Texas Tech University

 

[Date changed–posted 11/15/21 (last revision 4/22/20)]
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Operating Policy and Procedure

OP 61.06: Teaching Space Renovation or Usage Changes

DATE: November 15, 2021

PURPOSE: This Operating Policy/Procedure (OP) establishes a standard university procedure to renovate or change campus teaching space. This OP is necessary to ensure compliance with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) facilities inventory reporting requirements, Space Usage Efficiency (SUE), and university standards to maintain an appropriate amount of teaching space now and in the future.

REVIEW: This OP will be reviewed in September of odd-numbered years by the Managing Director of Planning and Administration and the Office of the Registrar with substantive revisions forwarded through the Associate Vice President for Operations to the Senior Vice President for Administration & Finance and Chief Financial Officer and Provost and Senior Vice President.

APPLICABILITY

This OP ensures that use of teaching space at TTU is accurately represented and reported and that the space meets the university's current and future demands. Teaching space must be accurately coded in the facilities inventory for scheduling purposes. Scheduling of teaching space is required to meet Space Use Efficiency (SUE) metric requirements.

DEFINITIONS

1.  Space Usage Efficiency (SUE) Score – A THECB multi-metric space usage efficiency standard that is used to measure Classroom/Class Laboratory efficiency and capture activity scheduled outside of Classrooms/Class Laboratories. SUE includes utilization, demand, and percent fill to generate aggregate scores by campus, classroom, or class laboratory.

2.  Utilization – The current utilization guideline is 38.0 hours per week (HPW) for classrooms and 25.0 HPW for class laboratories.

3.  Demand – The total hours of classroom-type activities are divided by the total number of classrooms. Goals of 45 HPW for classrooms and 35 HPW for laboratories were assigned.

4.  Percent Fill – It is necessary to determine the number of seats occupied when a room is in use to determine the appropriateness of use, need for additional facilities, and opportunities for optimization. The target for classrooms is an average occupancy of 65%. The target for class laboratories is 75% average occupancy.

5.  Predominant Use – Teaching Space room types are determined by evaluating the type of activity that is scheduled in a room. For example, if a conference room is scheduled for 6 HPW by Electrical Engineering but is used by the department for faculty/staff meetings for the remaining 34 HPW, then the predominant use would be as a Conference Room.

POLICY/PROCEDURE

1.  Classrooms (110 Space Use Code): A room or space used primarily for regularly scheduled instruction classes that are not tied to a specific subject or discipline by equipment in the room or the configuration of the space (THECB, 2018).

a.    All 110-Classrooms are considered general use, and though they may be maintained by a specific department, they are considered a general university resource.

b.    All planned changes in classroom use must be submitted to and reviewed by the Office of the Registrar, approved by Operations Division Planning and Administration (ODPA), and approved by the Space Allocation Committee (SAC). Requests should be submitted using the Teaching Space Usage Change Form to Operations Division Planning and Administration.

c.    All planned classroom renovations that alter a room's footprint must be submitted to and reviewed by the Office of the Registrar, approved by ODPA, and approved by the SAC.

d.    Any planned addition of a classroom must be submitted to and reviewed by the Office of the Registrar, approved by ODPA, and approved by the SAC.

e.    Approval must be granted prior to receiving an assigned start date for a project.

2.  Class Labs (210 Space Use Code): A space used primarily for formally or regularly scheduled instruction (including associated mandatory, but non-credit-earning laboratories) that require special purpose equipment or a specific space configuration for student participation, experimentation, observation, or practice in an academic discipline. A space is considered to be scheduled if the activities generate weekly student contact hours (WSCHs), the activities fulfill course requirements, and/or there is a formal convener present (THECB, 2018).

a.    210-Class Labs can be restricted to and maintained by departments as a result of equipment, configuration, and/or function.

b.    All planned changes in class lab use must be submitted to and reviewed by the Office of the Registrar, approved by ODPA, and approved by the SAC. Requests should be submitted using the Teaching Space Usage Change Form to Operations Division Planning and Administration.

c.    All planned class lab renovations that alter a room's footprint must be submitted to and reviewed by the Office of the Registrar, approved by ODPA, and approved by the SAC.

d.    Any planned addition of a class lab must be submitted to and reviewed by the Office of the Registrar, approved by ODPA, and approved by the SAC.

e.    Approval must be granted prior to receiving an assigned start date for a project.

3.  Other Teaching Spaces

a.    Space use codes are assigned based on the predominant use of the space.

b.    Modifications to other teaching spaces (not 110 or 210 codes) do not require ODPA or SAC approval, but notification to these offices is required.

c.    Section activity can be scheduled in the following space use codes. The below table illustrates the space use codes available for spaces that hold academic activity, the utilization that guides the coding of the space, as well as the ability for a department to have a restriction placed on an academic space.

See Attachment A: THECB Reporting Manual Appendix F for full listing of Space Use Codes and their definitions and Attachment B: TTU Space Management Usage Guide.

Space Use Code Space Use Utilization Threshold Predominant Use Potential of Dept. Restriction
100 Series Classroom Facilities Institution-wide Resource

110 Classroom > 18 HPW Lecture Sections No
200 Series Laboratory Facilities Characterized by special purpose equipment or specific space configuration
210 Class Laboratory > 13 HPW Lab Sections AND
Regularly Scheduled AND
Specific equipment
Yes
220 Special Class Laboratory < 13 HPW Lab Sections AND
Not Regularly Scheduled AND
Specific equipment
Yes
230 Individual Study Laboratory < 10 HPW Not Regularly Scheduled AND
Available for Open Study or Practice
Yes
250 Research/Non-Class Lab Limited Predominant Use is for Sponsored Research Yes
300 Series Office Facilities Specifically assigned to those who serve function of the University

350 Conference Room Limited Departmental Meetings/Functions Yes
500 Series Special Use Facilities Department Specific

600 Series General Use Facilities Broader availability to faculty, students, staff, or the public.

610 Assembly Limited Presentation/Performance No
680 Meeting Room < 18 HPW External Events AND
Not Regularly Scheduled
No

 

 d.    All planned changes in use, renovations, or additions of any of the above teaching spaces require notification through ODPA and the SAC.

4.  Restricting Academic Space

a.    Restrictions for academic space are available based on the space use code, which is a function of the predominant use of the space. Please see the table above for the availability of restrictions per each academic space use code.

b.    Requests will be routed through the Space Allocation Committee, then designated as restricted by ODPA.

 

Attachment A: THECB Reporting Manual

Attachment B: TTU Space Management Usage Guide

Attachment C: Teaching Space Usage Change Form

 

 

Operating Policies & Procedures