Background

The College allocates space to the department. Governed by this constraint, the department will allocate space in the way that best supports its mission.

Responsibility for allocation of space

Decisions concerning the use of departmental space are the responsibility of the Executive Committee.

Policy Statement

The Executive Committee will allocate appropriate space for the teaching, research, service and administrative activities of the department. Space will be allocated to the most efficient and productive possible uses, and may be reallocated as new teaching and research activities arise and old ones decline or lapse. Given the effort and expense involved in reorganizing and renovating space, such reallocation will be based on careful consideration of the long-range interests of the department as a whole.

Categories of departmental space

Faculty offices

The department will provide faculty members with suitable office space for their teaching, research and administrative work.

Administrative offices

Staff members will be provided with suitable office space in which to conduct the department’s business.

Graduate student offices

The department will provide all registered graduate students with space in a mixture of communal offices and offices attached to specific research groups. The department should strive to maintain communal office space, which a) brings together students with diverse research interests and b) allows the department to accommodate changing numbers of students in research groups efficiently.

Classrooms and teaching laboratories

Instructional space includes general-purpose classrooms, seminar rooms and special-purpose teaching laboratories. The department should aim to equip and maintain a number of high quality, multi-purpose classrooms and seminar rooms and use them as efficiently as possible. Some classes taught by the department require specialized laboratory equipment or access to specimen collections. The department should maintain rooms for these purposes where there is a demonstrable need but consolidate uses wherever possible.

Research space

Space will be allocated to meet the research needs and activities of faculty members and their research groups. As far as possible, specialized research requirements (e.g. fume hoods, high-bandwidth network connections) will be matched with appropriate specialized facilities. Decisions concerning the allocation of research space will be based on the needs of each research group or faculty member, evidence that the space is being put to productive use, and the utility of the facility to the department as a whole. Utility and productivity will be judged on a broad range of criteria including funding, student participation, publication, and efficient use.

Shared research space

The department will provide space for shared research facilities for purposes such as computing, rock preparation and analysis. The use and upkeep of these rooms should be monitored by faculty members most closely concerned with them, to ensure that they continue to serve their designated purposes.

Other space

The department will maintain some areas for informal conferencing, and administrative needs such as mail distribution. Storage space is required for certain equipment and samples, but the use of this space will be subject to continuing review as the needs of the department change. Such space may be re-allocated for other uses if not adequately maintained, or if the potential utility of the stored materials does not justify continued storage.

Update History

2/10/2024, revised April 2028, approved March 2002.

Note: see also, Policy on Emeritus Office Space.