Teaching Room Bookings
Policy, Roles and Responsibilities, and Procedures
Updated: February 2024
1. Introduction
The amalgamation of all Central and College/School teaching spaces and their use into a single data source allows undergraduate and postgraduate taught students to enrol on their classes, view complete timetables online 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 booking of Central Teaching Space (CTS) and the construction and production of the University's teaching and examination timetable. The policy requires Schools to enact their responsibilities with respect to the management of local space used for teaching and examinations.
This policy should be read in conjunction with the Timetable and Room Allocation Programme of Activity issued each year, and appropriate training and support materials for relevant roles. These will be published on the Estates Directorate Space Management and Timetabling website.
2. Policy Objectives
The policy for the management of teaching space 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 objectives of the policy are:
- To support staff, at all levels, who contribute to the creation and production of the University's teaching timetable.
- To provide personalised timetables and room booking information for students and staff that is up to date and accurate.
- To record all timetabled teaching and learning activities and space on one timetable.
- To provide a unified approach to timetabling and room booking across the University using a single system.
- To enhance the student experience and support the delivery of a high-quality learning and teaching environment within available resources.
- To ensure the delivery of a standard level of facilities and support across all Colleges.
- To ensure that students are taught in the most appropriate teaching accommodation.
- To optimise the utilisation and configuration of the University's learning space
- To ensure the effective organisation and administration of blended delivery.
- To minimise student and staff travel across campus and to ensure that disabled students are allowed sufficient time for travel between classes.
- To create a learning and working environment which fosters good relations, promotes respect for all people, and is free from discrimination and unfair treatment, in line with the University's commitment to promote equality in all its activities and its equality policies (available on the Equality and Diversity webpage).
- To plan timetables for new deliveries and developments.
- To ensure continuous improvement in the timetabling process.
- To enable use of the University’s teaching spaces and facilities by external bodies is supported for income-generation purposes, provided this is compatible with the University’s strategy and does not conflict with teaching and assessment activities.
3. Guidance on Use of Teaching Space
3.1 Definitions of Central and Locally (School) Managed Teaching Space
3.1.1 Centrally Managed Space
Central Space refers to all Teaching Rooms (Lecture Theatres, Seminar Rooms, etc.), Specialist Space (Laboratories, Clusters etc.) and Non-Teaching Rooms (Halls, Meeting and Conference Rooms) that are supported by the Estates Directorate and Information Services. These rooms are primarily bookable for teaching activities but may be used for teaching-related and non-teaching activities such as examinations, research seminars, meetings and commercial activities where these do not conflict with the requirements for learning and teaching.
3.1.2 Locally (School) Managed Teaching Space
Locally managed teaching space is primarily used for the teaching activities of the managing School.
Schools will be encouraged to review retained Teaching Rooms and their utilisation data regularly, and to consider where it may be appropriate to transfer space to central management for University-wide use. Where Schools opt to retain local control of teaching 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.
Where locally managed space is unused by a School in-year it should be available to be booked for other/wider University business, including use as student study space.
It is recognised that all general teaching space should, over time, be moved to central management in order to ensure common standards in teaching spaces, consistency of experience for staff and students, and to optimise the use of space as a strategic asset supporting the University’s ambition for growth.
3.2 Facilities and Support Services for Central Teaching Space (CTS)
3.2.1 Estates Directorate maintains quality standards and the fabric in CTS.
3.2.2 The SMTT advise on CTS facilities and manage requests for space use.
3.2.3 Information Services manage the AV-IT equipment in CTS and may be able provide additional equipment on request. (Requests are subject to availability in the spaces and meeting the annual timetable process planning deadlines.)
3.2.4 Facilities Services (part of Estates Directorate) are responsible for the routine maintenance of CTS.
3.3 Hire of Accomodation 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. A further definition of non-chargeable events is included at Appendix C.
3.3.2 Other events hosted by Schools in centrally managed space will incur hire of accommodation charges – further details can be found in the Non-Teaching Bookings Policy.
3.3.3 There will be no exemption from costs incurred in respect of any event for operational support, heating or cleaning costs other than where the space is allocated for core teaching activity.
3.4 External Bookings
3.4.1 Catering and Events (C&E) are responsible for hiring out Central Teaching Space to external clients.
3.4.2 External bookings are defined as those made by 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 The use of University rooms and facilities by external bodies must be compatible with the University’s strategic aims and values, and its policies and procedures.
3.4.5 Bookings of CTS that are requested by external organisations are 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 AV-IT).
No changes should be made to the University's teaching timetable to accommodate external use, unless authorised by the Chief Operating Officer (Secretary of Court). In particular, examination timetabling is complicated by a limited amount of examination accommodation, by a limited number of examination timetable slots, and by a variation in examination durations. The University has, therefore, undertaken to ensure an adequate supply of examination accommodation by making all suitable spaces (central and local) available in all examination periods.
4. Teaching and Examination Times
4.1 Teaching Hours
4.1.1 Core teaching hours and normal opening hours for University buildings are 08.30 to 18.00 Mondays to Fridays. All classes should commence five minutes after the hour and finish at least five minutes before the hour to allow for the necessary changeover.
4.1.2 Exceptionally, teaching events in CTS may be scheduled outside core teaching hours provided specific advance agreement has been given by the SMTT. In such instances, teaching after 18.00 is concentrated as far as possible in 'Open or Supported Buildings' in order to minimize operational support requirements and heating costs. Open and Supported Buildings for 2024/25 are:
Adam Smith Building which is open until 21:30 from Monday - Thursday during Semesters 1 and 2
Boyd Orr Building which is open in the evening from Monday - Thursday until 21:30 and Friday until 20:30 during Semesters 1 and 2
James McCune Smith Building which is open from 06:00 until 23:00 Monday - Sunday all year (except for the Christmas vacation)
St Andrew's Building which is open until 21:30 from Monday - Friday all year (except for the Christmas vacation)
4.1.3 The University is committed to encouraging participation in sport and exercise activities, therefore, in accordance with the policy agreed by Academic Policy & Governance, Wednesday afternoons should be kept free of classes to permit students to engage in recreational activities and classes should not normally be scheduled after 12.00 on Wednesdays. See Wednesday Afternoon Sporting Activities.
4.1.4 The University has developed a Religion and Belief Policy to support staff and students who follow a particular faith. Advice for staff and students on religious observance is available in the Equality and Diversity Policy, Appendix H.
4.2 Examination Times
4.2.1 Teaching and examination periods are clearly separated in the University’s academic year so that there are normally no undergraduate degree examinations during teaching periods and no timetabled classes such as lectures, tutorials, or laboratories during examination periods.
4.2.2 Further information on the University’s Exam policies and procedures can be found on the Academic Policy & Governance’s Assessment webpage.
5. Roles and Responsibilities
5.1 Teaching Space Refurbishment
The Vice-Principal: Learning and Teaching through the Learning & Teaching Strategy Workstreams, will maintain oversight and approval of the ongoing review of the design, configuration and refurbishment of teaching spaces in order to ensure appropriate consistency of provision and experience as well as alignment with the University’s strategic direction.
- The work to inform and advise the Vice-Principal: Learning and Teaching, lead jointly by the SMTT and Estates Space Planning Team, will comprise:
- Developing a Refurbishment Plan that includes more consistency of size and type of room to increase the likelihood of being able to give people access to active learning spaces in successive years.
- Undertaking room audits of central and local space, updating regularly as more local space is included within central timetabling’s responsibility.
- Developing a schedule of every room on campus and its capacity.
- Prioritising the rooms on campus to be refurbished.
- Producing an analysis of all spend on rooms to date, identifying the benefits realised from these investments.
- Developing principles and reviewing design standards to ensure that they guide our approach consistently.
- Agreeing criteria for prioritising the rooms to be refurbished. Criteria to include location, size, type of teaching accommodated, feedback from students and staff.
- Working closely with those involved in evaluating learning spaces to draw on evidence locally and more broadly.
- Agreeing a staff support and development plan that accompanies the refurbishment schedule.
The Vice-Principal: Learning & Teaching will ensure regular reporting into and guidance from the University’s Learning and Teaching Committee and Income Growth Board to align the refurbishment plan with appropriate strategic developments and broader University priorities.
5.2 Process Ownership and Management of Timetabling
5.2.1 Academic owners for timetabling
Senior academics with the authority to make decisions relating to academic policy for their College and School within the University's policies for timetabling:
- College – normally the Dean (Learning and Teaching)
- School – normally the Head of School
5.2.2 Management of timetabling
- College – normally the Director of Professional Services
- School – normally the Head of Professional Services
5.2.3 Administrative users of Timetabling software (CMIS): nominated specialist administrative/clerical post
Each School will have at least one member of administrative staff who will be responsible for the timetabling process. These persons are referred to throughout this document as School Timetablers (STTs) and will be the specialist user(s) of the software.
Each School will have a key contact “lead timetabler” responsible for liaising on behalf of the School with the SMTT and coordinating communications and completion of work to schedule, and with those approved to work as a School timetabler (by their Head of Professional Services).
5.3 Roles and Responsibilities of School Timetablers
- Abide by the annual timetabling process.
- Submit timetabling requests, to include time, day, duration of hours to be taught and weeks to be taught, room requirements (features and equipment), course and subgroup codes.
- Gather and submit staff and student constraints in the format: location, capacity and duration of class requested.
- Gather and submit information related to event specification, delivery patterns and room requests in the allotted timeframe.
- Gather and submit any disclosed information relating to student and staff disability that may affect room allocation and scheduling.
- Gather and record details of lecturer(s) assigned to each teaching event.
- Check that the correct resources have been allocated and report any inaccuracies to the SMTT.
- Check thoroughly the published timetable and report any inaccuracies to the SMTT promptly.
- Check for changed or additional courses and ensure events are amended/added to be scheduled/roomed.
- Book the specialist rooms and other locally managed teaching space to the maximum utilisation ensuring rooms are appropriate for use.
- Notify the students and staff in a timely manner of any changes to the published timetable and encourage students/staff to use the UofG Life App to access their timetable to ensure access to the latest information.
- Co-ordinate with other Schools where events or resources are shared, taking appropriate responsibility as providing or receiving School.
5.4 Role of Space Management and Timetabling Team
- Provide an up-to-date version of the timetable to be imported into Campus Solutions (MyCampus).
- Process changes in a timely manner and communicate to appropriate staff.
- Allocate rooms according to the prioritisation weighting specified in the timetabling policy.
- Schedule the timetables based on the timetabling rules specified in the timetabling policy.
- Ensure room audits are conducted annually.
- Annually review and maintain estate data related to each campus, zones, building names, room capacities, room facilities and building and room partitioning.
- Liaise with Schools to ensure that deadlines are met.
- Maintain positive working relationships with nominated staff in Schools.
- Endeavour to process non-teaching booking requests within 48 hours.
- Anticipate and resolve any on-site difficulties efficiently and effectively.
- Work with colleagues across the Estates Directorate to maintain the quality of centrally managed space.
- Manage CMIS licences and user accounts.
- Provide appropriate training and support to end users.
- Support the development and adoption of the on-line room booking system.
- Support the development and use of the UofG Life app.
5.5 Role of Non-Teaching event Bookers
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. These staff should:
- Create the event with required details: time, day, date, size, details (what the booking is for), contact name.
- Request rooms appropriate for the use required.
- Check with other room owners that the booking will not have a detrimental effect, for example through noise.
- Book locally managed rooms or request rooms managed by other units.
- Use the online booking system (where deployed) to record use of local space.
- Be responsible for the state of the room when the booking has finished.
Bookings for Central Teaching Space outside core teaching hours will be made by either SMTT or Catering and Events, depending on the nature of the request.
For more information on non-teaching bookings please refer to the Policy and Process webpage.
5.6 Requests for Timetable Changes
Requests for changes to the timetable after the publication date (normally in June each year, when central allocations are issued) should be kept to an absolute minimum.
Any changes to room bookings after the publication of the timetable will be considered only where there are:
- Cancellation of courses/classes with insufficient student numbers affecting the student group size.
- Unexpected absence affecting the availability of teaching staff.
- Insufficient room capacity or facilities in the room to enable effective teaching to be delivered to students.
- Health and safety concerns affecting staff and students.
- Changes required to accommodate a disabled student or member of staff.
- Changes required due to travel time constraints on students or staff.
- Changes required due to a change in the delivery method of the class (online or on campus).
- Non-policy reasons for change, where possible.
Changes should be submitted at least 48 hours before the event will take place in order to ensure sufficient time for the change to be processed.
The class timetable change request process is the method for submitting requests online. Appendix B provides details of the policy reasons above and the online request categories. Management reporting of class timetable change requests will be published to highlight opportunities to prevent of avoidable issues in future and mitigate the impact of unforeseen circumstances.
5.7 Roles and Responsibilities of the Student
Students requiring special arrangements should make their needs known at the earliest opportunity through the Disability Service/MyCampus to ensure that these can be accommodated and post-publication changes to the timetable and room allocations can be minimised (See Get Support).
Read and check their personalised published timetable as it appears on the UofG Life App and contact their Advisor of Studies in the event of:
- unreasonable clustering of activities without sufficient breaks; and
- special arrangements required as a result of, inter alia, disabilities or religious beliefs.
Regularly check for any changes, including additional activities and room changes. Note: Students and staff will be notified by push notification or text opt-in of any changes made to the timetable for that day or for the next day’s teaching when they subscribe to updates via the UofG Life app.
5.8 Roles and Responsibilities of Academic Staff
- Advise School Timetablers of any special arrangements required for students or staff as a result of, inter alia, disabilities or religious beliefs.
- Notify School Timetablers of teaching requirements within the agreed timelines for them to enter relevant data. See the Programme of Activity 2024-25 for the agreed timelines.
- Check timetables when they are first published and advise School Timetablers of any problems.
- Start and finish classes promptly and in accordance with this policy.
- Adhere to the latest version of the published timetable and advise School Timetablers if a previously confirmed booking is no longer required.
- Staff requiring special arrangements as defined in their agreed reasonable adjustments should make their needs known to their School timetabling team at the earliest opportunity through their line manager and/or the Occupational Health Service to ensure that these can be accommodated and post-publication changes to the timetable and room allocation can be minimised.
- Regularly check their timetable via either the UofG Life App or the Timetable Viewer (available through MyGlasgow for Staff). for any updates, including additional activities and room changes.Note: Students and staff will be notified by push notification or test opt-in of any changes made to the timetable for that day or for the next day's teaching when they subscribe to updates via the UofG Life App.
5.9 Responsibilities of the Estates Directorate
- Maintain quality standards in CTS and, together with Information Services, manage resources needed to support service delivery.
- Provide clear advice on room usage and fabric maintenance, and appropriate systems to support all reported problems.
- Commission an annual space audit and collate space utilisation statistics.
- Utilise space audit and statistical data to promote space use efficiency.
5.10 Responsibilities of Information Services
AV-IT
- Provide and maintain all AV-IT equipment in CTS, training and supporting staff in its use.
- 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
The Executive Director of Information Services and the Executive Director of the Estates Directorate are responsible for the service level agreement between the business areas responsible for the process in Estates and IT.
Details of support for timetable software service end-users are on the Information Services website.
6. Procedures and Principles
6.1 Procedures
6.1.1 All teaching events must be entered into CMIS, regardless of whether they take place in CTS, locally managed or external rooms. This is necessary to support student enrolment, enable complete timetables to be provided to students and staff and ensure that clashes are avoided.
6.1.2 Every effort should be made by Schools to avoid potential clashes between single activities on compulsory courses; between compulsory and elective courses; and between elective courses within any programme of study. The parent School is responsible for ensuring that any such clashes are resolved by moving one or both activities. Any clashes that cannot be resolved should be referred to the appropriate Head(s) of School and in the event that they are unable to agree a resolution, they should be referred to the appropriate Dean(s) (Learning and Teaching). It should be noted that this work requires to be planned at the outset and verified by Schools early in the annual process, prior to the end of April deadline.
6.1.3 Course clashes are not possible at the time that students enrol on a class in MyCampus, i.e., the system will not allow students to enrol on clashing activities. If an Advisor chooses to use the override option in the student records system, the Advisor is responsible for checking the consequences of their actions. School timetabling teams should not make timetable changes that will create a clash.
6.1.4 Process maps, training documents and the annual timetable programme of activity are available from Space Management and Timetabling as separate documents.
6.2 Principles and Priorities for Allocating Central Space
The following principles and priorities are used in room allocation. Please note that although this is a numbered section, event requests contain a number of factors that cumulatively affect the availability and best-fit allocation.
6.2.1 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.
6.2.2 Larger classes take precedence over smaller classes (for capacity fit into a space). Classes will always be allocated a room with a capacity greater than or equal to the stated class size. Class sizes must be at least 80% of the room capacity.
6.2.3 As the range of teaching spaces available becomes more diverse and in line with evolving pedagogy, the match between learning activity and type of space allocated will be prioritised.
6.2.4 Full semester bookings normally take precedence over single week or ad hoc bookings. Where the week patterns are the same, activities which have a shorter duration take precedence over longer duration activities.
However, note that staff must book only actual teaching weeks, i.e., ensure that ‘reading weeks’ or other non-teaching times are planned and correctly reflected, by the required planning deadline.
6.2.5 Bookings for the main University Open Day events are allocated as part of the timetable construction process. Open Day bookings for all other times are processed after all teaching bookings have been finalised.
6.2.6 Activities requiring specialist facilities have priority access to specialist teaching spaces.
6.2.7 Access for students and staff with a disability is a priority and will be accommodated wherever possible. This information should be included in the initial planning by the required deadline each year. Enrolments by a student with a disability may give rise to a late class timetable change request but every effort must be made to capture this requirement at an early stage.
6.2.8 Where a suitable room cannot be found, an appropriate room at an alternative time may be proposed.
6.2.9 In the event that the time of the activity is fixed, it is the responsibility of the School either to make alternative arrangements or check the availability of rooms managed by the SMTT or other Schools.
6.2.10 In the first instance, conflicts will be resolved by the SMTT and the parties concerned. Conflicts which cannot be resolved by the SMTT will be referred to Head(s) of School. If the Head(s) of School are unable to agree a resolution, the matter will be referred to the appropriate Dean(s) (Learning and Teaching).
6.2.11 Student numbers must not exceed the published seating capacity limits.*
These principles do not apply to last minute non-teaching bookings or to School-managed teaching space with the exception of * above, which applies to all teaching space and in all cases.
Appendix A: Record of Revisions
| Date | Revisions |
|---|---|
| 26/01/2024 |
Approved by: Karen Lee - Director Strategy, Performance and Transformation |
Appendix B: Policy and Class Timetable Change Requests
The Class Timetable Change Requests support the daily processes and will also provide information about workloads involved in this area to inform future planning and staff workload. The policy reasons and their relationship to the classifications list in the University’s class timetable change request process are:
| Policy (section 5.6) | Class Timetable Change Request reason(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cancellation of courses/classes with insufficient student numbers affecting the student group size. |
Room no longer required Change in size post enrolment |
|
| 2. Unexpected absence affecting the availability of teaching staff. | Room no longer required | |
| 3. Insufficient room capacity or facilities in the room to enable effective teaching to be delivered to students. |
Challenge with room allocated Change in size post enrolment |
|
| 4. Health and safety concerns affecting staff and students. | Change in size post enrolment | No other Health & Safety issues should exist in central teaching spaces |
| 5. Changes required to accomodate a disabled student or member of staff. | Accessibility requirements not known at time of rooming | |
| 6. Changes required due to travel time constraints on students or staff. | Challenge with room allocated | |
| 7. Changes required due to a change in the delivery method of the class (online or on-campus). |
Room no longer required New course/event introduced |
|
| 8. Non-policy reasons for change. | Data Quality Issue |
| These should all be addressed at the timetable preperation stage 2 (Feb-April). They are included to allow Schools to raise unplanned issues and will be accomodated where feasible under the policy. |
New course/event introduced Essential day/time change Data Quality Issue |
Activities should be planned during stafe 2 (feb-April). Completely new or changed courses should be relatively limited from May onwards for the coming academic year and will be accomodated where space is available. |
Appendix C: 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.