6.14 Workspace Policy
Related Minnesota State Board Policy: None
Related Minnesota State Board Procedure: None
Introduction:
Strategic use of our facilities resources provides long-term benefits to our students, employees, and community. The college has limited campus facilities space—particularly workspace. We strive to improve in providing the appropriate quantity, location, type, and utilization of workspaces that will simultaneously support the fullest utilization of all academic spaces.
Employee headcounts and operational needs frequently change across departments. The strategies of relocating departments and renovating facilities in response are limited, given the impact on other departments and the Minnesota State guideline to work within our existing campus footprint.
The college needs a sustainable workspace strategy that leverages available resources and tools so departments can grow and maintain their student ready practices within existing spaces and be agile to meet changing workforce needs. This strategy employs a variety of campus workspace assignments and flexible work arrangements.
Purpose and Scope:
This policy provides guidance and criteria to be used to determine campus workspace assignments for individual employees. This policy is primarily focused on how campus space is utilized for desk-based work; it does not describe all campus work environments.
Part 1: Definitions
Workspace – A workstation, cubicle, office, or other space for employee work on campus.
Unshared Workspace – A workspace on campus that is dedicated for use by one employee.
Assigned, Shared Workspace – A workspace on campus that is dedicated for use by multiple, specific employees. Employees may occupy the space at the same time or they may have staggered schedules to maintain occupancy limits.
Hoteling Workspace – Workspace on campus that is available on a first-come, first-served basis (or bookable as technology permits) to be occupied by employees who do not have another assigned workspace or those may have varied or intermittent on campus schedules.
Part 2: Guidelines
Subpart A: Workspace Assignment
Unshared workspace: Supervisors may provide an unshared workspace to employees who regularly work on campus more than twenty hours per week.
Shared workspace: Supervisors may provide an assigned, shared workspace to employees who regularly work on campus twenty or fewer hours per week.
Hoteling workspace: At a minimum, hoteling workspace will be available to serve employees who regularly work on campus one day or less per week or those who do not otherwise have an assigned workspace.
Faculty: Full time faculty (unlimited full time, fixed term, temporary full time) will be provided an unshared workspace if the majority of their credits in the academic year are face to face or hybrid. Part time faculty (unlimited part time, temporary part time) may be provided unshared or shared workspace based on their workload in an academic year. Adjunct faculty will be provided shared workspace. Other considerations may include the delivery method of courses and total workload assignment. Faculty who do not regularly have face to face or hybrid courses in their schedules, regardless of their status, may be assigned shared or hoteling workspaces. When making office assignments, supervising deans will also consider other assignments in workload that may impact this direction.
Assign regular telework: Supervisors may assign or be asked to assign regular telework, where appropriate for the employee and their job, to facilitate workspace sharing or hoteling and to optimize space use. See the Flexible Work Policy 4.6.
Assign workspace based on job duties: Supervisors may assign shared workspace or provide hoteling workspace options to any employee based on job duties—for example, when desk- and computer-based workspace is needed occasionally.
Minimum provisions: All employees shall have an assigned physical mailbox, email address, and phone number.
Determine workspace size and type: Workspace created by new construction or remodeling should adhere to Minnesota State guidelines as much as possible. These guidelines recommend workspace types and sizes based on job responsibilities.
Private offices are not a mandate. Shared workspaces and cubicles are also utilized. Workstation and private office layouts may vary depending on the needs of the employee or position. Space assignments and designs must respond to the system strategic framework to optimize space utilization.
Subpart B: Process
New construction or remodeling. Facilities Management will engage capital project stakeholders to assess their needs and create sustainable plans for employee workspaces, meeting and work rooms, and other amenities, while adhering to Minnesota State guidelines.
Transition employees to an assigned shared workspace or hoteling workspace. Submit a work ticket request to Facilities Management if seeking to locate a site for and/or to furnish a shared or hoteling workspace.
Workspace assessment. The college is responsible for ensuring that workspace is allocated equitably and efficiently to maximize space utilization. Supervisors and division leadership shall assess their workspaces on an ongoing basis. Employees with requests for changes to workspace amenities will bring requests to supervisors.
Supervisors are directed to assign shared and hoteling workspace when required or appropriate to manage workspace capacity constraints and optimize space use. If a department or division deems a workspace inadequate despite these available strategies, they may make a request to Facilities Management to pursue alternatives, including remodeling or relocating elsewhere on campus.
Policy History:
Department Owner: VP Administration
Date of Adoption:
Date of Implementation:
Date and Subject of Revisions:
Next Review Date (4 years):