SCHOOL OF EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT
Allocation of Office and Laboratory Space to Staff and Students
Principles
1. In this document the term laboratory is used in its broadest sense to describe accommodation used for research or research training. It includes traditional wet-bench laboratories as well as workshops, computer facilities and microscopy laboratories. It is the responsibility of academic staff to ensure that day to day supervision is provided within laboratories allocated for research.
2. Academic staff, postdoctoral fellows and postgraduate and honours students have a right of access to appropriate laboratory and office facilities to conduct their work.
3. The right to access laboratory and office facilities is contingent upon the user’s acceptance and adherence to the University’s Occupational
Safety and Health guidelines and principles. Where these guidelines and principles are not adhered to, laboratory and office facilities may be rescinded.
4. As far as practicable the School will provide dedicated laboratories to support workers in specific sub-disciplines, for example, the Plant
Nutrition Lab or the GIS Lab.
5. Laboratories and offices are School resources and are not "owned" by individuals or groups. Reassignment of room function is a School prerogative. Disputes between staff and/or students in respect to allocation of office and laboratory space shall be referred to the Head of School for resolution, who will discuss the matter with the School
Manager.
6. Generic laboratory facilities are available to accommodate short-term student projects or other activities not readily accommodated in the dedicated laboratories referred to in 3.
7. As far as practicable specialised equipment or technical services should be located in dedicated laboratories and be available to staff and students across the School. Suitably qualified staff members will supervise such laboratories.
Office and Laboratory Space Entitlement Guidelines
1. Academic Staff (Full Time Teaching - Research): Office plus access to laboratory space.
2. Academic Staff (Research only): Office plus access to laboratory space.

3. Academic Staff (Postdoctoral Fellows): Office or shared office plus access to laboratory space.
4. General Staff (Administration and Technical staff): Office or shared office according to function.
5. PhD and Masters students: Desk and storage space for books, samples, specimens etc. Access to laboratory space, where appropriate, will be available. In the final write up stage, quiet space is to be available where possible. Students who have submitted and are awaiting results, will retain their working space while writing papers and completing corrections and whilst space is available.
6. Honours students: communal work space, laboratory space in general purpose or research areas as appropriate
7. Honorary Staff and Visitors: Space allocation is negotiable on the basis of availability, duration of visit, potential benefit to the School and seniority and status of the individual concerned.