Opus College of Engineering Space Policy

 Background

The goal of this space policy is to maximize the beneficial use of spaces assigned to the Opus College of Engineering (OCOE) that are available for use by faculty, staff, and students. The policy is intended to be clearly delineated and include sufficient flexibility to respond to changing needs and opportunities. It also intended to be fair, consistent, and transparent.  OCOE currently occupies spaces in Engineering Hall, Haggerty Hall, Olin Engineering Center and Cramer Hall. The purpose of this Space Policy is to establish consistent practices for the inventory, allocation and utilization of these spaces.

 

A periodic review of these policies should be conducted every 3 to 5 years by the Space Committee, or more frequently if the Space Committee or other departmental personnel identify issues that should be addressed.  Revised policies must be voted on by the Space Committee and forwarded to the Dean for final approval.  Any questions regarding the space policy should be directed to Chair of the Space Committee.

 

 Space Inventory Policy and Procedures

An inventory of spaces assigned to the OCOE will be assembled and maintained by the Director of Operations.  The spreadsheet will be updated annually.  Included in the spreadsheet are fields for:

• Building name
• Room number
• Room name (including donor if applicable)
• Square footage
• Faculty/Department assignment and contact information
• Laboratory use percentage (%research, %teaching)
• Occupant(s)
• Unique features of the room (utilities such as fume hood, water line, etc., capital equipment, specialized power)
• Key number/core (when available)

 

The spreadsheet will be distributed to the members of the Space Committee, the Dean, Associate Deans, the Director of Operations and the Director of Technology of OCOE.  The spreadsheet is also available to faculty and staff of the OCOE upon request.  The Space Committee will use the spreadsheet for assessing space utilization and for allocation of space for new purposes.  Data from the spreadsheet may also be used by the Dean of OCOE for strategic planning.  Data from the spreadsheet will be provided to the University upon request.

 

 Space allocation policy and procedures

OCOE will allocate spaces to provide idealized hands-on learning experiences, maximize resources for scholarly activities and serve the needs of students. These space allocation policies and procedures are intended to accommodate the space needs of a constantly changing environment.

 

The following guidelines apply to space predominately used for research by faculty, staff and students.

• OCOE should supply adequate space for all active research projects. Funded projects will have priority over long-term unfunded projects.
• Whenever possible, research groups with compatible interests and/or shared laboratories or equipment should be placed in adjacent space.
• If applicable, a research project should be assigned dedicated space, consistent with the needs of that project. In the event of substantial increase of space needs for new projects, space arrangements must be made prior to proposal submittal.
• Laboratory space is not to be used for long-term storage.
• Adequate space should be provided for new faculty members and, to the extent possible, should be agreed upon prior to and be ready for use at the beginning of their appointments.

 

Our policy is as follows:

• All space allocated to the OCOE will be managed and allocated at the college level. The Dean has the ultimate responsibility for space allocation, and the Space Committee will review space allocations as needed.
• Space will be allocated to a ‘user,’ consisting of a member of the faculty or staff of the OCOE. Instructional spaces are generally allocated to Department Chairs. Department Chairs are also responsible for advocating for the allocation of research spaces to the faculty of their department.
• The user to whom the space was allocated will not further allocate the space to or for the responsibility of another user outside of the allocated user’s chain of authority, or for a new purpose except with consent of the Dean. For example, instructional space allocated to a Department Chair cannot be repurposed for research without approval of the Space Committee and Dean.
• Access to spaces assigned to a user can be granted to faculty and staff of the University for use in collaborative projects.

 

Our procedures for allocation of spaces in OCOE are as follows:

 Procedures for requesting space

Requests for space are made by email to the Chair of the Space Committee.  The request may be authored by a member of the faculty, staff or by someone from the Dean’s office or Department Chair representing the member of the faculty or staff.  The request should include the intended use of the space, the square footage, utilities and other requirements of the requested space. A brief justification for the required space must be described. The Space Committee will review all requests for space, assess available space and make recommendations to the Dean of OCOE for space allocation by committee vote.

 

Procedures for reallocating space

Decisions to reallocate space that has been previously allocated to a user will be made by the Dean of OCOE upon recommendation from the Space Committee. Reallocation of space will only be made in response to a specific need that is critical to the long-term strategic plan for the OCOE. Reallocation is made for reasons of growth (e.g., faculty hires, new initiatives, grant success) and in response to contractions (e.g. retirements, long-term funding declines, termination of student programs, etc.). 

 

Research space will become eligible for reallocation if there is a significant long term decrease in research personnel using the space, sponsored research funding, and/or number of research grant submissions proposed for the space.  A decrease is considered “long-term” when it extends for longer than two calendar years without explanation. Should a faculty member be in a situation where assigned space is underutilized for more than two years, that space may be wholly or partially reassigned to meet an urgent need. The OCOE will strive to provide 9-12 months advance notice before a user must vacate occupied space. In such situations, a Space Committee representative will discuss the committee’s recommendations with the affected faculty member prior to a final recommendation to the Dean. The faculty member will have an opportunity to describe to the Space Committee his/her circumstances and program needs prior to a final decision.

 

The following information will be requested from the faculty member to help inform the Committee’s recommendations: graduate students, research funding, publications, patents, conference presentations (refereed), educational activities, anything else the faculty member feels adds value.

 

Space utilization policy and procedures

 Policy

• Space in the OCOE will be utilized based on its best use to the college as a whole. “Best use” will be determined by the space utilization evaluation metrics that are established by the college listed below.
• The college will maintain a spreadsheet that objectively measures the value of space based on the metrics listed below and others as needed.
• When space is requested, the value of the requested space will be compared to the value of existing space; existing space will be evaluated only if it fits within the category of space being requested.

 

Research Laboratories

Research laboratories are allocated to OCOE faculty and staff.  For research space utilization, the following are considered to have value to the OCOE:

• Research productivity

1. Size of research team (externally funded grads, post-docs, technicians, undergrads, research professors, visitors) per square foot
2. External research expenditures per square foot
3. Indirect cost per square foot
4. External research awards per square foot
5. Housing of equipment utilized for research by faculty and staff of OCOE

• Undergraduate research projects
• Administrative and research support
• Public visibility

 Classrooms, Conference Rooms and Commons Areas

Purpose

The purpose of this utilization policy is to allow for efficient and fair use of and establishes the acceptable use of the OPUS College of Engineering facilities.

 

Scope

This policy shall govern facilities located in Engineering Hall, Haggerty Hall and Olin Engineering.

 

Conditions of Use

Documentation of space utilization is being tracked at the University and College level.  Therefore, reservations are required to use Classrooms, Conference Rooms and Commons Areas; reservations must be made in 25Live as described below.  If you use a space that you did not previously reserve, please reserve retroactively.  

 

While the engineering facilities are available for a multitude of functions and users, everyone should be mindful of others using our facilities and be respectful, showing courtesy to visitors and others. Our engineering facilities are places for active engagement and scholarly work. Anyone using our facilities for events involving food or beverages is expected to leave the areas in a clean and orderly manner so that they are ready for the next users. If room furniture is rearranged for an event, the person(s) hosting the event are responsible for restoring furniture to the original configuration and re-connecting any cabling that was disconnected.

 

General Pool and Restricted Rooms

• General Pool - Some spaces within Olin and Haggerty Halls are in the general pool of rooms available to the entire University and managed by Office of the Registrar. To reserve a space in a general pool room, a request must be made through 25Live.
• Restricted Spaces - All other areas in Olin, Haggerty and all areas of Engineering Hall, are restricted to Engineering and managed by the College of Engineering.

 

Conference and Seminar Rooms

The conference rooms in Engineering Hall are intended for use by all faculty and staff to hold meetings, seminars, etc. on an occasional basis. They are not intended for scheduled classes. Engineering Hall  DL 252, DL 352, DL 354 and Olin Hall EN 204, EN 204A are available for reservations on a first-come, first-serve basis by OCOE Faculty and Staff. These rooms are specifically for faculty and staff business and not student meetings, except when faculty or staff are conducting the meeting with student attendees. Conference and seminar rooms are not to be used for scheduled classes. Only single, non-recurring reservations may be scheduled for DL 154.  To reserve conference and seminar rooms, please submit reservation requests through 25Live.

 

Restricted Classrooms

• Engineering Hall DL 136, DL 221, DL 236, DL 323, DL 423 and Haggerty EN 483, EN 494, EN 499 and EN 499A are scheduled by the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs during the Schedule of Classes building period each semester. Accordingly, engineering classes have priority in restricted classrooms.
• Once the class schedule has been built for the following semester and classes are assigned to classrooms, the restricted classrooms will be available for reservations on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• Recognized engineering student organizations that have registered with the Office of Student Development and College of Engineering are eligible to use classrooms in Engineering Hall subject to the Acceptable Use Policy. Reservations of engineering-restricted classrooms are not to be recurring with an indefinite end date. The organization in question must make a separate reservation for each meeting.
• Acceptable uses by student organizations include organization meetings and events such as guest speakers and other professional events.
• Students, including student employees, must complete the Classroom Access Agreement form before they are given MUID card access to classrooms. The form is located at https://www.mu.edu/coe-access/

 Commons Areas

Engineering Hall is foremost a place dedicated to teaching and research. The commons areas, while attractive for meetings, lunches, and other events, were neither intended nor designed to be used in that manner. Engineering Hall is not staffed to handle such requests, nor is the space conducive to these uses due to the proximity of classrooms and laboratories to the common areas.  The use of the common areas for non-college events must be approved through the Office of the Dean.

 

Common areas are not to be used as classrooms or as instructional-use spaces.  Engineering common(s) areas available for reservations include:

• Engineering Hall commons areas (Lower level through fourth floor levels) and the first floor outdoor balcony are reserved through 25Live.
• The Engineering Hall Green Roof and room 216 computer lab are not available for reservations.
• Outdoor spaces including the Engineering Hall South lawn and beneath the Olin overhang are reserved through university events management (https://www.marquette.edu/event-services/).
• Olin Hall EN 101 (Madonna room) is reserved through 25Live
• Haggerty Hall Engineering Student Lounge (The Pit) is reserved through 25Live
• Alcoholic beverages shall not be served at events in Engineering Hall unless permission to do so is expressly granted by the Dean’s Office

 

Student Areas

• The Engineering Hall student nodes may not be reserved. All engineering students are free to use the student nodes on a first-come, first-serve basis without reservation.
• The Student Collaboration Suite room DL 250 are available to students on a first-come, first-serve basis. Faculty and staff may not use the room unless invited by a COE student.

 

Reservation Process

• College of Engineering classroom and conference room information is available to view at coetech.marquette.edu/index.php/faculty-staff
• College of Engineering faculty and staff may view schedules and submit reservation requests through 25Live located at https://25live.collegenet.com/marquette/
• If faculty or staff are reserving conference rooms for student meetings, the faculty/staff is expected to be in attendance during the meeting. Students do not have MUID card access to conference rooms.
• Student Organizations: Faculty advisors of recognized engineering student organizations may submit requests for room reservations through 25Live. Requests made directly from members of student organizations will not be accepted.
• Students: Reservation requests from students will not be accepted.
• Non-College of Engineering entities: Requests for use by non-College of Engineering persons, departments or organizations will be considered on an individual basis. Requests for reservations should be directed to coe-reserve@marquette.edu.

 

Right to Restrict Access

• Any abuse or misuse of engineering facilities or violations of federal, state or municipal laws or Marquette University or College of Engineering policies occurring in or in the proximity of Engineering facilities may result in loss of future use and enjoyment of Engineering facilities. The College of Engineering reserves the right to restrict access to and deny requests for reservation of engineering facilities.

 

Faculty/Staff offices

Preference shall be to assign office space to faculty in the same building as their primary laboratory space, when possible.  Preference shall be to assign faculty and staff office space with a window or windows, when possible. Department Chairs should submit a request for faculty/staff office space to the OCOE committee Chair of the Space Committee, or the Director of Operations. Once received, the committee will review the request and available space and make its recommendation to the OCOE Dean.  Office spaces are not to be used as storage spaces.

 

Emeritus Faculty

Offices for Emeritus faculty will be assigned based upon need and availability.

 

Adjunct Faculty, TA/RAs and Student Groups

Adjunct faculty should expect to share office space. Department chairs should inform the Committee of their specific needs for adjunct faculty space as they become aware of them.

 

TA/RAs shall be assigned space as available. Preference shall be to assign TA/RA space in the same building as either their advisors primary laboratory or the supervising faculty member’s office, when possible.

 

Student groups will share available office space. Storage of student group materials will be in the basement of Haggerty Hall, NOT in the shared office space.