overview

About the Space Utilization Initiative

The Space Utilization Initiative is a multi-year initiative that was started in February 2007. Its purpose is 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 mission and needs in the future. The initiative focuses primarily on General Fund facilities, and explores the effective use of all types of space, including instructional, research, and office space in both our existing and future facilities.

The initiative emerged in response to an increasingly unpredictable climate of rising energy costs, fluctuations in funding from the State of Michigan, and other economic constraints. As a result of these conditions, the Board of Regents and the Office of the Provost identified facilities and energy costs as a key way to reduce the University’s operating costs.

Through the Space Utilization Initiative, we expect to develop greater efficiencies and maximize the use of our facilities, enabling our institution to:

The initiative is endorsed by the University of Michigan Executive Officers, President, and Board of Regents.

Projects

The Space Utilization Initiative has multiple projects designed to obtain a comprehensive look at issues related to facilities usage. Because of the size and complexity of our institution, issues about how space is used across campus are very complex. Many of the projects will involve examining current institutional business processes, organizational roles and responsibilities, and policies to determine what changes, if any, are needed to ensure that we are managing these areas most effectively.

For more information on projects underway, refer to the Projects Underway section of this site.

The areas that will be explored include:

Project Management

The overall Space Utilization Initiative is led by a project manager and core team in the Office of the Provost and includes academic and administrative unit representatives for each individual project. Active campus involvement is key to the success of this initiative.

  • Frances Mueller
    Project Manager, Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
  • Fadi Musleh
    Project Administrator and Support, Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Project Teams

In addition to the core team, representatives from academic and administrative units are asked to contribute to the Space Utilization Initiative in a variety of ways. Some groups or individuals may be invited to participate in focus groups or to complete online surveys. Other groups or individuals may be asked to lead or participate as members of specific advisory committees or project teams. For a list of project team members, refer to Projects Underway.

Executive Sponsors and Advisory Committees

The Space Utilization Initiative is officially sponsored by the following Executive Officers and guided by the following advisory committees:

Executive Sponsors

  • Mary Sue Coleman
    President, University of Michigan
  • Teresa Sullivan
    Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
  • Timothy Slottow
    Executive Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer
  • Stephen Forrest
    Vice President for Research

Steering Committee

  • Philip Hanlon (business owner)
    Vice Provost for Academic and Budgetary Affairs, Donald J. Lewis Professor of Mathematics, College of Literature, Science and the Arts, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, and Chair, Space Utilization Initiative Steering Committee
  • Hank Baier
    Associate Vice President for Facilities and Operations
  • Deborah Ball
    Dean and William H. Payne Collegiate Professor, School of Education
  • Mark Banaszak-Holl
    Associate Vice President for Research, Professor of Chemistry, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and Professor of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, College of Engineering
  • Anthony Francis
    Acting Dean, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Professor of Chemistry
  • David Munson
    Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering
  • Laura Patterson
    Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer
  • Stephanie Riegle
    Assistant Vice Provost, Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
  • Janet Weiss
    Dean, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs - Graduate Studies, Mary C. Bromage Collegiate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Public Policy, Stephen M. Ross School of Business and Professor, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
  • James Woolliscroft
    Dean and Lyle C. Roll Professor of Medicine, Medical School

Faculty Advisory Committee

  • Jill Becker
    Professor of Psychology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, and Research Professor, Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, Medical School
  • James Borders
    Professor, School of Music
  • Craig Harris
    Professor of Toxicology, School of Public Health and Research Associate Professor, Reproductive Sciences Program
  • Greg Hulbert
    Professor of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering
  • Dennis Lopatin
    Senior Associate Dean and Professor, School of Dentistry
  • Mary Ruffolo
    Associate Professor of Social Work and Associate Dean for Educational Programs, School of Social Work
  • Sherril Smith
    Catherine B Heller Collegiate Professor of Art, School of Art and Design
  • Wayne Stark
    Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering
  • Pat Van Volkinburg
    Clinical Associate Professor of Kinesiology, School of Kinesiology and Lecturer in Education, School of Education

For More Information

For more information on the Space Utilization Initiative, contact space.utilization@umich.edu.

Last updated: 9/4/09