacated/Departure Space

When changes within departments/units occur and vacant space is the result, that space is not available for internal reassignment. Reassignment of the space must be requested following the Space Resolution Process.

All requests for the use of vacated space should follow the procedures described in the Space Resolution Process and will be evaluated based on a justified need.

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7. Requests for Additional Space

When additional space is needed and departmental or college space is unavailable, a proposal (following the Space Resolution Process) can be submitted to the Space Management Committee. However, it should be noted that additional space is very hard to come by. Resolution of additional space requests will be based on appropriate space as it becomes available.

8. Resolution of Space Conflicts

All space conflicts must be presented to the Space Management Committee (following the Space Resolution Process). In turn, the Space Management Committee will develop a plan to resolve the space conflict.

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Important Notes

Where possible, space should not be mentioned in grant and contract proposals in terms of what is available. Faculty should not offer space as cost sharing or imply that the university's contribution to the grant is space.

Moreover, changes in assigned space should not be included in grant and contract proposals without prior approval. This means, you should not write space into grants without first making sure that new or converted space is available for the project, and prior approval for modification has been obtained.

Each department will receive a Space Inventory report for their review which will be represented in the annual submission of the Capital Facilities Inventory Report submitted to the Utah System of Higher Education. Updates to space inventory data should be made on the Space Inventory report and returned to the Space Coordinator.

An on-site review of space will occur every two years. The Space Coordinator will meet with College/Division or department contacts and visit each assigned room. The purpose of this review is to gain a better understanding of space use and utilization. Current utilization will be a factor when evaluating a request for additional space.

Audits of existing space will be conducted regularly by the Space Coordinator and Assistant Provost.

Both departmentally controlled and centrally scheduled classroom space are protected from conversions to other uses unless the requesting unit identifies replacement space, makes a formal request through the Space Resolution Process, and the conversion is approved by the Space Management Committee.

Click here to go to the Space Resolution Form, a PDF file which can be filled out on the web and printed.

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