Space Guidelines

1. Introduction

The Faculty of Environment’s space resources – its buildings, classrooms, offices, laboratories and common areas are essential to the success of teaching and research activities. Space resources in the Faculty are limited, thus efficiency and flexibility are essential. Fairness and transparency in decision-making also are important because competing demands for space need to be balanced.

To promote efficiency, flexibility, fairness and transparency, all space controlled by the Faculty of Environment is allocated and managed according to the principles and procedures outlined in this guideline. The guideline is organized around the following major sections:

  • Categories of space in the Faculty of Environment (Section 2)
  • Responsibilities for managing different kinds of space (Section 3)
  • Assignment of space to graduate students (Section 4)
  • Assignment of space for research purposes (Section 5)

2. Categories of Space

This guideline applies to all spaces controlled by the Faculty of Environment. These include the main buildings (Environment 1, 2 and 3), areas in other buildings where the Faculty of Environment has rooms and the Summit Centre for the Environment in Huntsville.

Space in the Faculty of Environment’s buildings is assigned to one of the following three categories: (1) controlled by the Central Administration of the University of Waterloo; (2) controlled directly by the Faculty of Environment; and (3) delegated to units by the Faculty of Environment. In assigning space among the 2nd and 3rd categories, every effort will be made to promote sharing and flexibility where appropriate.

2.1 Controlled by the University of Waterloo

Some areas within the Faculty of Environment’s buildings are controlled by the central administration of the University. These include washrooms, electrical, mechanical and networking infrastructure rooms, janitorial rooms, corridors, food services areas and public areas, classrooms controlled by the Registrar’s office, and the offices and rooms of the Centre for Teaching Excellence. The space allocation and management system established by this guideline does not pertain to these spaces.

2.2 Assigned to Units by the Faculty of Environment

Certain kinds of space are managed most efficiently at the unit level. Responsibility for management of these spaces is assigned to the unit’s Chair or Director by the Dean’s Office. Spaces in this category include the following: faculty offices; staff offices; space for adjunct faculty, sessional instructors, and visiting scholars; space for short-term research use; mail/photocopy rooms; storage rooms; and lounges/kitchens.

2.3 Controlled by the Faculty of Environment

All remaining space is controlled directly by the Dean’s Office. This includes the following:

  • Conference rooms and seminar rooms.
  • Classrooms not controlled by the Registrar’s Office, student work rooms and studios.
  • Teaching laboratories.
  • Rooms used to provide assigned and flexible space to graduate students.
  • Areas used by student associations and groups, including spaces for administrative and meeting purposes.
  • Offices, workrooms and other spaces used by Mapping, Analysis and Design.
  • Spaces assigned to organizations that have a relationship with the Faculty of Environment that involves use of the Faculty’s space.
  • Research space (laboratories, work rooms, etc.).

Responsibility for certain research spaces is delegated to faculty members and directors of centres/institutes based on the procedures outlined in Section 5.

3. Roles of the Space Committee and the Dean

The Space Committee is responsible for providing advice to the Dean regarding all Faculty of Environment spaces that are not under the direct control of the central university administration. The members of the Faculty of Environment’s Space Committee are the Associate Dean, Research (who chairs the committee), one delegate from each unit, the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, the Director of Mapping Analysis and Design, the Faculty of Environment’s Executive Officer, the Graduate Studies Assistant, the Research Administrative Assistant, one undergraduate student representative and one graduate student representative. Student representatives are nominated by their respective Faculty-level associations.

Major responsibilities of the Space Committee include long-term planning; evaluation of applications for research space and annual reports regarding use of research space; and provision of advice to the Dean regarding the use of space by units, graduate students and organizations that have a relationship with the Faculty of Environment. (See the Terms of Reference for the Space Committee (DOCX)).

The Dean ultimately is responsible for making decisions regarding space. However, the Dean will seek the advice of the Space Committee on all decisions that relate to space, and will ensure that the principles and procedures in this guideline are followed consistently.

The Dean also is responsible for ensuring that information about the use of space in the Faculty of Environment is available to members of the Faculty. In particular, the Dean will ensure that detailed information about current use of research space is available.

4. Assignment of Space to Graduate Students

The Faculty of Environment provides desk space to graduate students to support their learning during their normal program duration. Full-time graduate students in research-based programs are provided with either “assigned” or “flex’ workspace that has a desk. Research-based programs include all PhD programs in the faculty, and Master’s programs that require original research and the creation of a thesis or major paper. Every effort will be made to ensure that graduate students in professional programs, and part-time research-based graduate students, can access shared desks in select graduate student offices.

In the Faculty of Environment, the normal program duration for full-time research graduate students is six terms for a Master’s student, and 12 terms for a PhD student. Beyond a student’s normal program duration, access to a shared desk may be provided if one is available. However, the first priority is provision of desk space for research-based graduate students within their normal program duration.

4.1 Types of Graduate Student Spaces and Desks

Desks for research graduate students are available in two kinds of areas: (1) communal graduate workspaces with shared/flex desks, managed by the Faculty of Environment and (2) research spaces managed by faculty members or centres/institutes. These spaces are managed differently (see Section 5 for information about research areas). However, principles and rules relating to the use of these spaces by graduate students are the same.

The space needs of research graduate students vary across individuals and over time, and this shall be taken in to account by graduate space administrators.

4.2 Graduate Space Administrators (GSA)

Graduate Space Administrators (GSA) are responsible for assigning graduate students to appropriate spaces, and for ensuring that spaces support student learning. In the case of graduate offices managed by the Faculty of Environment, the GSA is the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies. In the case of research spaces, the faculty member or centre/institute’s director, responsible for that space under this guideline acts as the GSA, subject to oversight from the Faculty’s GSA. Where a unit has chosen to use its designated short-term research space to house graduate students on a temporary basis, the unit head (Chair or Director) is the GSA for that space.

GSAs for research areas (see Section 5) have the following responsibilities:

  • Providing a list of all graduate students who will occupy a desk in the research spaces under their control to the Faculty of Environment’s GSA, ensuring that this list is current (normally on a term-by-term basis), and ensuring that the students on that list have access to appropriate desks.
  • Giving priority for assigned desks in their research space to PhD students.
  • Taking steps to ensure that graduate student space usage in the research spaces under their control is consistent with the principles in this guideline and with the Research Space Agreement for that space (see Section 5.2.4).
  • Ensure compliance with Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) legislation and uWaterloo’s Health, Safety and Environment Policy. Policy 34 – Health Safety and Environment. They are required to perform regular inspections of the assigned space and a record of inspections must be kept (for 2 years) for review by the Joint Health and Safety Committee. Desks for graduate students are a vital but limited resource in the Faculty of Environment. Therefore, the onus is on GSAs for research areas to help the Faculty of Environment meet demands for graduate student space through working with the Faculty’s GSA to ensure that graduate student desks in the areas they manage are fully occupied. For example, during a period when graduate student desks in a research area are unoccupied for an extended period of time, the GSAs for those areas should consult with the Faculty’s GSA to determine whether or not those desks can be used by graduate students who are not formally associated with the research space. If desks are under-utilized for two terms or longer, the Space Committee may recommend a reallocation of research space. A Research Space Agreement remains valid only if the principal investigator assigned to the space provides regular reports on its use.

4.3 Student Responsibilities

The onus is on graduate students, whether they are on a list for a desk in a research space or wish to use a desk in one of the Faculty’s graduate student offices, to accurately communicate their space needs to the appropriate Graduate Space Administrator. Additionally, students are responsible for informing the GSA in a timely fashion when their space needs change. For example, the onus is on PhD students who have received assigned desks, but are not using those desks regularly and consistently, to contact the appropriate GSA to request a flex desk (if they plan to work occasionally on campus), or to indicate that they no longer need a desk (if they no longer plan to work on campus).

All graduate students enrolled in Faculty of Environment programs-whether in thesis-based programs or not-shall have access to Faculty-level graduate workspaces furnished with flex desks.

The Faculty of Environment is committed to providing all full-time PhD students who are within the first 12 terms of registration a dedicated desk, unless the student indicates this is not necessary.

Research graduate students who have been allocated a desk in a research space and who are concerned that their space needs are not being met appropriately should first discuss their concerns with the GSA responsible for the research space in which their desk is located. In the event that their concerns are not addressed satisfactorily, students should contact the Faculty of Environment’s GSA to seek an appropriate resolution to their concerns which may involve re-assignment to another research space or the Faculty-level graduate workspaces

5. Assignment of Research Space to Individual Researchers, Teams, Centres and Institutes

The Faculty of Environment places a high priority on research. Many types of research require, or are enhanced by, space for laboratory equipment, researchers and graduate students associated with research groups. However, space for this purpose is limited within the Faculty of Environment. Therefore, in some instances it may be appropriate for research personnel including co-op/undergraduate assistants, postdocs and visiting scholars to be co-located with PhD students and Master’s students in thesis programs. Such decisions are to be made by GSAs in consultation with colleagues.

The principles and procedures outlined in this section balance researchers’ needs for stability and surety with the Faculty’s need for a fair, efficient, flexible and transparent system for allocating and managing research spaces, and for meeting demands for high quality graduate student office space.

In submitting applications for research funding, faculty members must ensure that they follow the principles and procedures in this guideline, and that they do not make commitments of space in applications for funding unless that space already has been assigned to them during the time period of the application for funding. The Associate Dean, Research, is responsible for ensuring that all applications for funding are consistent with this requirement.

5.1 Flexible Research Space

To promote flexibility and to support faculty members whose space needs are limited, e.g., a desk for a visiting scholar or research assistant for a term, the Faculty will ensure that - some space is reserved for flexible occupancy on a short-term basis. All units in the Faculty have been delegated responsibility for managing suitable space to meet this need. Units are responsible for ensuring that an equitable and transparent system for using the short-term research space they have been assigned is in place.

5.2 Dedicated Research Space

Individual researchers, teams of researchers, and research Centres/Institutes may apply for long-term use of research space within areas controlled by the Faculty of Environment. A distinction is drawn between initial applications and applications for continued use of research space (see below).

All applications for research space must have a designated lead applicant who is responsible for meeting reporting requirements, and for ensuring that the space is used appropriately. This person also acts as the Graduate Space Administrator (see Section 4.2) for the research space.

5.2.1 General Principles Relating to Research Space

  • All research space will be allocated for a defined period of time (normally not more than three years), based on the appropriateness of the proposed use and the principles in this guideline. As much as possible, all space agreements should have the same end date to allow flexibility of re-assignment based on the growth or contraction of activity and graduate-student enrolment. In the case of applications for space from Centres/Institutes, the time period for which space is requested should match the time period for which the Centre/Institute has been approved by Senate.
  • Access to space is not determined based on the type of research that is proposed, except insofar as it is recognized that areas that have been configured for research that requires sinks, fume hoods, lab benches, etc., should be used for that purpose only because it is expensive to repurpose these spaces and because there is limited space for wet-lab work.
  • Previous access to space does not establish an entitlement to future access to that space. Similarly, expenditure of funds by a Faculty member, team or Centre/Institute to renovate a space or to purchase furniture and equipment for that space does not establish an entitlement to that space once the original commitment expires. The only exception to this principle involves cases where conditions have been imposed by a granting agency that requires that infrastructure must be used in a specific space for a defined time period.
  • Decision-making will be transparent. In particular, applicants for space whose applications have been denied are entitled to receive an explanation.
  • The person responsible for managing a research space is required to report annually to the Space Committee on the use of the assigned space. The Space Committee uses information provided in these annual reports to advise the Dean on the extent to which the Faculty’s limited space resources are being used efficiently and appropriately.
  • The person responsible for managing a research space has the discretion to manage the space for the purposes described in the approved Research Space Agreement (see Section 5.2.4), subject to the principles in this guideline (including those relating to assignment of space for graduate students).
  • Where research space is not being used appropriately or satisfactorily, the Dean, in consultation with the Space Committee, has the right to re-assign that space for another purpose.

5.2.2 Initial Applications for Research Space

Individual researchers, teams of researchers, and research centres/institutes apply for space within the Faculty’s buildings using the Research Space Application Form (DOCX). Applications for research space will be received on an ongoing basis, and the Space Committee will make recommendations based on the available information from annual audits and reporting from users of existing space to determine whether and where suitable space is available for new applicants.

The Space Committee will take the following considerations into account in making recommendations regarding initial applications:

  • Availability of the kind of space requested
  • Extent to which the proposed use of the Faculty of Environment’s research space advances the priorities identified in the Faculty’s Strategic Research Plan
  • Contribution of the proposed use to graduate student training, in the first instance, and to other highly qualified personnel (e.g., undergraduate students, post-doctoral researchers)
  • Extent to which the application promotes sharing and collaboration with other researchers, groups, or centres/institutes, where appropriate
  • Promotion of cross-faculty collaboration among researchers
  • Clarity and specificity of goals and expected outcomes associated with the use of space
  • Ability of the applicant(s) to use the space for its intended purpose upon taking up the space at the time proposed
  • Fit between the proposed research activities that will occur in the space and (1) the amount of space requested, and (2) the duration for which the space is requested

Upon consideration of an initial application for space, the Space Committee can make one or more of the following recommendations to the Dean:

  • That the applicant be assigned research space as defined in the application, for the duration requested or for a different duration, and/or a different time period
  • That the applicant be assigned research space, but with a requirement to use the space in a more efficient manner than proposed, for example, by using existing Faculty of Environment meeting rooms instead of using part of a research space for meetings, or by increasing the number of graduate student spaces
  • That the applicant be asked to develop an application to share research space with one or more other applicants
  • That the applicant follow additional or modified criteria for evaluating the use of space
  • That the applicant’s application for use of Faculty of Environment research space be denied

The Dean’s decision regarding a successful application, including additional requirements, is contained in a Research Space Agreement. This agreement constitutes the basis for annual monitoring and evaluation, and, where appropriate, for decisions regarding renewal applications.

5.2.3 Applications for Continued Use of Research Space

The Faculty of Environment recognizes that researchers desire a degree of predictability and stability regarding their use of research space. Additionally, it is understood that in some cases, moving or relocating involves considerable financial expenses. Therefore, individuals, groups, centres and institutes that have previously been allocated space may apply for continued use of that space, or for use of different space, using the Research Space Application Form. The criteria outlined above for initial applications will be applied. However, in considering applications for renewals, attention also will be paid to the extent to which previously stated goals for the space, and anticipated outcomes identified in the initial application, were achieved during the time period specified in the initial application.

Upon consideration of an application for renewal, the Space Committee can make one or more of the following recommendations to the Dean:

  • That the applicant continue to occupy the current space, for the time period specified in the renewal application or for a different time period
  • That the applicant be relocated to a more appropriate space, which may be smaller or larger
  • That the applicant share the current space or a new space with one or more compatible applicants
  • That the applicant use the space in a more efficient manner, for example, storing materials off-site or in a separate storage area, or increasing the number of graduate student spaces
  • That the applicant include new or modified criteria for evaluating the use of space
  • That the applicant’s use of Faculty of Environment research space cease

The Dean’s decision regarding a successful application, including additional requirements, is contained in the Research Space Agreement. This agreement constitutes the basis for annual monitoring and evaluation, and, where appropriate, for decisions regarding further renewal applications.

5.2.4 Research Space Agreement

The Research Space Agreement is a written understanding between an approved applicant for use of research space and the Dean of the Faculty of Environment. It specifies the following:

  • The specific space or spaces assigned
  • The duration during which the applicant may use that space
  • The purposes for which the space may be used
  • The number of assigned desks and flex desks for graduate students that will be located in that space, and the number of graduate students the applicant is expected to house
  • Criteria that will be used to evaluate the applicant’s use of that space (annually, and at the time of a renewal request should one be submitted)

Applicants may request adjustments to their Research Space Agreements as circumstances change. For example, as their research program grows or shrinks, applicants may find it necessary to house different combinations of graduate students in their spaces. All requests for adjustments to the Research Space Agreement are considered by the Space Committee, which makes recommendations to the Dean. Major changes in the intended use will be treated as renewal applications.

space_committee_terms_of_reference-approved_22-sep-2016.docx
2014-application_template_for_research_space-06-mar-2014.docx

Revised and approved by Faculty Council September 22, 2016