Getting More Out of Your Classrooms: Tips for integrating utilization data & classroom space management MAIS Connection User Conference – November 2008 Fadi Musleh Office of the Provost – Space Utilization Initiative Monika Dressler & Susan McDowell College of Literature, Science, and the Arts – Instructional Support Services

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 2 Today’s Agenda Overview: –Space Utilization Initiative –Classroom Utilization Efforts Case study: LSA Instructional Support Services Wrap-up & Questions

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 3 Space Utilization Initiative Purpose To explore how space and utilities are used on the Ann Arbor campus To plan and manage these resources more effectively to better meet the University’s mission and needs Scope General Fund (state funded) space on Ann Arbor campus Excludes: Athletics, Housing & Unions, Hospital, Parking & Transportation

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 4 Executive Sponsorship & Project Team Mary Sue Coleman President Timothy Slottow CFO Teresa Sullivan Provost Vice Provost for Academic & Budgetary Affairs Project Team Stephen Forrest VP for Research

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 5 Campus Partnerships & Involvement Space Utilization ROOSEHSchools & CollegesBudget & PlanningProvost’s OfficeStudent AffairsMedia & Public RelationsProcurementFinanceAECUniversity PlannerPlant OperationsSpace AnalysisHuman ResourcesVP for ResearchGeneral CounselMAIS

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 6 Financial Challenges Unpredictable State of Michigan funding Volatile energy costs Average 2% building growth (General Fund space) each year Desire to decrease building growth to 1% Cost to Upkeep Energy Costs Millions of Dollars

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 7 Areas Being Explored Instructional Research Administrative Other (food operations) Information and systems Business practices Campus-wide policies or guidelines Incentives to encourage better use of space Shared space, technology Ways to Increase Utilization In These Space Types

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 8 Classroom Utilization: Work to Date Campus-wide target goals –Time utilization = 70% –Seat utilization = 65% New classroom utilization data warehouse Accompanying utilization reports in Business Objects

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 9 Report Samples

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 10 Report Samples (cont.)

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 11 Report Samples (cont.) For more information about utilization reports:

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 12 Actual Classroom Utilization Today Time utilization is highest in the Fall term Drops in Spring and Summer Overall utilization well below target of 70%

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 13 How the Data Will Be Used Understand how current classrooms are used and if they meet departments’ needs Planning ahead: –50 to 70 classrooms will be added in the coming years –Important to identify underutilized, undesirable rooms Identify opportunities to repurpose underutilized rooms for higher-priority academic and research needs of the University Provost’s Office will be discussing classroom utilization during annual budget meetings with deans

Case Study: LSA Instructional Support Services MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 14

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 15 LSA ISS: Mission Provide excellent learning environments for LSA faculty and students Facilitate exceptional instructional opportunities enhancing creative, inquiry, and discovery … which make the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science and the Arts extraordinary.

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 16 LSA ISS: Services Design and support of LSA instructional spaces –Support and manage LSA classrooms and equipment –Provide AV and IT equipment check-out services from 3 Locations –Plan, design, and implement instructional technology innovation Train and assist campus community in using LSA equipment and classrooms Facilitate connections to funding, resources, and other support structures Provide staffing, support, and equipment for special events

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 17 Overall Challenges Many classroom management levels within LSA: –College managed: scheduled centrally by Registrar and funded and supported by college –Departmentally managed: scheduled, funded, and supported by the individual LSA department –College managed w/ department priority: funded and supported by the college, but department given priority scheduling for courses and other department activities Instruction takes place in many types of space –Traditional classrooms (room type 110) –Conference, meeting rooms, lounges, and so on …

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 18 Data Challenges Data needed for classroom management is located in multiple systems –(M-Pathways, LSA MRS, LSA ISS database, and departmental systems) Difficult to view classroom schedules Difficult to view room attributes, such as furniture layout, AV and IT equipment, etc. –Room attributes recorded inconsistently…or not at all –No common campus-wide language for attributes (e.g. “overhead projector” has different meanings)

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 19 Enhancing the Classroom Experience Through Improved Utilization Instructional Research Administrative Other (food operations) Information and systems Business practices Campus-wide policies or guidelines Incentives to encourage better use of space Shared space, technology Ways to Increase Utilization In These Space Types Ways to Enhance the Classroom Experience

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 20 Information & Systems Sharing and exposing data –Creation of online LSA ISS Classroom Database Inventory of AV and IT assets 360 degree views of each LSA managed room Database structure and software shared with Engineering –

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 21 Inventory room and assets on a regular basis Update data and synching regularly with M- Pathways –Works with RO to ensure HEPROD (Student Administration) is updated with correct room assets. –Works with LSA Facilities to ensure HEPROD & FINPROD (Financial and Space Mgmt) data match, e.g. number of seats. Reduce duplicate data entry and ensure high fidelity data in systems Information & Systems (cont.)

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 22 Information & Systems (cont.) Tying classroom scheduling and utilization data to other important efforts on campus –Energy conservation efforts HVAC (fan) scheduling relies on knowing when a room is being used –Building security and hours of operation –DPS and emergency planning and preparedness

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 23 Policies & Business Practices for Better Classroom Management A/V and IT support for anyone using LSA rooms Encourage ad-hoc use of classrooms and technology by students and student groups Enforce guidelines about class start times and days offered to ensure classes don’t sit empty during desirable times Clearly define college vs. department responsibilities for classroom management in LSA Space Policy. –

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 24 Incentives to Encourage Better Use of Space Implement LSA key performance indicator (KPI) to teach more classes outside of peak hours of 10am–2pm –LSA Dean’s Office analyzes classroom schedules to determine % of classes taught during peak hours –Gives priority room assignments to departments who meet the KPI (“good citizens list”)

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 25 Incentives to Encourage Better Use of Space (cont.) How does this KPI improve scheduling and utilization? –Encourages departments to place courses more evenly throughout day –Reduces the number of scheduling conflicts a student encounters (fewer overlapping courses) –Allows more access to desirable classroom spaces

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 26 Incentives to Encourage Better Use of Space (cont.) Departments wanting better classroom technology and support can turn to LSA –Department transfers official ownership back to LSA –LSA invests in technology and other rooms assets –Room is centrally scheduled and open to other departments for use –Department gets scheduling priority for courses and several hours a week marked for other department activities

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 27 Shared Space & Technology Encourage the use of LSA classrooms from other schools, colleges, departments and the public Provide similar technology and support in all centrally scheduled classrooms for ease of use by the U-M community

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 28 Shared Space & Technology (cont.) Maintain open dialog with other units (RO and Engineering) to ensure a common language is used to describe and request technology Make room asset and attribute information available online for U-M community to view (LSA ISS classroom database)

Next Steps MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 29

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 30 Next Steps Data and Systems: Continue efforts to accurately record and maintain classroom data (courses, meetings, room assets), which: –Ensures proper course/room placements –Helps to indentify poor quality space for investment or repurposing Ensure that schools, colleges, departments, Provost’s Office, and Registrar’s Office make decisions about classrooms based on accurate data Efforts are underway, as part of the Space Utilization Initiative, to develop a campus-wide system to address some data issues above

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 31 Next Steps (cont.) Cultural shift: View classrooms as an institutional resource to benefit the campus as a whole Increase transparency of classrooms available on campus Promote sharing of rooms and technology across departments and schools

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 32 Q & A What are other best practices or local solutions in other schools, colleges and departments? What challenges do you have with space or classroom data? What is on your classroom scheduling wish list? –System features? Policy? Technology? How do you want to be communicated to about classroom utilization efforts?

MAIS Connection User Conference  Getting More Out of Your Classrooms  Slide 33 Contact Us LSA Instructional Support Services: Monika Dressler: Susan McDowell: Website: Space Utilization Initiative: Fadi Musleh: Website: