Facilities Management:
The Role of IR in Policy and
Procedure Development
SAIR 2014
WCU
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10,382 students
Master’s Comprehensive
Mountain location
Resident and Distance
Current Climate
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Performance-based Funding
Importance of data in decision-making
More scrutiny internally and at the state-level
More and larger classes
Few funds for renovations/furniture/technology
No capital funding on the horizon
Accuracy
Factors Related to Scheduling
• Well over 11,000 students, faculty, staff
• Largely residential
• 6 academic colleges, 30 departments, 120+ programs
• 11 main academic buildings
• 240+ teaching spaces
• 2 new “campus” locations came online in 2012
– Scheduling issues
• Space management – more highly scrutinized
• Series25 scheduling software (CollegeNet)
Scheduling Approach – Events
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Very decentralized
Approximately 150 schedulers
Rationale
All areas use R25
Scheduling Approach – Courses
• Two types of rooms
– General pool
– Pre-assignable (labs, conf. rooms, gyms, etc.)
• General pool assignments – centralized process
• Optimized placement based on size, location and
features
• Group review and tweaking of process (transparency)
• Pre-assignable controlled directly by depts.
Strategies
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Changing policies
Proactive approach
Data transparency & use
More inclusive decision-making
Policy Changes
• Formal policies
– Space Management (Policy #65)
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Which bodies have authority
Who “owns” space
How space is assigned
How to request
– Facilities Use (Policy #82)
• “Recognizing that its support derives in large part from public funds, it is the policy of
Western Carolina University (the "University') to make its facilities available for use by
groups and individuals in a manner that is (i) consistent with its educational mission and
related research, service, and outreach activities; and (ii) consistent with its responsibilities
as a steward of the State's resources.”
– Camps & Conferences (Policy #110)
• How spaces can accommodate different types of groups
• Strategic summer scheduling
• Must still follow the Facilities Use Policy as well
SMC working policies
• Rule of 6s
– Non-standard classroom seating capacities present issues for
course section scheduling, efficient and fair classroom
utilization, and compliance with fire code
– Seat counts all on multiples of 6s
– Seating capacity will be documented as the closest multiple of
six lower than the actual seating capacity
• General Classroom Use Policy
– Formal course sections have first priority
– Departments can modify rooms but not impact desirability by
other departments
– First-come, first-serve
– Modifications must come through SMC
Split the Space Management Committee
• Space Management (SMC)
– Older and most authority
– Reports to Executive Council
– Advisory
– Broad representative membership (Policy #65)
• Academic Space Advisory Board
– Grants some representation to Academic Affairs
– Spreads responsibility and accountability
– Creates buy-in
– Reports to SMC
Proactive Approach
• Strategic Renovation Fund
– $200,000 recurring for renovations
• Factors for consideration
– Improve overall classroom utilization numbers
– Improve performance-based funding metrics
– Improve classroom access
– Address classroom safety and code compliance
– Increase utilization of poorly utilized rooms
• Flexibility of space
– Style of room
– Furniture
– Trade off with flexibility and capacity
Proactive Approach
• Look for low-hanging fruit
– Low-cost opportunities
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Add a door
Add a feature (like a white board)
Which rooms can accommodate additional seats
Better align class sizes with room sizes (Rule of 6s)
Ask depts to open additional seats when assigned to large space
Proactive Approach
• When space is coming online, call for proposals
• Factors for consideration
– Consolidation of departments
– Prior agreements and identified need
– Space has same general usage type
– Little/no renovation needed
Data Transparency and Use
• Access to scheduling system
– Everyone has access
– Several dept heads very involved
• Reports shared
– Internal and State reports
– Easy to read/interpret
– Stored in central repository
• Clear standards
– Campus uses State standards
– All space evaluated on same set of standards
Space Standards
• General Purpose
– 35 hr/week
– 65% seat utilization
– 18 s/f per station
• Labs
– 25 hr/week
– 75% seat utilization
– sf/station varies depending on discipline
Course Placement
Building Tours
• Tour each academic space (Friday afternoon)
• Invite all interested parties
• Get a feel for space
– Classroom size
– Classroom layout
– Seat density
– Mix of room types
– # and size of conference rooms
– Offices sizes
• Review utilization
• Provides transparency
Other Strategies
– Multiple meeting patterns for courses
– Multiple reservation runs for error clean-up
– Overbooking
– Forums and surveys to identify space needs
– Shared governance and transparency
– Blocking buildings in summer for camps and
conferences
– HVAC scheduling based on utilization
– Campus time off-set
Contact Information
Alison Joseph, Data Analyst
ajoseph@wcu.edu
oipe.wcu.edu
(828) 227-7239
Elizabeth Snyder, Research Specialist
ecaveny@wcu.edu
oipe.wcu.edu
(828) 227-7239