• Overview
• Projects Underway
  • Capital Projects Process
  • Classroom Scheduling and Utilization
  • Facilities Maintenance and Upkeep
  • Food Service Planning
  • Research Space Management
• Guidelines
  • Capital Project Guidelines
  • Food Service Planning Guidelines
  • Office Space Guidelines
  • Research Space Guidelines
  • Target Goals for Classroom Utilization
• Resources and Tools
  • Utilization reporting and information
  • Building and space information
  • Utilities information
  • Additional resources
• News and Events
• Contact

announcement of new office space guidelines

April 4, 2008

Dear Colleagues:

As you may recall, the University of Michigan launched the Space Utilization Initiative as part of efforts to be good stewards of the University’s physical and financial resources. The goals of this multi-year initiative are to explore how Ann Arbor campus facilities are used and to better plan and manage these valuable resources to meet the University’s academic and research missions.

As part of the Space Utilization Initiative and to assist units in assigning or planning space needs, we are pleased to announce that office space guidelines will be available to General Fund units on the Ann Arbor campus, effective April 15, 2008.

The University of Michigan has not had campus-wide guidelines for allocating office space. As a result, some units have developed their own internal guidelines or policies, which will need to be aligned with the new campus guidelines. The new office space guidelines were developed to help General Fund administrative and academic units decide more effectively how to assign and use office space when planning renovations and new construction or responding to pressing space needs.

The guidelines were developed with the input and approval of the Space Utilization Initiative Steering Committee; Office of the Provost; Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC); Office of the General Counsel; and University Human Resources, and in consultation with various unit budget administrators and facilities managers. The guidelines are similar to ones used at other higher education institutions. Beginning April 15th, AEC will refer to the new office space guidelines when working with units and architects during the design phase of renovations and new construction on the Ann Arbor campus.

The new office space guidelines are among several resources and tools being developed by the Space Utilization Initiative to support responsible use of physical resources across campus and to provide greater consistency and transparency in how space is planned and managed. We encourage units to refer to the guidelines to optimize use of existing office space and to align new office space with campus norms.

The new guidelines are available on the Space Utilization Initiative web site at http://www.provost.umich.edu/space/guidelines.

For questions about the office space guidelines, please contact Frances Mueller, the Space Utilization Initiative project manager, at 734.763.5942 or space.utilization@umich.edu. For more information on the Space Utilization Initiative, visit www.provost.umich.edu/space.

Sincerely,

Teresa A. Sullivan, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Timothy P. Slottow, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Stephen R. Forrest, Vice President for Research