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Handbook of Operating Procedures
Chapter 8 - Facilities and University Services
Publication Date: July 20, 2007
Policy Reviewed Date: January 11, 2022
Policy Owner: VP for Business Affairs

8.01 Building Space Records and Inventory

  1. Allocation and Maintenance of Space
    1. Priority allocation: Because space is an essential resource for meeting the university's strategic goals, the president and the executive officers have adopted the principal that core services, defined as those services that most directly interact with a majority of our students and faculty, will have first priority in the assignment of space at locations most convenient to those constituencies. Other support functions will be assigned space in peripheral locations at each campus and in some cases may move to rental space off campus.
    2. Management and Allocation of Space at All Three Campuses
      1. With the president's approval, each vice presidential area will be assigned space for their respective units. Each vice president will delegate the routine management of his/her space resources to a space and facilities manager, who will have the authority to review and make recommendations to that vice president regarding requests from his/her direct reports for changes in the allocation of space for each reporting unit. The space and facilities manager may, at the discretion of the vice president, further delegate space management duties to departments and subunits. If such delegation occurs, the departmental space managers will report to the vice president's designee to ensure proper coordination of space and facilities management issues. The space and facilities manager(s) will be responsible for ensuring the efficient use of space, including office sharing requirements.
      2. The space and facilities manager(s) will approve requests for minor physical changes (e.g., painting or carpeting) to any space. The manager(s) will also coordinate with designated staff in the Office of the Vice President for Business Affairs to ensure that all space is accurately inventoried so that current information is available for emergency response and required federal and state reporting.
      3. A Space Use Committee will be established to review the university's space inventory and utilization and to make recommendations to the President's Campuses Committee on Management and Operations (CMO) regarding the appropriate allocation of space to meet the university's strategic objectives. The Space Use Committee shall consist of one space and facilities manager from each vice presidential area and shall meet annually to conduct its general review for the CMO. The committee will elect its own chair. In addition, the committee will meet as needed to consider requests from vice presidential areas to make major modifications of existing space use. For the purposes of this policy, a major modification means any proposal that affects or alters the physical layout or size of a particular space.
    3. The Office of the Vice President for Business Affairs will provide the initial inventory and analysis of current space in collaboration with other vice presidential areas, develop definitions for categorizing all assigned space, conduct an annual survey of needs to assist the Space Use Committee in its deliberations, provide analysis of requested space assignments for the Space Use Committee and provide an approval process for renovations beyond carpeting and painting.
  2. Records and Inventory
    1. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) requires that all assignable space in campus buildings and other university facilities be reported on a continuing basis as to functional use. To comply with this requirement and to have the information available for planning purposes, UTSA administration maintains a current functional use and occupancy record of all assignable space.
    2. The Office of Facilities Planning and Development (FP&D) has the responsibility to maintain current records of campus space occupancy and utilization. At any time during the year that the use of space is changed, an inventory update is submitted to the THECB.
    3. The following policy and procedures are established to keep the records current:
      1. Once each year FP&D will perform a walk-through of all UTSA buildings to verify room usage.
      2. Each year all colleges will be provided with a copy of the current facilities inventory for verification of Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP Codes), room Type Code, Usage Code and Usage CIP Percent.
      3. All proposed changes in functional use of any campus space, including changes from classroom/seminar room to administrative type or office, conference room or storage area, etc., must be discussed and approved by the Vice President for Business Affairs. After approval is obtained and changes are made, FP&D must be notified so THECB facilities inventory can be updated.
      4. The Office of Facilities must notify FP&D of any renovation or remodeling project upon completion to field verify all information and update the facilities inventory.