Space Allocation Policy of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Faculty Council approved—02/27/2017

The Standing Committee for Facilities Planning of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Jacobs School) Faculty Council was charged to revise the space allocation policy for the Jacobs School.  An efficient policy for space management is needed to accommodate an anticipated increase in research faculty and grant funding.  Monitoring space usage is also important for negotiations of indirect cost rates with funding agencies.  Space allocation in the Jacobs School must be reviewed periodically to maintain efficient use.

The aim of the space management policy is to apply the criteria described below equitably across all departments within the Jacobs School. Ultimately, the Provost controls all space; individual departments or schools do not “own” space.  All schools in the University will be developing space allocation polices and Jacobs School has taken the initiative to develop a consistent space policy.  The policy will be reviewed at 3-5 year intervals.

All full-time faculty will have access to office space: ~ 120-150 sf per faculty member will generally be considered sufficient office space. A faculty member will not be assigned more than one office for his/her personal use, except in unusual circumstances when a request for additional office space must be made to the Director of Facilities, who together with the Select Committee on Facilities Planning will make a recommendation to the Dean. Offices for lab and support personnel will be considered on a case-by-case basis and require specific justification.

Faculty members with a non-permanent position who hold rank as an adjunct, instructor, lecturer, or visiting scholar and perform teaching or research in connection with an academic program may request office space from their Department Chair, who will then make a request to the Director of Facilities who will consider the request in consultation with the appropriate Department Chair, and with advice of the Select Committee on Facilities Planning, as needed.

In general, a faculty member who retires will not be assigned office space. Emeritus faculty are expected to utilize shared ‘hoteling’ space on a nonpermanent basis as required. Exceptions may be made when retired faculty continue to provide valuable teaching, research or service to the School. A request for office space must be made to the Director of Facilities, who together with the Select Committee on Facilities Planning will make a recommendation to the Dean.  Emeritus space assignments will be reviewed on an annual basis with reconsideration of the space allocation being done on the anniversary of the initial assignment.  It is the responsibility of the Emeritus Faculty to notify and discuss with the Director of Facilities at least one month in advance of the anniversary date if additional time will be requested.

In general, a volunteer faculty member will not be assigned office space. Volunteer faculty are expected to utilize shared ‘hoteling’ space on a nonpermanent basis as required. A volunteer faculty member who is providing valuable teaching, research or service to the School may be assigned office space following written petition by the Department Chair to the Director of Facilities, who together with the Select Committee on Facilities Planning will make a recommendation to the Dean. Volunteer space assignments will be reviewed on an annual basis with reconsideration of the space allocation being done on the anniversary of the initial assignment.  It is the responsibility of the Volunteer Faculty to notify and discuss renewal of the space allocation with the Director of Facilities at least one month in advance of the anniversary date if additional time will be requested.

Faculty will be allocated research space appropriate to their research needs.  The two criteria that will be used in assessment of space needs will be: (1) total direct costs of externally funded grants or other monies dedicated to research efforts, and (2) research-related scholarly activity.  Shared use of research space will be considered whenever practicable.

In general only grants that are administered through the Research Foundation are eligible for research space administered by the Jacobs School.  Exceptions may be made if the Director of Facilities and the Dean determine that such research is of significant benefit to the Jacobs School and/or if it is agreed by all parties that subsequent renewals of the grant will be administered through the Research Foundation.

Space for new faculty will be determined by the Director of Facilities in consultation with the appropriate Department Chair and will take into consideration their startup funds and their existing grants.  The combination of startup funds and existing grants will be used to assess total funding for the purpose of space allocation.

Faculty with annual direct cost funding of ~$150,000 will be eligible for research space to accommodate up to five FTE staff/students (including the PI). Full time faculty, staff and graduate students are generally considered as 1 FTE. For wet lab space, this will be equivalent to one 6 or 5 foot x 2 foot lab bench per FTE, depending on space availability. For dry research work, this will include individual seating and desk/computer work area for each FTE that may be office space or shared modular space depending upon justification and space availability.

In addition, PIs may be assigned additional wet lab space, and variable space as needed and can be accommodated in equipment corridors, as justified by grant funding.  Those who support more than five FTE staff/students may be eligible for an additional lab bench and desk and computer work space per FTE as needed.  Additional criteria that will be considered include the size of an individual grant portfolio and unusual equipment needs, as well as the standard lab sizes in existing space and specific needs related to clinical research.  Space will be assigned by the Directorf of Facilities in consultation with the appropriate Department Chair and with advice of the Select Committee on Facilities Planning as needed.

Faculty with funding of less than ~$150,000 in direct costs per year will be allocated space by the Director of Faciilities in consultation with the appropriate Department Chair, with advice of the Select Committee on Facilities Planning as needed, according to their research needs.

Unfunded faculty may request access to research space through their Department Chairs. Space assignment will be determined by the Director of Facilities with the advice of the Department Chair and the Select Committee on Facilities Planning as needed.  Criteria to be considered would include history of research funding, quality and number of recent grant submissions, the need to generate data for grant submissions, collaborations with funded faculty, and the use of research space for teaching purposes and undergraduate research.

Faculty members who hold a qualified rank (research, clinical, adjunct, instructor, lecturer, visiting scholar) and perform teaching or research in connection with an academic program may request research space from their Department Chair, who will then make a request to the Director of Facilities who will consider the request in consultation with the appropriate Department Chair, and with advice of the Select Committee on Facilities Planning as needed.  Space for funded qualified faculty will be determined using the criteria described in 3.1.2.

In general, a faculty member who retires will not be assigned research space.  Exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis following petition to the Director of Facilities in consultation with the appropriate Department Chair, and with advice of the Select Committee on Facilities Planning as needed.

In general, a volunteer faculty member will not be assigned research space. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis following petition to the Director of Facilities in consultation with the appropriate Department Chair, and with advice of the Select Committee on Facilities Planning as needed.

Changes in funding and/or staffing will not necessarily result in an immediate change of space allocation.

1. Faculty who temporarily lose funding will be allowed to remain in their research space, although their funding status will be reviewed on a 3-5 year basis.  Such reviews may result in a change in the size of their research space including loss of all laboratory space.
2. Faculty can request a change in research space whenever there is a change in funding status.

Without a change in funding, the research space for a faculty member may be reduced or relocated if there is an identified need for the space for another programmatic function.  Alternate space will be made available.

Research Centers, Core Facilities, or Multi-user shared research facilities that have been allocated space by the Dean or the Dean’s designee to manage internally will be allowed to do so and should adhere when possible to the criteria described in 3.1.2.  The space allotment for such Research Centers and other facilities remains subject to the Dean’s approval and will be reviewed at 3-5 year intervals by the Director of Faciilities with consultation of the Select Committee on Facilities Planning as needed.

Requests for space for new or expanding Cores or Centers should be made by the Director or other responsible senior administrator, or Department Chair as appropriate, to the Director of Facilities who will consider the request in consultation with the Select Committee on Facilities Planning and the Dean, as needed.

Expected changes needed to make the space appropriate for the stated activity should be outlined in the request (i,e., facilities or design changes: see 6.2 and 6.3 below).

Leased research/teaching space in hospitals and affiliated facilities not owned by the University at Buffalo will be managed in accordance with their respective space policies and, whenever possible, with this policy.  The Director of Facilities in consultation with the Vice President for Health Sciences or his/her designee will provide advice on space use when requested by affiliated facilities.

UB Capital Planning Group will negotiate and provide leases for on-campus space use by affiliated entities.

UB Capital Planning Group negotiates leases for off-campus space use by affiliated entities. If necessary, the Capital Planning Group will engage a broker to identify appropriate space for the intended use. The Group will also identify an appraiser, if required.

Requests for leased space at UB or an affiliated facility or hospital must be made to the Director of Facilities, who will then consult with the Dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. If the request is deemed appropriate, the School will make a request to the Vice President for Health Sciences to render a decision on space leases.

1. The faculty member should complete a Space Request Form that can be found on the Capital Planning Group’s website. Identification of funding sources for the lease must be provided.
2. The faculty member needs to have his/her Department Chair sign and approve the Request where indicated. If the Chair is requesting the space, then he/she signs the form.
3. The signed Space Request Form should be forwarded to the Director of Facilities. The Director will then discuss the request with the Dean of the Jacobs School, and will sign the form if approved by the Dean, before submitting it to the Capital Planning Group.
4. Capital Planning Group will assign a project number to the request, and communicate directly with whomever is requesting the space.

All space in the rooms and buildings allocated to the Jacobs School is under the jurisdiction of the Dean, and no space allocation should be regarded as permanent.

The Dean’s Office will administer this policy and the Faculty Council will appoint a Select Committee on Facilities Planning to work with the Director of Facilities to help implement the policy.

1. The Faculty Member should discuss their space needs with their Chairs and come to an agreement.
2. The Chair will make a request for space changes to the Director of Facilities.
3. The Director of Facilities will discuss the request with the Select Committee on Facilities Planning as needed.
4. The Director of Facilities will then make a recommendation to the Dean regarding approval.

In an instance where a faculty member and his/her Chair do not agree on required space, the faculty member can submit a written request for a change in space allocation to the Director of Facilities, who will take the request to the Select Committee on Facilities Planning for consideration and their recommendation.

If departments request expansion of assigned space, then a request should be made in writing by the Chair to the Director of Facilities who may then seek the guidance of the Select Committee on Facilities Planning, and will consult with the Dean for approval or disapproval.

Any changes in the use of space or facilities that entails conversion of research space into office space or vice versa needs to be requested in writing through the Chair and to the Director of Facilities.  This does not include the moving or rearranging of desks or benches or equipment or other such minor changes in space use that does not include permanent built-in furnishings. The request for conversion of space should include a needs assessment supporting the change.

Any structural changes to space in the School must be requested in writing to the Chair and to the Director of Facilities. The request must include a needs assessment for the individual or program involved to support the changes.

1. A request must be accompanied by a completed UB Small Scale Capital (Rehab) Request Form out of the UB Office of Space Planning and Facilities Planning and Design. The form should first be submitted to the Director of Facilities.
2. Costs associated with UB Facilities or outside contractors enacting the proposed changes may fall to the end user.

If the user enacts structural changes to School space without prior approval, he/she will be held accountable for any costs required to return the space to its former condition, or to correct any and all building code violations that may result.

It is the responsibility of the PI and Department Chairperson to ensure that university facilities are maintained in the highest working order, including timely reporting of maintenance issues, and adherence to all safety standards.

In anticipation of faculty departure or laboratory relocation, appropriate disposal or relocation of all chemical and biological waste, chemicals, radioisotopes, supplies and equipment is the responsibility of the faculty member.

In the event that the faculty member has not adequately fulfilled this obligation, the department in which the faculty member is/was a member will be charged at commercial rates for all costs incurred in the appropriate disposal or relocation of such items.

All keys or access cards must be returned to the Director of Facilities upon faculty departure or space being vacated. If keys or key cards are not returned then the cost of changing the locks on the door(s) and additional keys will be charged to the Department of the former tenant.

01/12/2018    ‘Facilities Planning and Budget Committee’ renamed ‘Facilities Planning Committee’ (keyed by Mark Parker)

03/29/2019    Senior Associate Dean for FAF replaced with Director of Facilities