Non-Teaching Room Bookings
Policy, Roles and Responsibilities, and Procedures
Updated: February 2024
1. Introduction
The amalgamation of all Central and College/School spaces into a single data source supports more effective management of room bookings and allows the University to collect data on space utilisation which will be used to improve space utilisation and planning.
This document sets out the University's policy and procedures in respect of the room bookings for non-teaching activity.
This policy should be read in conjunction with the Teaching Bookings Policy published on the Space Management and Timetabling website.
2. Policy Objectives
The policy for the management of non-teaching bookings is aligned to the University’s Space Management Policy and the objectives of the Estates Strategy in supporting both the optimum utilisation of teaching space and enhancing the student experience.
The University is committed to a strategy of managing space by improving space allocation, standards, planning, utilisation and performance of related activities to support the University’s strategic objectives.
The objectives of the policy are:
- Available space is allocated equitably and appropriately among all users.
- Use and occupancy of space is continuously maintained and updated, and any unauthorized use is highlighted and re-allocated appropriately.
- The use of the University’s teaching spaces and facilities by external bodies is supported for community engagement and/or income-generation purposes, provided this is compatible with the University’s strategy and does not conflict with teaching and assessment activities.
- To facilitate worthwhile on campus activities and events with tangible benefits while ensuring that essential costs are covered by the appropriate budget.
3. Guidance on Use of Teaching Space
3.1 Definitions of Central and Locally (School) Managed Space
3.1.1 Centrally Managed Space
Central Space refers to all Teaching Rooms (Lecture Theatres and Seminar Rooms); Specialist Space (Laboratories, Clusters etc.) and Non-Teaching Rooms (Meeting and Conference Rooms) that are supported by Estates Directorate and Information Services.
These rooms are primarily bookable for teaching activities but may be used for non-teaching activities such as examinations, research seminars, meetings, student-led activities and commercial activities.
3.1.2 Locally (School) Managed Space
Locally managed space is primarily used for the teaching activities of the managing College/School.
Schools will be expected to review retained local teaching space and its utilisation data at least annually, with a view to transferring it to central management for University-wide use. Where Schools opt to retain local control of space they will be expected to accept and commit to the obligations of effectively managing this space, including:
- responsibility for the condition and functional suitability of the space;
- notifying and consulting with specialist providers, such as Estates Directorate and Information Services regarding maintenance, improvements and upgrades;
- ensuring that accessibility is taken into account when maintaining and upgrading facilities, as necessary seeking advice from Estates Directorate, Information Services, the Equality and Diversity Unit and the Disability Service.
3.2 Facilities and Support Services for Central Space
3.2.1 Estates Directorate maintain quality standards and the fabric in central space.
3.2.2 The SMTT advise on central space facilities and manage requests for space use.
3.2.3 Catering and Events advise on and manage bookings where charges apply.
3.2.4 Information Services manage the AV-IT equipment in central space and may be able to provide additional equipment on request (requests are subject to availability in the spaces and staff resources).
3.2.5 Facilities Services (part of the Estates Directorate) are responsible for the routine maintenance of central space.
3.3 Hire of Accommodation Charges
3.3.1 During core teaching hours, Schools do not normally incur charges for the use of centrally managed space for events, including social events, which are directly related to teaching and research. Most of the facilities and services offered by Information Services are also free of charge for teaching and research purposes during core hours, but there may be charges for consumables.
3.3.2 Other events hosted by Schools in centrally managed space will incur hire of accommodation charges.
3.3.3 In the case where an event has been booked at no charge and it is subsequently found to be a chargeable event, then charges will be applied retrospectively.
3.3.4 There will be no exemption from costs incurred in respect of any event for operational support, heating or cleaning costs.
3.3.5 Certain University venues are run on a commercial basis (e.g., One A The Square, the Kelvin Conference Centre). During peak teaching periods, if the only available space is in a University venue run on a commercial basis, then charges will be applied.
3.3.6 Events which qualify for the proposed discounted rate of 20% are detailed in the below list:
- Academic conferences
- SRC room bookings which are outwith the terms contained within the Student Clubs and Societies section
- UK registered charities
- Development and Alumni groups, for example reunion dinners
3.3.7 Under certain conditions, there may be exemptions from paying a room hire charge which would be approved by the Commercial Manager, Catering & Events. Associated costs, such as catering and operational support, will not be exempt and would still be applicable.
3.3.8 For income-generating events, accessibility of buildings and rooms is a key consideration, and it is recommended any bookings highlight accessibility requirements at the time of making a request. Should the preferred room be inaccessible for those with accessibility needs, every effort will be made to find a suitable location at no additional cost (see Accessible Events Policy).
Student Clubs and Societies and the SRC
3.3.9 Student Clubs and Societies must be affiliated with the SRC in order to book centrally managed space without incurring hire charges. Bookings for Clubs and Societies can only be requested after 6pm. The University’s ‘Open Building’ policy makes space available without hire or operational support charges (see Appendix C for details of open buildings). However, students wanting to use other space, for example the Halls, or for particular types of events, will incur charges.
3.3.10 Attendees of student club or society events must comprise a majority of University of Glasgow students (i.e., at least 80%).
3.3.11 Student clubs and societies affiliated with the SRC wishing to run conferences or events would be exempt from paying a Room Hire Charge should these events be run below a ticketed price of £15. If the clubs and societies require payment above £15 from attendees, room hire will be charged at the discounted rate of 20%. Costs associated with catering, cleaning and operational support would still be applicable.
3.3.12 In the event room hire charges are applied to SRC bookings, the Events team will be available to provide conference and event support.
3.3.13 During the academic year, there are several key events held in conjunction with the SRC which are held at a no-cost basis to the SRC. These events are listed below and will continue to be held at no cost to the SRC:
- Freshers' Week/Refreshers' Week
- Student Teaching Awards
- Volunteering, Clubs and Societies Awards
- Class Representative Conference and Mixer
- Council Dinner
External Relations
3.3.14 Events which are held for individual Schools and/or Colleges will incur room hire charges, however these will be offered at the discounted rate of 20%. Events which are run on behalf of the University to capture a university wide audience or are focused on supporting University recruitment (e.g., Open Days, Widening Participation and some Alumni events) will not incur any room hire charges.
3.4 External Bookings
3.4.1 Catering and Events (C&E) are responsible for hiring out central space to external clients.
3.4.2 External bookings are defined as those made by private individuals or external organisations without reference to any College, School or Service OR those made by a College, School or Service on behalf of an external organisation and charged via a University account.
3.4.3 Requests from local community groups to use space on campus will initially be reviewed by C&E and, depending on the nature of the request, may also be referred to the Space Management Delivery Board for consideration.
3.4.4 The use of University rooms and facilities by external bodies must be compatible with the University’s strategic aims, and its policies and procedures.
3.4.5 Bookings of central space that are requested by external organisations are normally chargeable and must be booked through Catering and Events who will communicate with University service providers, or any appropriately appointed supplier, if support is required.
3.4.6 The University’s teaching, examination and ceremonial requirements for rooms and facilities take priority over any external persons, groups or organisations wishing to use the rooms or support services (including Information Services). No changes should be made to the University's teaching timetable to accommodate external use, unless authorised by the Secretary of Court or the Principal.
4. Roles and Responsibilities
4.1 Process Ownership and Management of Non-Teaching Room Bookings
4.1.1 SMTT will maintain the booking form for non-teaching events, publishing this with appropriate guidance on the UofG Helpdesk.
4.1.2 All requests submitted through this mechanism will be reviewed by SMTT in the first instance, with any potentially chargeable events being passed to C&E for review and action.
4.1.3 Only requests submitted via the Booking Form will be dealt with, therefore anyone receiving a request via another means should refer the requester to the form.
4.1.4 SMTT will liaise with C&E on a regular basis to ensure effective communications and enable both parties to fulfil their roles in respect of event bookings.
4.1.5 In order to ensure compliance with Martyn’s Law, SMITT will also liaise with the Security team for a risk assessment of any proposed large events. No booking will be confirmed until this assessment is complete and approved by the Security team.
4.2 Roles of Non-Teaching Event Bookers
4.2.1 Within the University there will be some staff at Schools or in University Services who will be required to make one off room bookings not associated with the teaching timetable. Student Clubs and Societies may also request rooms for their meetings and events. To make a room booking the person responsible should:
- Request the booking with required details: time, day, date, size, details (what the booking is for), contact name, using the form available on the UofG Helpdesk.
- Ensure the details supplied are comprehensive and accurate in order that the request can be managed correctly.
- Request rooms appropriate for the use required.
- Check with other room owners (local space managers) that the booking will not have a detrimental effect, for example through noise.
- Respond promptly to offers of alternative space/time when the stated preference is not available.
- Provide additional information promptly, if requested, in support of the risk assessment.
- Book locally managed rooms or request rooms managed by other units.
- Be responsible for the state of the room when the booking has finished.
- Ensure that the stated seating capacity is not exceeded.
- Notify SMTT immediately there is any change to the nature, size or other aspects of the event.
- Liaise with other services (e.g., Information Services, Facilities Services) on the provision of support for non-teaching bookings.
- Ensure that EHRC guidance in respect of gender segregation is followed in the use of any University space, recognising that the University of Glasgow will not tolerate such segregation (see the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Guidance on Gender Segregation at Events and Meetings).
- Ensure that in planning events and requesting space due account has been taken of the responsibilities in relation to accessibility (see Accessible Events Policy).
4.2.2 All room bookings for centrally managed space will be made by the SMTT although the booking may be managed by C&E, depending on the nature of the request.
4.2.3 Bookings for local space will be made in agreement with the local space manager who will confirm the booking with the requester.
4.2.4 Room bookings which are no longer required (e.g., in the case of an event being cancelled) should be notified to SMTT/C&E immediately this is known in order to release the space for other use and minimise costs incurred. Any charges that would be incurred, such as room hire charges or costs, would still apply if the booking is not cancelled.
4.3 Roles and Responsibilities of Local Space Managers
4.3.1 Respond promptly to requests for use of local space, noting these requests may come from within the School or elsewhere in the University.
4.3.2 Confirm room bookings in local space for colleagues within the School.
4.3.3 Book the specialist rooms to their optimum use, ensuring rooms are appropriate for use.
4.3.4 Notify staff and/or students in a timely manner in the event of any changes to the booking being required.
4.3.5 Ensure all bookings are recorded on the central system.
4.4 Role of Space Management and Timetable Team (SMTT)
4.4.1 Schedule all non-teaching events detailed in the University Calendar for the next academic year prior to the timetabling room allocation activity commencing.
4.4.2 Process requests for non-teaching booking requests in a timely manner (aiming for a response within 48 hours, although during peak periods this may be longer) and communicate to appropriate staff.
4.4.3 Reassign requests for bookings to C&E where the booking is a chargeable event (see Appendix B).
4.4.4 Anticipate and resolve any on-site difficulties efficiently and effectively.
4.4.5 Work with colleagues across the Estates Directorate to maintain the quality of centrally managed space.
4.5 Roles and Responsibilities of Catering and Events (C&E)
4.5.1 Manage events which are commercial (chargeable) in nature on behalf of the University.
4.5.2 Liaise with SMTT on non-teaching booking requests, including those from external organisations, to determine whether charges should be applied.
4.5.3 Liaise with SMTT regarding the availability of rooms, formalising any request for room bookings by completing the Non-Teaching Bookings form (available through the UofG Helpdesk.
4.5.4 Notify SMTT immediately there are any changes to the space requirements and work with them to agree suitable alternatives.
4.5.5 Anticipate and resolve any on-site difficulties efficiently and effectively.
4.5.6 Liaise with other services (e.g., AV-IT, Facilities Services) on the provision of support for events.
4.5.7 Raise and issue invoices in relation to the event.
4.5.8 Notify SMTT promptly in cases where rooms are no longer required and/or events are cancelled.
4.6 Roles and Responsibilities of Student Clubs and Societies
4.6.1 Request room bookings in line with University policies and guidance, using the booking form available from the UofG Helpdesk.
4.6.2 Ensure that the conditions of use, including maximum capacity, are complied with.
4.6.3 Notify SMTT promptly in cases where rooms are no longer required and/or events are cancelled.
4.6.4 Arrange prompt payment for any charges associated with the booking.
4.7 Responsibilities of Estates Directorate
4.7.1 Maintain quality standards in centrally managed space and, together with IT Services, manage the resources needed to support service delivery.
4.7.2 Provide clear advice on room usage and fabric maintenance, and appropriate systems to support all reported problems.
4.7.3 Commission an annual space audit and collate space utilisation statistics.
4.7.4 Utilise space audit and statistical data to promote space use efficiency.
4.8 Responsibilities of Information Services
AV-IT
4.8.1 Provide and maintain all AV-IT equipment in centrally managed space.
4.8.2 Train and support staff in the use of AV-IT equipment.
4.8.3 On an annual basis, provide an update to SMTT of the AV-IT equipment available in each centrally managed space.
4.8.4 Ensure that this equipment is in full working order and run appropriate systems to support all reported problems.
Systems Support – Information Services Timetabling Support Team
4.8.5 The Director of IT Services and the Director of Estates are responsible for the service level agreement between the business areas responsible for the process in Estates and IT.
5. Procedures and Principles
5.1 Procedures
5.1.1 All booked events must be entered into CMIS, regardless of whether they take place in central or locally managed rooms. This is necessary to support the effective management of space across the Estate, to ensure Facilities Services are aware of scheduled activities, and to enable requests for room bookings to be handled efficiently.
5.1.2 Requests for room bookings by or on behalf of University staff or students must be made using the form available through the UofG Helpdesk.
5.2 Principles and Priorities for Allocating Central Space
The following principles and priorities are used in allocating rooms.
5.2.1 Teaching activities take precedence over non-teaching activities, with the exception of bookings for examinations and degree ceremonies made prior to the deadline for Schools to enter their academic event data into CMIS.
5.2.2 Bookings for Open Day and Applicant Visit events are allocated as part of the timetable construction process, where details are known. Other Open Day or similar bookings are processed after all teaching bookings have been finalised.
5.2.3 Where a suitable room cannot be found, an alternative room will be proposed if possible. If this is not possible, SMTT will liaise with the requester regarding other options.
5.2.4 In the first instance, conflicts will be resolved by the SMTT/C&E and the parties concerned. Conflicts which cannot be resolved by the SMTT/C&E will be referred to Court Office.
5.2.5 Attendee/participant numbers must not exceed the published seating capacity limits.
5.2.6 Bookings for specialist activities, such as art or crafts, and performance-based activities (e.g. dance and music) will only be allocated to appropriate specialist spaces suitable for the type of activity, for example a Gym or Art Studio, and/or in locations which will not impact teaching or other activity.
Appendix A: Record of Revisions
| Date | Revisions |
|---|---|
| 27/02/2024 |
Approved by: Karen Lee - Director Strategy, Performance and Transformation |
Appendix B: Definition of Non-Chargeable Events
No hire charges will be applied for room bookings which fall under the categories listed below. However, as per point 3.3.3 of this Policy, charges may be applied for operational support, heating or cleaning services. If applicable, this will be confirmed with the user at the time of making the booking.
Booking for events within the categories below are managed by the Space Management and Timetabling Team (SMTT). All other events (i.e., those where hire charges normally apply) are managed by Catering and Events.
List of non-chargeable events:
Core teaching and learning: all attendees must be University of Glasgow registered students or affiliated with the University (e.g., Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow International College) and content of session must form part of the programme of study. This includes research activity, induction events, examinations & class tests, non credit-bearing courses.
Orientation week events managed by the International Student Support team.
Freshers’ Week events, providing there is no attendance charge, no catering (e.g., wine, soft drinks) and no element of ‘sales’.
Ceremonies directly related to core University Services (e.g., graduation ceremonies).
University Calendar events, including Committee meetings and other business meetings.
Employer visits: all attendees must be University of Glasgow registered students and there should be no element of ‘sales’.
School visits
Student recruitment events managed by External Relations.
Careers Fairs: all attendees must be University of Glasgow registered students and there should be no element of ‘sales’.
Public Lectures: event is advertised and open to all (i.e., attendees are not specifically invited) There should be no attendance charge and no catering (e.g., wine, soft drinks) offered to audience.
University Public Concerts open to everyone, charges applicable to some performances.
Dinners/receptions hosted by schools / departments in their own rooms (i.e., centrally booked rooms may be subject to charges).
SRC Affiliated societies: applies to teaching space only, with the exception of Halls where hire charges may apply; at least 80% of attendees must be UoG students; a maximum attendance fee of £15 may be charged.
Appendix C: University Open Buildings
The following table details those spaces classed as ‘Open Buildings’ and where operational support will not be charged within the times stated.
| Building | Availability |
|---|---|
| Adam Smith Building | Monday – Friday until 21:30 during Semesters 1 and 2 teaching weeks only |
| Boyd Orr Building | Monday – Friday until 21:30 during Semesters 1 and 2 teaching weeks only |
| James McCune Smith Building | Monday – Sunday from 06:00 until 23:00 All year (except for Christmas vacation) |
| St. Andrew's Building | Monday – Friday until 21:30 All year (except for Christmas vacation) |
Appendix D: Process for Invoicing Charges
In cases where charges are incurred in relation to a room booking (e.g., for operational support or Public Entertainment Licence) the following procedure will be adopted.
