5,403: Guidelines and Regulations in Assignment and Use of Space

Revised: August 2018

1. General policies for All University Space:

Smoking is not permitted in any university space.
Non-research animals are not permitted in university buildings, except for service animals, as defined in UAM 5,470 Animals on University Property.

2. Classrooms (Including Seminar Rooms):

Assignment: General purpose classrooms are assigned as university space for scheduled instruction by the academic units through the Scheduling Services Office. A major goal of the Facilities Resource Committee is to try to retain all good classrooms and to authorize the conversion of poor classrooms to other uses as justified.

Use: To assure effective use of each classroom, university policy requires that:

Classrooms are to be scheduled 30 hours per week at 60% occupancy when in use. Class laboratories are to be utilized 20 hours per week at 80% station occupancy when in use to comply with standards established by the Board of Regents.
Chairs and other furnishings are not to be removed or added without advance authorization from the director of Facilities Planning and Analysis.
General instructional classrooms are secured after cleaning and are made accessible each school day. When there is equipment to be protected, special provisions are to be made for securing other than locking the classroom. Department chairs or deans must make arrangements for special security through the University Police Department.
Room defects and/or faculty equipment items are to be reported by Internal Purchase Order (IPO) to the director of Facility Services for corrective action. If corrective action is not possible, the director of Facility Services is responsible for reporting the deficiency to the Facilities Planning and Analysis Office for entry into the space inventory control file.
Regularly scheduled university classes and activities have priority over any ad hoc use of a room.

3. Special Purpose Space (Class Labs, Research Labs, Shops, Darkrooms, etc.):

Assignment: All special purpose space is assigned to a department or unit and is not to be opened for general university scheduling. Any use of these areas for other than assigned activities must be approved by the assigned unit. The Facilities Resource Committee will review the assignment of special purpose space at regular intervals or whenever it is advisable.

Use: To assure effective use of all assigned special purpose space, university policy requires that:

Any changes in the basic use of this space or in the staff members or unit activities used to justify its assignment must be immediately reported to the Facilities Resource Committee by the dean/director or department chair.
All space that is not being used for its assigned purpose is subject to a review and possible reassignment. The Facilities Resource Committee or the director of Facilities Planning and Analysis is authorized to inspect and study all university space and to request current information on justification and utilization of any area.
Special purpose rooms are normally locked. Each using unit is responsible for the security of these rooms and of the equipment they contain.

4. Offices:

Principles in Assignment - To assure effective use of the available office space, the following principles govern assignments:

Professional faculty are normally assigned individual offices in accordance with the Higher Education Advisory Commission of Nevada standards for each discipline (120 to 160 square feet). Multiple occupancy may be required in larger office areas.
Classified employees, including technicians, are normally assigned or provided work space appropriate to a specific function.
1. Individual offices are not assigned unless specific circumstances warrant.
2. The amount of administrative space assigned per unit is regulated by HEAC standards which range from 30 to 80 square feet per FTE faculty.
Teaching and research fellows are not normally assigned individual office space.
1. Teaching fellows are provided desk space in multiple occupancy areas when available.
2. Research fellows are provided desk space as above or in research laboratories when available.
Students (undergraduate and graduate) are not provided office or desk space unless required by university employment or justified through officially recognized student organizations. Any assignment of such space should be cleared through the Facilities Resource Committee.
Sabbatical leave personnel may normally retain use of the assigned office space unless the approved plan includes an extended absence from campus which then requires the office to be made available for the temporary replacement.
1. Each individual is directly responsible for arranging for the security of all personal items.
2. The director of Facility Services is to be contacted if storage assistance is desired for university property.
Visiting professors are assigned individual office space where available.
Emeritus faculty may be assigned office space, where available, if the emeritus faculty member's planned university activities require the use of office space.
Non-university personnel involved in officially recognized university-related activities are assigned office space where available subject to the conditions of the contractual agreement approved by the executive vice president & provost and monitored by the director of Facilities Planning and Analysis.
University boards and committees are not assigned individual office space.

5. Multiple Offices: The assignment of more than one office to any individual requires special authorization by the Facilities Resource Committee.

Any request for additional office or work space which exceeds the HEAC standards requires approval through the Facilities Resource Committee.

6. Conference Rooms:

Assignment: The purpose of a conference room is to provide space for special group meetings which are not regularly scheduled.

Conference rooms are not assigned for classroom instruction.
These facilities are scheduled by the dean, vice president, or department to whom the conference room is assigned by the Facilities Resource Committee.
Non university user requests should be processed through Scheduling Services.

7. Lounges: In general, a lounge area is intended to provide temporary waiting space for individuals having university-related business in that area. Therefore, lounge areas are not normally scheduled except in very special circumstances as authorized by the unit head responsible for the space.

Space is not assigned for individual unit food or beverage preparation unless specifically provided in the design of the building and approved by the Facilities Resource Committee.