SPACE ENHANCEMENT AND MANAGEMENT GROUP(SEMG)

17 February 2016

Minute

Present: / Vice-Principal Professor Jonathan Seckl, Planning, Resources and Research Policy (Convener)
Mr Graham Bell, Depute Director of Estates
Mr Duncan Herd, Estates, CSE Estates Practitioner
Mr Dave Gorman, Director of Social Responsibility and Sustainability
Mr Charles Hill, Representative for Corporate Services Group
Mr Gary Jebb, Director of Estates
Mrs Angela Lewthwaite, Secretary to Group
Mr Richard Mann, Space Manager
Mr JimMcGeorge, Representative for University Secretary’s Group (USG)
Mr Gavin McLachlan, Chief Information Officer and Librarian to the University
Mr Euan Murray, Development Team Manager, Learning Space Technology
Dr Bruce Nelson, College Registrar, CSE
Ms Gill Nicoll, Space Manager
Mr Jim Nisbet, CMVM Estates Practitioner
Professor Jane Norman, Maternal and Fetal Health – CMVM
Mr Scott Rosie, Head of Timetabling Services
Mr Jonny Ross-Tatam, President Students’ Representative Council
Ms Helen Sang, CHSS Estates Practitioner
Professor Sandy Tudhope, Head of the School of GeoSciences – CSE
Apologies: / Professor Charlotte Clarke, Head of School of Health in Social Science
Ms Jo Craiglee, Head of Knowledge Management & IS Planning
Dr Catherine Elliott, Registrar for CMVM
Mrs Jane Johnston, Head of Estates Planning and Special Projects
Ms Melissa Highton, Director of IS Learning, Teaching and Web
Mr Jeremy Upton, Director of Library and University Collections
1 / Minute
The Minute of the meeting held on 18 November 2015was approved.

SEMG welcomed Mr Jim Nisbet, Planning Officer replacing Mrs Anna Stamp as estates practitioner for CMVM. / Paper A
2 / Matters Arising
2.1Space Enhancement and Management Update Including Income per m2
Analysis (Item 10)
SEMG was requested to ensure coalescence when reporting data as the income per m2denominatorfigure cited in Period 5 of the University’s Management Accounts and Performance Indicators at 31 December was inconsistent with the figure presented to SEMG in November 2015.
Action Space Manager
2.2 Centralisation of Teaching Space – Update (Item 4)
SEMG College members were urged to agree the transfer of monies from Schools to ISG Timetabling Unit to ensure the full centralised management and support of identified general teaching space by start of 16/17 financial year.
Action: College Representatives, Head of Timetabling Services, Head of Learning Spaces Technology
2.3Postgraduate Research (PRR) Space
Postgraduate Research space utilisation was discussed at a meeting of the Research Experience Committee (REC)held in January. Discussion included work on the proposed Postgraduate Study Centre and REC's desire to work closely with SEMG on PGR space. REC also agreed to provide a recommendations paper to SEMG once the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey results have been collated.
3 / Convener’s Communications
SEMG noted the projects approved by Estates Committee on 9 December 2015 to improve the student experience.
A question was posed relating to disabled access and the legal requirement on the University. An assurancewas providedthat Estatesis currently addressing disabled access and egress issues and a rolling programme was underway. / Paper B

SUBSTANTIVE ITEMS

4 / Teaching Space Review Draft re Issues Semester 1
The Chief Information Officer presented the findings and recommendations from the independent internal review, commissioned by the University /

Paper C

Secretary of the issues with teaching spaces experienced during the start of Semester 1, September 2015.
In order to mitigate the risk of future recurrence of the teaching spaces allocations issues, SEMG supported all the recommendations and recommended that the paper progresses to the next Central Management Group on 1 March 2016 for further review prior to presentation to other governance bodies / committees before implementation.
The four recommendations endorsed were:
a.Establish clear governance and ownership of Teaching Spaces;
b.Create a detailed Teaching Spaces Strategy and Plan;
c.Create a more simplified, centralised, standardised top-down
approach and process to allocating teaching activities;
d.Implement an enhanced and formal modelling of Teaching Spaces
and Timetabling, coupled with a single, up-to-date, accurate capacity plan for the number of available rooms versus the known demand, as well as including an agreed contingency threshold.
Action : Chief Information Officer – ISG
The Chief Information Office was commended for producing an excellent report.
5 / Teaching Space Utilisation Reports 2014/15 and 2015-16
The Head of Timetabling Services presentedutilisation statistics for teaching and study space for academic year 2014/15 and the position to-date for 2015/16.
Accurate recording and usage of locally-managed specialist teaching space continued to prove a challenge for the University (Section 5 page 12 refers).
College representatives were tasked to work closely with the Head of Timetabling to find the most effective method to improve the situation.
Action: College Representatives andHead of Timetabling Services
The Head of Timetabling was thanked for his helpful presentation. /

Paper D

6 / Estate Management Record (EMR)teaching utilisation outcomes
The paper reported the data to be submitted to HESA as part of the annual Estate Management Record (EMR) submission on teaching utilisation outcomes for period September 2014 to October 2015.
SEMG was pleased to note that frequency, occupancy and utilisation percentage rates continue to demonstrate an ongoing upward trajectory, but that further work is required to meet the stated utilisation target. /

Paper E

7 / Teaching Accommodation Upgrades 2015/16
SEMG noted the list of teaching accommodation programmed for upgrade over the summer period and agreed to amend the programme report to include ingress/egress detail to satisfy the needs of the disabled.
Action: Space Manager /

Paper F

ROUTINE ITEMS

8 / Space Audit and Other Matters
SEMG noted an updateson the annual space audit process, NPRAS, fEC, ongoing input and assistance on the RAM project, and the work carried out by the Scottish Universities Space Management Group (SUSMG). / Paper G
9 / Dates of next meeting: 20 April 2016 - 10:00 – 12:00 – Raeburn Room, Old College
The Group noted the follow on 2016 SEMG meeting dates:
  • 31 Aug 2016 – reporting to 14 September Estates Committee
  • 14 Nov 2016 – reporting to 7 December Estates Committee

Space Enhancement and Management Policy endorsed by Court 23 June 2014 located at:

Papers located at:

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