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Windows MacintoshClassroom Utilization Study & Needs Analysis
In the summer of 2004, URI engaged a higher education planning firm, Rickes Associates of Boston, to study the utilization of classrooms as well as analyze the need for classrooms over the next five years as we grow our student population, renovate buildings, and build new facilities. The study focused on general assignment classrooms (those scheduled by Enrollment Services and not assigned to a specific department) and daytime courses. The data analyzed was from the Fall 2003 semester (as fall semester has a higher course demand than spring semester).
The full report can be found at (insert url for pdf here); here is a brief summary of the findings:
- There are 112 general assignment classrooms. They occupy 107,039 sf of space and contain 7,209 student seats.
- Current utilization is not as good as it could be
- only 57% of daytime hours are scheduled, on average, this ranges from 4% to 89%
- 52% of seats are filled on average, this ranges from 22% to 100%
- The mix of classroom sizes does not match our class sizes, resulting in classes placed in rooms that are too big.
- Classes are not evenly distributed over the course of a day (majority of classes are 10 AM - 2 PM).
- Our classroom needs through the next five years are 96 classrooms (now) - 106 classrooms (2009), given the following changes:
- Right-size classrooms with moveable furniture to 20 - 25 sf per seat (currently ave. 18 sf/seat).
- Reign in "schedule creep" to reduce the number of classes that meet outside of the typical schedule blocks.
- Monitor class schedule requests to spread classes out over full day and more or less equally across days.
- Make upgrades to classrooms, in particular technology.
- Rebalance amount of rooms in each capacity range to meet needs. This will require, among other things, the need to combine some smaller rooms to create rooms in the 55 - 65 seat range.
- Target utilization rates are:
- 67 - 70% of weekly daytime hours scheduled in each room, on average.
- 67 - 70 % of seats filled in each classroom, on average.
The Office of Capital Design and Planning, the Office of Capital Projects, Information and Instructional Technology Services, the Instructional Space Advisory Group and Enrollment Services will work together to develop a multi-year program of classroom improvements with the goal upgrading rooms to a consistent standard and achieving the recommended balance of room sized within a decade.
