GOLDSMITHS University of London

Transcription

1 Approved by Council 25 June 2013 GOLDSMITHS University of London SPACE MANAGEMENT POLICY Executive Summary This document provides the core principles for the provision of space to sustain and grow the College campus in order to meet our strategic objectives. There are 8 sections as follows. Section 1: Introduction Section 2: The Strategic Drivers for the Space Management Policy Section 3: Core Principles Section 4: Allocation Policy Section 5: Allocation Procedures and Requests for Change Section 6: Allocation Principles used for timetabling Section 7: Space Costing Section 8: Monitoring Performance Section 1: Introduction Goldsmiths recognises that the space it owns and uses to provide teaching, research and staff accommodation forms a critical part of the student and staff experience, and is integral to the overall quality of Goldsmiths identity. The way space is designed, maintained and used can also be transformational in providing the learning landscape of the future and facilitating new ways of working together, to enable the 4 pillars of the Goldsmiths Strategy to be effectively sustained. This Policy aims to promote equality and fairness for all in the Goldsmiths community and aims to promote collaborative working and a collegiate attitude towards use of space. The cost of providing space and maintaining it is a very significant part of College expenditure. Providing new space creates strain on College financial reserves and borrowing. Before investing in new space we have a responsibility to ensure we are using our existing space as efficiently as possible. Given that space is expensive, it is vital that this resource is utilised to its optimum capacity. Space that lies empty or that is booked and not used remains a cost to the College financially and environmentally. We recognise that space that is dedicated to any specific use that is infrequent and not made available to others may mean that new projects, courses and

2 initiatives are deprived of a developmental opportunity that would enable them to flourish for the benefit of Goldsmiths. This Policy aims to use space more effectively for the benefit of Goldsmiths. For example it could enable the provision of space when external funding allows for new research groups to be formed or for new interdisciplinary centres for research and teaching. This Policy has been formulated to promote a more flexible and efficient use of our space and to provide us with the confidence that we can enable the future growth of College activity without having to resort to buying and constructing new space. As well as driving a more efficient use of space, the Policy is also concerned with helping Goldsmiths reduce its carbon footprint, for example by ensuring areas are not heated or lit when unused. Section 2: The Strategic Drivers for the Space Management Policy This Policy has been developed to focus on the Strategic Pillars that guide Goldsmiths' strategic direction: These are: Knowledge production - excellence in research, teaching and engagement with partners outside the academic arena; Requires a quality of Estate that underpins this commitment to excellence. Student experience an excellent, empowering experience for students in the College and in preparation for work; Requires an Estate that delivers a learning and social landscape to support a high quality experience for our students. London and the world maximising Goldsmiths location in a leading international city, and playing a part in making this a diverse and culturally-rich environment. Goldsmiths physical identity should relate to and reflect its inner city location and enhance its unique identity within the HE sector. Financial sustainability the security and autonomy that is required to underpin everything that we do. Requires Estates spaces to be fully utilised to ensure sustainability of world-class facilities. The Policy is supported by comparators, from across the sector, provided by the Estates Management Statistics project which may serve as examples of best practice, and space norms recommended by the HEFCE Space Management Group (SMG). Section 3: Core Principles 1. That what makes Goldsmiths special is the community of staff and students working together on our campus.

3 2. That space defines Goldsmiths sense of community and has the capacity to enhance that community along with the College identity. 3. That space on the College campus belongs to Goldsmiths and needs to be managed for the benefit of the Goldsmiths community. 4. That there is an overarching imperative that College campus space should be used in a way that: enhances the quality of the student experience; provides a stimulating and intellectual environment for the creation of knowledge; supports the strategic aims of the College; recognises the responsibility to run a sustainable campus (community, financial, environmental etc.); and configures space flexibly to enable diverse use. 5. That Goldsmiths' aspiration is to promote a higher quality, more efficient, compact, connected, and flexible campus. 6. That investment is targeted to the heart of our campus; by releasing outlying properties it enables increased investment in our core buildings and environment leading to a higher quality campus Estate. 7. That Goldsmiths is committed to the innovative use of public spaces, both to achieve efficient resource utilisation and to create stimulating learning environments (provided that use for teaching for example, does not deprive students of necessary social spaces at the times they are needed). 8. That Goldsmiths is committed to a steady increase in the efficiency of space usage for the benefit of the Goldsmiths community. 9. That efficient and effective use of the Estate requires constant use of space throughout the working week and full exploration of the significant potential offered in the evenings, weekends and vacations. 10. That there is a recognition of the range of different stakeholders in the College community including students, academic staff, professional service staff, visiting tutors, heads of department and senior management. 11. That wherever possible, the activity of individual academic departments should be colocated in order to foster a sense of academic community and provide the best environment for students and staff. 12. That whilst Goldsmiths will try to meet the needs of various stakeholders it must be recognised that there is no pre-determined right (historical or otherwise) for departments or individuals to own their own space. 13. That the management of campus space needs to be constantly re-aligned in order to meet the needs of Goldsmiths ever-evolving academic operation and that this management needs to be sufficiently robust and flexible to meet changing priorities and operation (such as a new courses, new departments, a new research centre and so on). 14. That departments reassess their space requirements on an annual basis (to enable principles 12 and 13 for example). 15. That successful bids for new departmental space should require departments to make a clear case for the space including evidence of how their current dedicated space is utilised. 16. That it is recognised that effective space management requires detailed information about the diverse types of space in College to be held centrally and transparently (to all stakeholders) and, moreover, that the management of space takes place centrally (including timetabling). 17. That any system for accounting or charging for space should be sufficiently transparent, fair and universally understood by departments so as to incentivise all stakeholders to manage campus space more effectively.

4 18. That there is a recognition that the College community would be better served if specialist resources could be more readily shared across College. 19. That any agreement for space usage involving third parties has to be agreed centrally. 20. That Estates and Facilities is responsible for the allocation and management of space and will provide continuous monitoring of space usage, performance against identified benchmarks (assuming appropriate benchmarks exist), development of standards, reviewing of timetabling, and assessing space implications of planned developments (through changes to the academic portfolio and/or student numbers for example). 21. That the Director of Estates will conduct an annual review of space usage where a range of stakeholders can provide feedback on ways in which space can be more effectively used and managed. 22. That the Space Management Review Group will meet once a year to help ensure the clarity and transparency of the Space Management Policy and to champion it across the College. 23. The core principles will be put into practice with reference to the following best practice guidelines: a) Staff cannot expect to have sole use of an office. However, if shared or open plan offices are allocated, meeting rooms will be made available for private or confidential activity that will be managed through the central room booking system. b) General teaching and meeting rooms should be pooled into a centrallyadministered system, and rooms allocated on a best fit basis according to institutional priorities whilst maintaining quality of student experience. c) Relevant Space Norms shall be established working with all members of the Goldsmiths community and, where possible and appropriate, taking into account best practice within the HE sector and benchmark institutions and affordability. d) As space is in finite supply and often very under-utilised, Heads of Departments cannot, as a rule, expect additional space for new personnel to be available from a central stock. Heads of Departments should identify accommodation for all new staff prior to the commencement of recruitment action to ensure that new members of staff can be accommodated appropriately. e) All space must be used mindful of our carbon emissions so as not to waste heating, lighting and electricity. In addition, all members of the Goldsmiths community should preserve and respect decoration, whiteboards, furniture, AV equipment and so on. f) All space users are expected to ensure lighting and AV equipment is switched off when vacating a room, and then where spaces are to be un-occupied for several days that the heating is turned down to its lowest setting. Help in achieving these savings can in part be done by following existing policies, including the Goldsmiths Temperature Policy and the Goldsmiths Carbon Management Plan g) For security and fire safety reasons, vision into teaching and office rooms should not be restricted or covered (except when necessary for specialist laboratory and studio space).

5 h) Departments should adhere to the policy of ensuring that notice boards are managed and that notices are not appended to internal walls, where damage can occur. Implementation of these guidelines, and the College's Space Norms, shall be subject to periodic review by the Space Management Policy Review Group. Section 4: Allocation Policy Responsibilities for allocation of Space according to its Category Allocation of dedicated department space: The responsibility for assessing departmental space requirements lies with Heads of Department as part of their annual planning process. Space needs and the allocated timeframe are to be agreed with the Estates and Facilities Department. Dedicated department space is categorised into teaching, research, specialist technical and office space. Bookable teaching and meeting rooms: Responsibility for determining current and future space needs lies with the Director of Estates and Facilities, liaising with the Timetabling Team and the Registrar and Secretary within any strategic and policy framework set by SMT, Estates Committee or Council. Public, Learning and Social: The responsibility for determining current and future needs for public spaces such as library, catering, commercial, IT facilities and social spaces lies with the Director of Estates and Facilities, liaising with the Registrar and Secretary and the Estates Committee. Residences, conferences and catering services: The responsibility for determining the current and future needs for student accommodation, catering, and commercial events management, lies with the Head of Residences and Conferencing Services liaising with the Director of Estates and Facilities, Registrar and Secretary and the Estates Committee Archival Space: SMT is responsible for the corporate-level allocation of space to departments for the archival responsibilities determined through the Retention Schedule and Business Classification Scheme (BCS), balancing the costs of space against the costs of Retention Schedule/BCS developments (including digitisation developments approved by Information Management and Systems Committee). Offices These principles relate to both academic and administrative departments and have more complexity as itemized below. i. Office Space should be assigned to best accommodate the administrative, teaching and learning functions of the occupier(s), within the overarching constraints of affordability and practicality. ii. Heads of Department shall allocate office space within their agreed Departmental Envelope, in accordance with the principles and space norms identified in this document. We recognise that Heads of Department should be mindful to the needs of different staff such as:

6 a. Academics on sabbatical b. Academics with a pastoral role with particular need for access to private accommodation c. Clerical and Administration staff who are mostly at their desks d. Academics mostly at their desks and academics mostly not in the office iii. Heads of Department shall consider the needs of staff, students or regular visitors with disabilities and report any issues or concerns to the Estates Helpdesk or the Disabilities Service. The core principles and norms will be put into practice with reference to the following best practice guidelines: iv. Heads of Department shall operate within health and safety guidelines set out on the website and report any issues or concerns to the Estates Helpdesk. v. Full-time staff will always be allocated a personal desk and workspace. If they are expected to work in another building their Line Manager should arrange a hot-desk at the second place of work, which will be shared with others as needed. vi. Part-time staff will always be allocated a shared workspace or hot-desk. vii. Departments should provide a hot desk facility for Hourly Paid Lecturers and should also make safe storage facilities available for books, laptops, cycle helmets etc. viii. Full-time Postgraduate Research Students will be provided with access to a hot desk facility with internet access. ix. Office furniture and equipment shall be obtained firstly by checking internally if such items exist by using the Furniture Re-Use scheme. If nothing suitable can be found, then through an Approved Supplier and should usually remain in the office if the occupant relocates elsewhere. Furniture should be flexible and versatile. Section 5: Allocation Procedures and Requests for Change a) Models such as the HEFCE-recommended AUDE Toolkit for the Sustainable Estate will be considered to set benchmarks of good practice for each department and a timeframe for a space use review will be set by the Space Management Policy Review Group. b) As part of the space proposals and negotiation process, additional consideration can be made for departments with awkwardly-shaped rooms or specialist activities. c) Heads of Department shall be expected to use their dedicated department space for the purpose for which it was originally approved. Minor changes to use for example a new occupant that changes the room from TRAC category Teaching to Research should be notified to the Timetabling and Space Management Office and recorded on the central database. d) Requests for major changes to use (i.e. those that that require works to be undertaken) should

7 be submitted to the Director of Estates. Proposals for the creation of innovative flexible learning environments or sharing between subject disciplines shall be particularly welcomed. e) The square meterage for specialist areas should not be based on assumptions and historical allocation. Proposals should relate to the Student FTE (now and predicted), research activity, the teaching methods and mix of subjects, target utilisation rate, and the opportunity cost to the College of retaining the space for that purpose. Section 6: Allocation Principles used for timetabling a) All general-purpose teaching rooms and meeting rooms should be pooled and allocated centrally to maximise flexibility and efficiency of use. b) Classes should not exceed the published capacity, for health and safety reasons and for the comfort of all teaching room users. c) The use of specialist teaching space (design labs, art studios, education laboratories, theatre and performance studios, computer labs, recording studios) should be recorded on a central timetabling system so that utilisation can be measured, and to allow OFF periods to be set for the IT and AV equipment to ensure energy savings. d) Disciplines should be encouraged to share specialist space wherever possible in order to maximise utilisation. e) Departments in liaison with the Estates and Facilities Department shall set general and subject area-specific targets for planned utilisation (i.e. recorded on the timetabling system) and observed utilisation (i.e. measured via a headcount room audit toolkit) reviewed annually by the Space Management Policy Review Group. Section 7: Space Costing The purpose of Space Costing is to highlight the cost of providing and maintaining space. If costs are understood and shared equitably, then significant savings can be made. a) The Finance Department recoups the full costs of running the Estate via the Central Overhead. This includes the cost of: Rent and Rates, Insurance, Heating, Lighting, Power to AV equipment, Water and Sewerage, Maintenance, Cleaning, Security and Portering, Postal Services, Depreciation and Timetabling Services. The space used by a department shall be a total SQM per financial year. Each Department shall be charged their proportion of the Estates and Facilities Overhead on a retrospective basis, according to their use of space in the previous year. Weightings for each space category will conform to TRAC principles. b) When reviewing Space Norms, the Space Management Policy Review Group should consider incentives such as a differential charging for less popular buildings or times of day or week, centralised scheduling and fines for departments for over-booking. Section 8: Monitoring Performance a) The HEFCE Space Management Group shall be the key source of sector-wide guidance, and

8 other space management tools (such as the HEFCE-recommended AUDE Toolkit amongst others) shall be investigated to determine Space Norms. b) The Estates Management Statistics (EMS) returns and HESA returns shall be the primary source of data for benchmarking performance against a peer group. c) Departments shall be encouraged to: i. Review annually how their use of space impacts upon the student experience and provide a one-page report to Space Management Review Group. ii. Achieve better utilisation year on year, either by undertaking more activity in the same space or accommodating the same activity in less space. iii. Consider re-distribution to eliminate pressure points and meet future demand. iv. Look at ways of consolidating / co-locating functional areas to improve efficiency. v. Keep the centralised Estates database up to date with any changes in local use. vi. Reduce energy consumption in spaces by ensuring lighting and AV equipment is not left on when spaces are not in use. vii. Turn down heating to minimum settings in line with the College's Space Temperature Policy, in cases where space is out of use for a few days viii. Meet their annual destruction duties within the Retention Schedule promptly ix. Re-use items of furniture either within the department, by using the Furniture Re-Use scheme or by donating surplus items to the Re-Use scheme. d) Re-allocating Dedicated Department Space The Director of Estates and Facilities shall review best practice and consider business cases in the allocation or redistribution of space for: i. Specialist teaching (such as laboratories, studios and workshops) ii. Specialist equipment iii. Research and enterprise activity (social, cultural and technical enterprise) iv. Departmental helpdesks and resource centres v. Archival space e) Managing the provision of Public Spaces The Director of Estates and Facilities to review examples of good practice and innovative solutions adopted elsewhere. This type of space will include: i. Catering and bar areas ii. Library services iii. Mixed social / study areas (for quiet or group work) iv. Open access computing facilities v. Meeting rooms and social spaces for staff vi. Archival space f) Where departments significantly exceed appropriately benchmarked sector norms they shall discuss with Space Management Policy Review Group how they can reduce their allocation over time. Progress shall be monitored on an annual basis. If a business case can be made for additional space this will be given due consideration. g) Regular audits of teaching room utilisation shall be undertaken by the Timetabling Office, and a report provided to Space Management Policy Review Group. The audit process shall include sampling throughout the year and at least one instance of full-week observation, which is a

9 HEFCE requirement. Targets for Utilisation will be set by the Space Management Policy Review Group. h) Review of the function of staff occupying each office should also be undertaken by Heads of Department to determine whether the space could be used more effectively to maximise the student experience. Space Management Policy Review Group shall periodically monitor trends in HE sector for example the use of Virtual Learning Environments, blended learning, computer facilities, multiuse social and learning spaces and home-working. i) The National Student Survey, local surveys and Students Union shall provide a student input to be considered by Space Management Policy Review Group.