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Revision History

Reference Documents

• Appendix 1: ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Protocol and Procedure for Space Management

Acronyms

• B&E – Building and Estates
• HEA – Higher Education Authority
• SMC – Space Management Committee
• UL – ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ

1. Purpose and Scope

1.1. The Purpose

The ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ is committed to provide and maintain suitable space for students, academic, administrative and research staff and other members of the campus community in order that they can perform university-related activities. The Committee will seek to represent the interests of all University schools and departments and divisions to ensure that valuable UL space is allocated in the best interests of the University as a whole.

1.2. The Scope

Space covered under the remit of the SMC includes:

• Teaching space including lecture theatres, classrooms, laboratories and computer rooms.

• Office and related space (including open plan areas) for faculty, support staff, researchers and visitors.

• Research write-up stations. B&E will endeavour to provide sufficient research write-up space for research students while they are on campus. A desk booking system will be in place to enable students to book a suitably located desk for up to a week at a time. Spaces may be shared between multiple departments or even faculties. In certain circumstances and with the prior agreement of B&E, research students may be allocated a particular desk for a fixed period of time. B&E will work with relevant departments to ensure, where feasible, that laboratory-based students can book a desk in reasonable proximity to their lab.

• B&E will monitor the utilisation of all research write up spaces to ensure that they are being used in a productive way.

• Research laboratory areas including preparation and other associated space.

• All other UL space with the exception of those spaces mentioned below.

Space not covered by the SMC includes:

• SMC will not involve itself in the day-to-day allocation of offices. This matter will be reserved for B&E. SMC will only consider proposals when large tranches of office space become available.

• Student Residences

• Student courtyard and other commercial areas

• University Arena

• Limerick Enterprise Development Partnership, Roxboro, Limerick

Other:

In the case of the Park Point complex, whereas the property is managed by Park Point Management and owned by Plassey Campus Centre (PCC), the University will liaise with these entities with a view to the use and allocation of spaces there so as to best suit the University exigencies. The SMC will determine what best suits the University.

2. Strategic Direction

2.1 The Committee will assist the Executive Committee in ensuring that major decisions in relation to the use, allocation or re-allocation of large tranches, vacant or under-utilised space are aligned to University strategy.

3. Remit

3.1 All space is the property of the University and at its discretion the University has the right to reclaim and reallocate space as necessary based on the needs and changing demands and priorities of the University.

3.2 The SMC is a sub-committee of Executive with devolved powers.

• SMC is a neutral committee, with membership designed to cover all staff across the University. For the avoidance of conflict of interest there will be no direct involvement of faculty on the Committee.

• While SMC will consider costs in its deliberations regarding space allocation and space reconfiguration / refurbishment, it is not responsible for the allocation of funds to carry out these works.

4. Terms of Reference

4.1 Make calls for submissions for utilisation of large tranches of decanted or purchased space.

4.2 Ensure that competing submissions from the same faculty are first prioritised by the relevant Executive Dean.

4.3 Review these submissions and allocate all or part of the available space based on the overall merits of the submissions and alignment with the best interests of the University.

4.4 Develop proposals for the utilisation of new, decanted or purchased space.

4.5 Consider medium- and long-term issues such as the most appropriate location for all University departments, research centres etc.

4.6 Consider the merits and space requirements of different programmes and recommend the provision of same in future buildings or in reconfigured spaces.

4.7 Ensure compliance with the principles of space provision and usage as set out in the University’s Protocol and Procedures for Space Management.

4.8 Consider findings from both HEA mandated and B&E initiated space utilisation audits and make recommendations based on same.

4.9 Be the final arbiter in disputes between B&E and other University departments regarding significant proposed changes and reconfigurations of space. In these cases, any dispute will require the endorsement of the relevant Dean/Director before being considered by SMC.

4.10 Advance human rights, equality, diversity and inclusion in line with university policies. The Committee will aim to foster consistency and adopt common approaches where these serve the best interests of students and staff and ensure compliance with the University’s public sector duty requirements.

5. Roles and Responsibilities

5.1 Membership of the SMC:

• Provost & Deputy President (Chair)

• Vice President Research (or nominee)

• Chief Finance & Performance Officer

• Director Buildings & Estates (Deputy Chair)

• Director ITD

• Director HR

• Director of Academic Registry

• Director of Strategic Planning

• Chief Commercial Officer

• Associate Vice President Academic Affairs

• Space Manager (in attendance)

• Buildings Officer (in attendance)

• Scheduling / Operations Manager (in attendance)

5.2 Other stakeholders as requested by the Chair from time to time may attend meetings of the Committee for a specific period/project.

6. Communications

6.1 The aim of the SMC is to ensure effective communications with all faculties and the university community.

6.2 Decisions taken by the Committee will be communicated to relevant faculties/departments through the Chair.

7. Delegated Authority

7.1 SMC are the final decision makers on the allocation of University space.

7.2 Decision of the Committee will be noted to the Executive Committee.

7.3 As per item 1.2 above, B&E is responsible for the day-to-day allocation of space (allocation of offices, proposing and arranging office moves, adding additional desks to offices, liaising with Academic Registry, Faculty Managers, Department/School Heads, advising on optimal space utilisation, conducting space utilisation audits) in accordance with the University’s Space Management Protocol (Appendix 1). The day-to-day allocation of office and other small spaces and common areas (circulation spaces, car parks etc.), will not be part of the decision making process of the SMC.

8. Procedure for the Meetings

8.1 B&E, in conjunction with the Chair, will prepare an agenda, in advance, for each meeting of the SMC. Each voting member can contribute to the agenda or can ask for items to be added to the agenda.

8.2 If the chair is absent from a scheduled meeting of the SMC, the role of chair will be delegated to deputy chair.

8.3 The Committee will aim to meet at least 4 times per annum and more frequently when required.

8.4 A quorum for a meeting of the Committee shall be a half of the total number of members, rounded up to the nearest whole number. The participation of members by tele conferencing and/or video conferencing will be counted for the purposes of a quorum. No meeting will proceed in the absence of a quorum.

8.5 Between meetings of the Committee occasions may arise where an urgent matter requires consideration of the Committee. The Chair may agree in such circumstances to seek a decision of the Committee via email to all members. In the event of such circumstances arising any such decision will be noted in the minutes of the Committee’s next meeting.

8.6 At the start of each meeting, the Chair to the Committee will ask members to declare any conflict of interest, perceived or otherwise, in relation to any matters on the agenda. Where such a conflict is declared, the member will absent him/herself from the meeting during consideration of the agenda item. In addition, any additional documentation will not be made available to the member following the declaration of interest. These matters will be recorded in the minutes.

8.7 Questions arising at any Committee meeting should be decided by consensus. Where reaching a consensus is not possible, then the matter will be decided by a majority of the votes of the members present either in person or by tele conferencing and/or video conferencing. Where there is an equality of votes, the Chair shall have an extra casting vote. Where decisions are unanimous, they shall be recorded as such in the minutes. Dissensions and negative votes shall be summarised in the minutes in terms acceptable to the dissenting person or negative voter.

8.8 The Committee will review its terms of reference on a biennial basis and recommend any changes to Executive Committee for approval.

9. Procedures for Proposals

9.1 All proposals for additional space or for significant reconfiguration/change of use of existing space must first be reviewed by B&E through the Minor Works process. B&E will ensure that the proposal is accurate in terms of space requirements. Where time permits and a proposal is likely to be of significant cost, B&E will seek to produce an estimate of costs for review by the Committee. The Committee can approve the allocation of space, however, the funding plan and approval of budget will be a separate matter requiring approval through appropriate oversight committees.

9.2 Proposals for any change of use, development or alteration must be initially discussed with B&E and no work should commence without the prior agreement of B&E and agreement on budget and funding. This will apply in all cases including proposed changes in use or occupancy within units, access to buildings and introduction of non-standard restricted security systems.

Protocol and Procedures for Space Management

1. General statement

1.1 The ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ is committed to provide and maintain suitable space for students, academic, administrative and research staff and other members of the campus community in order that they can perform university-related activities. The Space Management Committee (SMC) will seek to represent the interests of all University Activities to ensure that valuable UL space is allocated in the best interests of the University as a whole.

1.2 Space is assigned to faculties, divisions, departments, research centres etc. based on the needs of the Unit and the availability of space. All space is the property of the University and at its discretion the University has the right to reclaim and reallocate space as necessary based on the needs and changing demands and priorities of the University.

1.3 In order to obtain optimum utilization of space, all University space must be used in a responsible manner and in accordance with the strategic interests of the University.

1.4 The University regards space as a critical asset and will continually monitor its utilisation against the strategic priorities of the University in order to maximise the use of all available space. This will encourage users to actively manage their space, minimise user demand and lead to the release of unneeded or under-utilised space.

1.5 It is intended that all Units will, where practicable, be assigned space which provides physical cohesion and avoids multi-location of offices and related facilities.

1.6 The SMC will oversee compliance with the principles of space provision and usage as set out in this Space Management Protocol.

1.7 The SMC is responsible for the development and approval of proposals for the provision, allocation, withdrawal and reallocation of accommodation in accordance with agreed strategic objectives. The SMC will principally aim to ensure that large tranches of vacant or under-utilised space are re-allocated based on the strategic priorities of the University as a whole.

1.8 The Buildings and Estates (B&E) Department is responsible for the day-to-day allocation of space and for the implementation of this Space Management Protocol.

2. Scope

2.1 Space covered by the protocol includes:

• Teaching space including lecture theatres, classrooms, laboratories and computer rooms.

• Office and related space (including open plan areas) for faculty, support staff, researchers and visitors.

• Research write-up stations. B&E will endeavour to provide sufficient research write-up space for research students while they are on campus. A desk booking system will be in place to enable students to book a suitably located desk for up to a week at a time. Spaces may be shared between multiple departments or even faculties. In certain circumstances and with the prior agreement of B&E, research students may be allocated a particular desk for a fixed period of time. B&E will work with relevant departments to ensure, where feasible, that laboratory-based students can book a desk in reasonable proximity to their lab.

• B&E will monitor the utilisation of all research write up spaces to ensure that they are being used in a productive way.

• Research laboratory areas including preparation and other associated space.

• All other UL space with the exception of those spaces mentioned below.

2.2 Space not covered by the protocol includes:

• SMC will not involve itself in the day-to-day allocation of offices. This matter will be reserved for B&E. SMC will only consider proposals when large tranches of office space become available.

• Student Residences

• Student courtyard and other commercial areas

• University Arena

• Limerick Enterprise Development Partnership, Roxboro, Limerick

2.3 Other: In the case of the Park Point complex, whereas the property is managed by Park Point Management and owned by Plassey Campus Centre (PCC), the University will liaise with these entities with a view to the use and allocation of spaces there being so as to best suit the University exigencies. The SMC will determine what best suits the University.

3. Implementation and procedures

3.1 The University will maintain a detailed space inventory of its facilities. In keeping with the guidelines set by the HEA, space will be categorised by allocation, room type, description, department/school, size etc. B&E will maintain and review protocols and procedures for updating this inventory and for disseminating this information to relevant parties at the University.

3.2 Requests for space will be facilitated in line with the protocol objectives in the General Statement (section 1 above).

4. Space development and reconfiguration

4.1 B&E is responsible for overseeing the building and renovation of all university space.

4.2 Proposals for any change of use, development or alteration must be initially discussed with B&E through the Minor Works process and no work should commence without the prior agreement of B&E. This will apply in all cases including proposed changes in use or occupancy within units, access to buildings and introduction of non-standard restricted security systems.

4.3 B&E will engage in continuous analysis and surveys to determine the optimum assignment of current space, plan for future space needs and identify and recommend solutions to space problems such as poor utilisation and the sharing of space to reduce duplication etc.

4.4 As a general rule B&E will, after appropriate consultation with interested parties, make decisions on space development, alteration and allocation. As noted in the Terms of Reference for the SMC, if circumstances arise where there is significant disagreement between B&E and a Faculty/Division concerning major developments, alterations or allocations, then the matter may be referred to the SMC. The decision of the SMC will be final.

5. Teaching space

5.1 New programme proposals and modifications to existing programmes must specify teaching space requirements in documentation presented to the Academic Programme Review Committee and should be discussed in advance with Academic Registry Scheduling and Exams to note requirements. Information on new academic programmes and departments and the retiring of programmes should be forwarded to B&E for assessment of space implications.

5.2 A database of space available for central scheduling will be maintained and reviewed annually with Academic Registry. SMC in conjunction with the Provost will determine, in consultation with interested parties, whether additional space should be made available to central scheduling. Space will not be removed from central scheduling’s pool of rooms without the agreement of the Provost.

5.3 The Provost will be consulted when additional teaching space is being provided in new or refurbished space. The Provost will agree on the optimal use of this space. Proposals for new buildings or reconfiguration of existing space will give consideration to teaching space capacities in order to optimise the potential for scheduling purposes.

5.4 Units must adopt a flexible approach to the use of potential teaching space. In particular, consideration must be given to minimising the amount of laboratory areas which are considered ‘dedicated’ rather than multi-functional.

5.5 Academic departments must ensure that systems are in place to ensure accuracy when submitting teaching space requests to Academic Registry. Specifically, faculty should specify if a room is required for only a limited number of weeks in semester and requirements should be assessed for each semester rather than relying on information from previous years. This will capture any changes which have been made to module delivery modes and will identify the consequences this might have on the availability of teaching rooms, laboratories and associated space.

5.6 Audits will be carried out at least annually to determine undergraduate classroom and laboratory usage during semesters. The audits will also compare utilisation rates for centrally and locally scheduled teaching spaces. B&E will make recommendations as appropriate to the SMC based on the audit results.

5.7 To enable effective use of campus facilities during the summer vacation for conference and events, PCC will manage the use of all classroom and lecture theatre space for this period. Campus community requirements for these facilities during this period should be requested through the PCC office. In addition, B&E may require access to teaching facilities between semesters and during the summer break to facilitate planned maintenance and upgrading. This will be planned in conjunction with PCC for the summer period, and with the relevant Faculties, Departments and other units for periods outside the teaching semester and summer vacation period.

6. Office space

6.1 B&E will endeavour to find appropriate office space for faculty and staff. In order to optimise office usage, it is necessary to maintain accurate records and projections of office occupancy and availability. Units are required to forward information on recruitment, sabbatical leave, retirements, long term sick leave etc. to B&E.

6.2 In order to facilitate physical proximity and minimise multi-location, priority will be given to the allocation of vacated offices to faculty/staff in adjacent units.

6.3 Refurbishment works to office spaces are carried out as necessary. Occupants may be required to temporarily vacate to an alternative office location to facilitate these works. Staff may even be required to work from home for periods during refurbishments. When office space is refurbished, standard office furniture, fittings, decor etc. will be provided by prior agreement with B&E. Faculty and staff are not permitted to refurbish offices without prior approval from B&E via the Minor Works process. Approval for such work is at the discretion of the Director of Buildings and Estates.

6.4 Offices assigned to faculty/staff who are on long-term sick leave may be utilised by B&E for other faculty/staff where the need arises. Once notification is received that the original occupant of the office is returning to work, then the office will be vacated by the temporary occupant.

6.5 HR will provide information on retirees, and in instances where contracts have terminated, to B&E. Offices or desk space occupied by faculty and staff who retire or whose employment has terminated will revert to B&E not later than 5 working days following retirement/contract end date. Retirees and former employees have no entitlement to office or desk space save in exceptional circumstances where approved by B&E.

6.6 HR will notify B&E when faculty/staff are going on sabbatical or other long-term leave. The utilisation of the office during the period of absence will be agreed between the unit manager and B&E. If agreement is not possible, B&E will decide on the appropriate use. Offices cannot be left vacant while faculty/staff are on such leave.

6.7 Staff who avail of research leave will not have an automatic right to maintain their office or desk while on said research leave unless otherwise agreed with B&E.

6.8 Staff who avail of the blended working policy may be required to vacate or share their existing office/desk. They may be required to move to a smaller office. They may also be required to work within a hot desking system if one is introduced within their unit.

7. Research space

7.1 B&E will allocate and monitor the utilisation of all research space.

7.2 Where the University is submitting research funding applications or undertaking new research initiatives that will have significant space implications, the Office of the Vice President Research and Innovation will flag these to B&E at the earliest opportunity, to facilitate early planning.