1. The Importance of Managing Space Effectively
Frances Mueller Assistant Vice Provost for Academic & Budgetary Affairs
APPA Senior Facilities Officers Summit – Minneapolis, MN | August 1, 2013

2. Topics Covered Space: a critical resource University of Michigan story
Challenges
Approach
Results
Key takeaways

3. But before we begin…

4. Quick Networking Activity
RED No space management practices, data, or policies in place.
YELLOW Loosely structured space management practices in place. Some space data or a few policies exist.
GREEN Comprehensive space management practices, database, and policies in place and used regularly.

5. Space: A Critical Resource
Needed to advance the mission of our organizations
Important for recruitment & retention
Important for economic development
However…
Finite & expensive
Politically sensitive
Challenging to manage with changing needs & constrained resources

6. Changing Needs: Academic
Lectures
Low tech
Individual work
Interactive
High tech
Team-based work
NCSU SCALE-UP Classroom

7. Changing Needs: Research
Independent
Dedicated space
Dedicated equipment
Collaborative
Interdisciplinary
Shared space & equipment

8. Changing Needs: Student Life
In-person services
Dining halls
Studying alone
Online services
Dine anywhere
24/7 & collaborative studying

9. Facility Challenges Buildings that vary in… Space that may be… Age
Architecture & construction
Condition
Infrastructure
Level of energy efficiency
Space that may be…
Outdated
Not enough
Too much of the wrong space or
State-of-the-art and just right… for now

10. Space: It’s Really Expensive
Every square foot adds costs for:
Power requirements
HVAC
Hazardous waste disposal
IT infrastructure
Utilities
Maintenance & upkeep

11. Our Story

12. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
42,700 students
24,800 faculty & staff (excluding hospital)
602 buildings
540+ general classrooms
32.6 million gsf overall
17.1 million gsf of General Fund space (supported by tuition & taxpayer $$)

13. Financial Challenges Unpredictable, declining funding
State of Michigan
Donor gifts
Research funding
Unpredictable, rising energy costs
Significant building growth for 10 years (average annual growth ~ 2%)

14. Cultural Challenges Decentralized environment
Few pressing space constraints
Reluctance to share space
Campus perception that space is a
“Owned” by individual schools & departments vs. an institutional resource
“Free good”
So what do we do??

15. Campus-Wide Space Utilization Initiative
Multi-year initiative from to 2011
Part of U-M cost containment
Goals:
Limit need for future expansion
Limit average annual square footage growth to <1%
Leverage highest quality spaces to advance our academic mission
Reduce environmental impact

16. Approach Foundational tools Culture change Policies & processes
Data, systems, & management reporting
Culture change
Increase sharing
Repurpose existing space
Reminders that space is an institutional resource

17. Policies & Processes Capital projects Research space Office space
Classroom scheduling

18. Data & Reporting System enhancements Increased data collection
Standardized reporting

19. Data & Reporting Example
CLASSROOM UTILIZATION
Helps us determine:
How our classrooms are used & opportunities for
increasing activities
sharing
converting to other uses
Facility schedules:
building fans
custodial work
room, equipment repairs

20. Data & Reporting Example (cont.)
MEDICAL SCHOOL
Uses space and financial data + geographic information system (GIS) to:
Determine space allocations
Determine productivity within research space
Identify opportunities to reassign space, if needed

21. Strategic & Creative Solutions: It’s Good to Share!
Classrooms
All general purpose classrooms available for shared use (8-5)
Piloted evening use by Washtenaw Community College
Computer server rooms
Vivaria (space for animal subjects)
Public/private partnerships
Requirement to share space whenever central funding is used

22. Strategic & Creative Solutions: Repurposing Space to Other Uses
Examples
Off-campus University-owned buildings to
Collections complex
Studio complex
Classrooms & library stacks to
Test-taking facilities
Collaborative space
Other higher priority academic needs
Financial Impact
Avoids construction & leasing costs in the tens of millions

23. Cross-Functional Partnerships
Ensures everyone is on the same page, has the same goals, and has an opportunity to provide input
Facilities & Operations
Academic Affairs
Finance

24. Results

25. Impact on Square Footage Growth
Taking a more strategic approach to campus growth & slowing our building growth to below 1% enabled us to avoid:
$616 million in one-time capital costs
$24 million in annual operating costs
Cost Avoidance

26. Impact on Energy Consumption
Slower building growth + campus energy conservation efforts results in one-time cost reductions of over $31m
Electric
Steam

27. Summary of Our Approach
Foundation, tools for effective space management
Disciplined processes for space expansion
Greater sharing of facilities
Conversion of poor quality & underutilized space to higher priority needs
Results
Significant reduction in building growth
Contributions to reduced energy consumption
Shift in campus culture

28. Take a Holistic Approach to Space Management
Data & Systems
Standards, Metrics & Monitoring
Partnerships
Strategic & Creative Solutions
Processes & Policies
Raises campus awareness & helps to change the campus culture

29. Summary
A good foundation of data, policies, process, etc. is key to effective space management & utilization
The foundation supports strategic decisions that can shift the campus to a culture of greater space stewardship & contain space costs

30. For more information www.provost.umich.edu/space francesm@umich.edu
APPA Senior Facilities Officers Summit – August 1, | 30