In May we had the first Space Management Group meeting with representation from across the university. The remit of the group is to take oversight and ownership of corporate-level space, timetabling and room booking policies. With the aim of supporting and enhancing the student experience through effective space management and timetabling practices. This means that decision making and prioritisation for changes to the estate will be managed through the Space Management Group. The Group will review space needs across the university in conjunction with faculty / university business plans and identify priorities for works and this will make up the projects Estates will deliver within year.

This academic year’s priorities have been agreed by the group as follows:

  1. Professional Services Operating Model multiple helpdesk location changes in support of the Hallam Help work
  2. Professional Services Operating Model multiple location changes in support of the Faculty and Student Support work
  3. Refurbishment of the multi-faith facilities on Lv2 of the Owen Building
  4. Refurbishment of Harmer building levels 3 & 4 to deliver a sense of place and ethos to Media Production within the Department of Media Arts and Communication
  5. Refurbishment of Sensory suite in Owen 1237 & 1238
  6. Refurbishment of microbiology lab and preparation rooms (Owen 1234 & 1236b)
  7. Redesign to Cantor level 3 to enable delivery of project based learning curriculum within the Department of Computing

The priorities have been agreed using a prioritisation matrix developed with the Space Management Group. Faculties and Directorates collate and submit their priorities which are then scored against two key areas; what were the benefits of the work and the ease with which it could be delivered (the same as the LTM above). The Space Management Group reviews and validates the priority order. The University allocates Estates an annual budget for delivery of these schemes and we deliver as many of the projects we are able to with the available budget, in the priority order agreed by the group.

The membership of the group is:

Chairs:

Ashley Hopps – Head of Space Resources and Timetabling
Simon Bromley – Academic Timetabling Champion / Assistant Dean – D&S

Members:

Owen Anthony – Programme Manager, Estates
Donna Cooper – Space Resources Manager
Francesca Burchill – Academic Timetabling Manager
Sinead O’Toole – Senior Futures Spaces Manager
Philip Wain – Strategic Business Partner (SSH)
Jill Nanson – Strategic Business Partner (STA)
Justine Pedler – Strategic Business Partner (SBS)
Holly Stainburn – Strategic Business Partner (HWB)
Neil McKay – Dean of Students
Leopold Green – Head of Academic Quality and Standards
David Kyffin – Hallam  Guild
Students’ Union Representative
Mary Dawson – SAS representative
Ravinder Ubhi-Adams –  Planning Services

The Group meets four times a year, with sub-groups meeting where required and it reports into the Building a Great University Pillar Board.