Research Space Allocation Policy
Research space is an institutional resource to be used in support of the research mission of the University. For the purposes of this policy, research space is defined as that space used in the conduct of research and is considered to include all space used by personnel involved in the research, including faculty researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral students, research assistants and associates, and technical and managerial staff. Neither faculty office space, nor classroom and laboratory space used predominantly for instruction are considered to be research space. While instruction does occur in most research laboratories, instruction alone is not sufficient to justify the occupancy of research space.
The Research Space Allocation Policy supports the concept that all tenured and tenure-track faculty should be actively involved in the production of new knowledge through research but also understands the many costs associated with building and maintaining research space and the limited availability of quality research space in the College of Sciences and across the University. The Policy provides guidelines and procedures to assist those responsible for making space allocations and, in so doing, provides faculty with a clear understanding of the criteria used in allocating research space, the circumstances that may result in space reallocations, and the steps that will be taken when research space reallocations become necessary. Research space is typically assigned to individual Colleges and, in turn, to individual academic departments. As research has become more interdisciplinary in nature, however, the sharing of research space by faculty and students from different academic departmen ts and/or colleges has become more common. The Research Space Allocation Policy encourages the sharing of research space.
While every attempt will be made to provide faculty with reasonable space to carry out their scholarly activities, priority must be given to faculty with strong, productive programs of research, as measured by refereed publications, invited scientific presentations and colloquia, external research grants and contracts, and other research-productivity measures deemed appropriate. When the demands for research space exceed the space available, those faculty who do not qualify for Level 1 Graduate Faculty Status will be the first to lose research space. As valid needs for research space increase, those Level 1 Graduate Faculty who are not currently making productive use of their laboratory facilities, as measured by the criteria listed above, may be required to vacate their research space. In anticipation of such events, efforts will be undertaken to develop "shared-use laboratories" that can be used cooperatively by individuals pursuing related research interests.
The allocation of research space to departments is made by the Dean of the College of Sciences in consultation with the department chairs. Research space allocations within departments are made by department chairs, but may be reviewed periodically by the dean. The sharing of research laboratory space by faculty within an academic unit is determined by the department chair. The sharing of research laboratory space by faculty from different academic units will be negotiated by the dean and all involved department chairs. Through the annual review process, each faculty member will receive a written statement addressing the likelihood that he/she will retain research space during the coming year. Those faculty likely to lose research space will also receive a written explanation of the reasons for the anticipated space reallocation.
October 16, 1999
