How to Classify Space
This section gives you more specific information and examples of how to
classify space, for particular function codes, organizational units, responsible
faculty/staff, and occupants.
Classifying Space, in a Nutshell
 Always keep STAR data current for rooms where research is being conducted,
especially sponsored research or clinical trials. Focus on research areas, be as
precise as you can, and keep these rooms up-to-date.
 A room has an occupant if someone uses the room as their primary work space.
Typically, these are offices, cubicles, or carrells.
 In rooms that have no occupants, but are being used and are not vacant, the
function code depends on the programs or activities being conducted in the
room.
 For non-academic areas, classifying function codes is straightforward. See
following sections for more information.
Purpose of the STAR Training
Classifying space to accurately identify activities can be complicated and tricky.
The STAR training should teach you how to assign function codes for the
simplest, most straightforward space scenarios. We want to equip you to handle
the space situations that occur most frequently in your department. Also, we will
tell you what space to focus on, or in other words, the areas which are critical.
You should spend the majority of your STAR effort on these areas and keep
them as current as possible.
What the Training Can’t Do
STAR training cannot make you an expert in classifying space. There are some
situations in which the correct function coding can never be determined exactly,
and it is the responsibility of Plant Accounting to handle these situations. Many
of these “gray area” situations can be identified ahead of time so that you’ll
know to contact Plant Accounting if you have questions.
Non-Academic Departments
Non-academic departments often use only one function code for all of their
space. Check the following list to see whether all of the space, which in use, in
your department should be classified with a particular function code. If a room is
not in use, refer to If a room does not have occupants.
If your department . . .
is in Companies 21 – 60 and PDC
then use function
Generally 31
does development (fundraising) activities
70
is the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
71
is a central administrative (CAMC) department
50
is under the President’s code
50
1
administers student activities (supported by XX5 codes)
14
is in the Library (supported by XX4 codes)
40
is in Company 20
same for all rooms*
* Each department in Company 20 uses one function for all rooms. Contact
Plant Accounting to determine the function code to use for your department.
Basic Steps for Classifying Space
Follow these steps to classify space in academic departments. If you are not in
an academic department, you may need to use one particular function code for
all of your space. Refer to the previous section, “Non-Academic Department”
for more information.
Supporting Documentation Helps
When classifying space, you will need access to your department’s payroll files
in order to determine the function code for occupied rooms. Specifically, you
will need to know the cost centers (fund codes) on which occupants are paid.
You do not need to know salary amounts.
Also, having a copy of your department’s floor plans may help you identify
which rooms you are responsible for keeping current. Medical Center
departments receive floor plans from the Health System/Medical Center
Architect’s Office every year. Sometimes, the room numbers on the doors are
different from what’s on the floor plans; if this occurs, contact Susan Council or
Judy White to find out the correct number.
First, Determine Department
When you begin classifying space, first decide whether it should be assigned to
your department or not. A room might need to be assigned to a different
department, or it might need be unassignable, that is, it should not be assigned to
any department. Unassignable rooms are those that support the entire building
rather a particular departmental, such as mechanical rooms, circulation areas,
stairwells, and lobbies. These are unassignable even if there’s only one dept in a
building.
If a room’s department assignment is not correct, Susan Council or Judy White
to change it.
Second, Define Room Use
Room Use describes the physical makeup of a room, meaning how it is
furnished, or what kind of room it’s designed to be. You can determine the
Room Use by simply looking around the room to see how it’s furnished. If it has
a desk and a chair, then the room use is Office. If it has a conference table, it’s a
Conference Room, and so on. Note that there are specific office types. If the
occupant is a faculty member, use Room Use 3120, faculty office.
In STAR, you specify one Room Use per room. Refer to Appendix A for list of
Room Uses.
Keep the Room Use in mind as you continue to gather information for a room.
You will need more than just the Room Use to determine the function code,
division, and people associated with the room.
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Third, Ask if This Room is Used for Research
In the next step, find out whether research is being conducted in this room, that
is, whether this room is used by people who are paid to conduct or support
research projects. Research can be conducted in lab or lab support space, as well
as in offices, equipment rooms, even conference rooms. Generally research is
conducted in lab and lab support space, but technically, research can be
conducted in any type of room, as long as the room is being used by people paid
to work on research.
Research space deserves special attention in STAR and should be examined
thoroughly by STAR users.
Classifying Research Lab and Lab Support Space
Laboratories and lab support rooms such as cold rooms, equipment rooms, and
darkrooms must be classified with the appropriate research function codes. To
determine the appropriate function code for research space, follow these steps:
1. First, determine all of the research projects being conducted or supported in
the room and the PI who is responsible for that research.
For example, consider a dark room that is used only for Dr. Jim Who’s
research project.
2. Specify the org unit next.
For research space, use the org unit of the PI’s primary appointment.
3. Gather payroll information about the PI and the employees on the same
project.
Using department payroll records, figure out the org unit and cost element
used to pay the PI’s salary. If the PI is paid by more than one org unit/cost
element, you will need to know the percentage of the PI’s salary paid by
every org unit/cost element combination.
If other people work in Dr. Who’s lab (i.e. technicians, grad students, post
docs), include their payroll effort also.
For example, Dr. Who is paid 50% on 1511064 cost center /601500 cost
element. He is paid 50% on 3537194 code /603600 cost element.
4. Using the org unit/Function Code Grid, find the appropriate function code for
each payroll org unit/cost center/cost element combination.
For example, based on his salary sources, we can say that Dr. Who’s totals
efforts are 50% departmental research and 50% sponsored research.
5. Use funding sources as a guide, determine function code splits.
Often you will split the functions using the same percentages as his or her
payroll percentages.
For example, Dr. Who’s space should be 50% function code 21,
departmental research, and 50% function code 22, sponsored research.
Payroll distribution is a valid indication of an individual’s effort, however,
STAR users should have knowledge of what activities are conducted in lab and
lab support space so that they can classify these areas accurately and
consistently.
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When PIs use their offices, labs, and other space to do all of their work, you
should use the same org unit and function code for all of the PI’s space.
Occasionally, a PI uses one lab for one project and another lab for a different
project. Or the PI may have another position, such as an administrative position,
and these should be classified separately (refer to the later section, “More than
One Office?” for more information). Most PIs use all of their space
indiscriminately and thus, all of their space should be coded the same.
Also, you should classify all of the PIs in your department consistently. It may
be helpful to compare their research space to their current awards and compare
their award amounts per square foot to see if any inconsistencies might arise.
Lab Support Space with Multiple PIs
Labs and lab support rooms in which more than one PI is conducting research
generally falls into one of two categories:
 the PIs are in the same division, working together on similar types of research
projects. In this case, the PIs are in the same discipline and have similar
appointments.
 the PIs are sharing interdisciplinary space, with PIs from different divisions or
departments, performing different roles on one or more projects.
To classify research space shared by PIs collaborating on similar projects, split
the room into portions for each PIs and follow the same procedure as for one PI.
Be sure to specify every PI’s name in the Responsible Faculty/Staff field.
Interdisciplinary space requires special attention. Interdisciplinary space should
be verified by the chairman or department head. Determine how much of the
room is assigned to your department, who are the PIs doing the research, and
what grants they have. Once you get the department assignment verified,
determine the function code using the same procedure as for other research
space. If the PI or others are not in your department, you will need to contact the
other department to determine the source of the PIs and other employees’
funding. In STAR, you will also need “collaborating” access to the names in the
other department.
Classifying Non-Research Space
If a room is not being used for research, follow these steps to determine the
Division/Cost Center/Group and the function to use. You should have already
determined the department assignment and the room use for this room (refer to
previous sections for information about how to do this.
Specify the Organizational Unit
All departments have at least one division, cost center, or cost center group
below the department level to use for classifying space. We use the catch-all
term “organizational unit” (org unit) to describe the divisions, cost centers, or
cost center groups in your department.
Some departments have only one org unit available in STAR, so you will use
that org unit for all your department’s space. If your department has more than
one org unit, you will need to specify the appropriate one for each room.
Rooms that are set aside for use by specific divisions should be classified with
the divisions’ org unit. If a room is used by more than one org unit, split it using
the percentage that each org unit uses the room.
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Note that when a room is divided into more than one org unit, a function code
must be assigned to each org unit.
Is This Room Occupied?
The fourth step is to decide whether the room has an occupant, that is, the room
is someone’s primary work space, or in other words, their “home” at work. Most
people’s primary work space is either an office, a cubicle, or a lab.
If the room is occupied, then use the person’s payroll cost centers (fund codes)
and cost element (object codes) to determine the function code for that room.
Refer to Appendix D, “Cost Center/Function Code Grid” to find the appropriate
function code.
For example, consider Jeff Doe’s office, which is his primary work space. Jeff is
paid on a 152xxxx cost center using cost element 603000. The Cost
Center/Function Code Grid tells us that the function code for his space is 13,
departmental administration.
If the occupant is paid from more than one cost center, then you must split the
occupant’s space by function code according to these steps:
1. Determine the percentage of the occupant’s salary that is paid by each cost
center.
For example, Jane Doe is paid 70% on 1511064 cost center using 600000
cost element, and 30% on 3020140 cost center using 601300 cost element.
2. Using the Cost Center/Function Code Grid, find the appropriate function
code for each payroll cost center/cost element combination.
For example, Jane Doe’s 1511064 /600000 salary portion means that her
space should be function code 13, and 3020140 /601300 should be function
code 20.
3. Split the occupant’s space by the same percentages as his or her payroll
percentages.
For example, Jane Doe’s office should be 70% function code 13, and 30%
function code 20.
4. Specify Jane Doe’s in the Occupant field in STAR.
People who Occupy More Than One Office
Some people have more than one position, and more than one office. When
these people perform only certain roles while in each office, then the offices
should be classified accordingly. For example, a faculty member may have an
administrative position, such as Director of Graduate Studies, with an office in
an administrative suite. When in this office, the faculty member works only in
the role of Director of Graduate Studies and this office should be 100% function
code 15, instructional administration.
If the Room Does Not Have Occupants
If a room is not used as anyone’s primary work space, the next question is,
“who’s using the space?” Many rooms such as conference rooms, lounges,
supply rooms, and storage rooms are used for many different activities and are
used by an entire department or division. These rooms should be function 13,
departmental administration.
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Conference rooms might be used sometimes by people working on a specific
research project, and the rest of the time by the entire department. In these cases,
classify the room with two function codes, 13 and the appropriate research
function code, using the principal investigator’s name in the Responsible
Faculty/Staff field for the research function code.
Unoccupied rooms often have a clear purpose and are set aside for specific
activities. They should be classified with the appropriate function codes. For
example, most classrooms in academic areas are used for instruction, function
code 11 or 12.
Completely empty rooms might be on hold for some reason, or they might be
under renovation. It is possible that they should be assigned to another
department.
Vacant rooms, those which have been occupied previously, should be classified
as function code 82, Transitional, for the first year and function code 81 for the
subsequent years that the room is vacant. If your department has been assigned
to newly constructed rooms, use function code 81. If the room is being held for
someone, use the generic designator, “On Reserve” in the Responsible
Faculty/Staff field. Otherwise, use the “Department Chair,” “Director,” for
“Business Manager” designator.
Determining exactly which divisions use certain rooms for what purposes and
for how much time can be difficult. Resource rooms, departmental libraries,
office services, offices, and conference rooms can legitimately be classified
many different ways. Use your best guess to break this down and try to be
consistent for all of these kinds of rooms in your department. It’s not necessary
to spend a long time trying to be very exact--make it easy on yourself and call
Plant Accounting if you have questions.
Specify the Responsible Faculty/Staff
In addition to the room’s occupant, you must specify the person who is
responsible for the programs or activities occurring in the room in the
Responsible Faculty/Staff field. Follow these guidelines:
 If the room is used for departmental administrative support, not for a research
project, then use the generic designators, “Department Chair,” “Director,” or
“Business Manager.”
 If the room is occupied by a faculty member, use their name (and make sure the
room use is Faculty Office).
 If the room is used for research support, use the name of the principal
investigator (PI) of the research project. If the space is used for more than one
research project, specify all of the PIs that are responsible for the research being
conducted or supported in that room.
Do I Have a Service Center in My Department?
Service Centers are organizational units or activities that provide goods or
specific technical or administrative services for internal University operations
and charge the user directly for these goods/services. Service Centers should be
classified using *9 function codes.
There are two types of Service Centers: Service component and shared resource.
Service Components represent a department or cost center within the University
or Health System whose primary purpose is to provide goods or services, as a
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convenience to faculty, staff and students, based on costs incurred. Currently,
service components are assigned a unique cost center (fund code) in the 1579XXX and 747-9XXX.
Shared Resources are departments or cost centers that do not represent the
major purpose of the generating department (e.g. department electron
microscope). Shared resources also include a department or cost center that
provides goods/services within a department. The services are meant to provide
convenience to faculty, staff and students based on direct costs only and can
only include internal cost center support costs.
Additional information about Service Centers may be obtained on Financial
Service’s website (http://www.finsvc.duke.edu/finsvc/gap/index.html) under
GAP 200.300 Service Center Administration.
Additional Notes
 An academic department’s mail room should (usually) be 100% function code
13, department administration.
 The chair’s suite should be classified as function 13, departmental
administration.
 A private toilet should be recorded with the same function code as the person’s
office if it is accessible through a person’s office, and no one else uses it.
However, if a toilet is used by many people, it’s considered a public space. All
public space is circulation space and is not assigned to a department.
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