About Us

To ensure that campus space fulfills the University’s academic and research missions, our office assists units with capital planning and space management, allocation, and utilization.

This information applies to academic and administrative units on the Ann Arbor campus; however, other units are welcome to use these resources as needed.

Provost’s Office Space Staff

The following Provost’s Office staff are responsible for space-related activities and can be contacted by e-mail at [email protected]:

  • Fadi Musleh, Assistant Vice Provost of Academic and Budgetary Affairs
  • Lauren Plews, Senior Project Manager

Scope of Work & Responsibilities

The Provost’s Office staff are responsible for the following space planning and utilization areas:

Capital planning & renewal

  • Lead the capital planning process for General Fund units and make recommendations to the Provost to ensure responsible growth that supports the University’s academic and research mission
  • Represent the Provost’s Office and institutional interests throughout the capital project programming and conceptual design process, and approve final programming and designs with projects

Space needs, requests, & allocations

  • Be the primary point of contact for all General Fund units seeking additional or temporary surge space both on- or off-campus
  • Evaluate, manage and make recommendations to the Provost regarding requests for campus space
  • Work with units to define space needs and partner with the AEC Real Estate & Space Information office and other units to identify available space
  • Guide units through the process from defining the space requirements through final move-in
  • Represent the Provost’s Office and institutional interests as space is being planned and programmed

Space policies & procedures

  • Implement campus space policies and related tools that ensure strategic and effective space management, planning and utilization across General Fund units
  • Partner with appropriate business owners and units to facilitate business process and system changes needed to support new policies, as needed

Space planning & utilization

  • Participate in campus-wide space planning committees
  • Identify opportunities for space sharing or repurposing
  • Review food service plans and contracts for General Fund units on behalf of the Provost’s Office
  • Monitor the campus inventory of general purpose classrooms and their use
  • Identify opportunities to repurpose or reallocate classrooms, where appropriate

Ad-hoc space data analysis

  • Assist units in analyzing space data and tying it to other sets of data (enrollment, financial, HR, etc.) to address internal unit space planning questions

Best practice resource

  • Provide assistance to General Fund units seeking best practice information or examples of effective space management, planning and utilization on the Ann Arbor campus or at other institutions